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Domestic and international crops and livestock trade remain fragile among Zimbabwean smallholder farmers. Commercial crop-livestock integration in climate change vulnerable areas is low and sparsely documented. Practice, knowledge, and attitude indicators influencing participation of smallholder farmers in crop-livestock integrated platforms as a hedge against climate change-induced risks and uncertainties were assessed. A survey with 240 farmers in Insiza district, Matabeleland province, Zimbabwe was conducted. A modified knowledge, attitude, and perception framework was used to analyze data from six wards supported by World Vision through supplementary livelihood programs on crop-livestock integration. Conventional crop-livestock (63%), mixed crops-livestock (25%), and traditional grains-livestock (12%) options were dominant. There was a thin presence of stakeholders with a limited number of local buyers, contracting companies, and agro-dealers who participate on these platforms. Farmers have the knowledge, positive attitude, and motivated perceptions about the potential of traditional grains-livestock mechanisms to reduce climate change welfare compromising factors. Unbalanced policies, limited financing, and uncompetitive marketing channels limit the uptake of this option. Traditional grains-livestock alternatives should be supported in semi-arid environments to reduce food, income, and nutrition insecurity. Public-private partnerships should establish value addition systems to increase the market size of traditional grains-livestock products and enhance commercialization.
Musara et al. (Fri,) studied this question.