The project intends to promote the conservation and enhancement of agro-biodiversity with biotechnology drawing from local indigenous knowledge amongst the small holder farmers in the Tsunga village. The project seeks to address the local and national threat of extinction of the indigenous crops which include grains and leafy vegetables from farmers? cropping systems as well as from local peoples? diet. The project is proposed to be implemented in Tsunga Village in Manyame District by 120 member of the Kunzwana Women?s Association. Tsunga Village was established as a result of the resettlement exercise and is mainly made up of former farm workers who were resettled in this area. These former farm workers are particularly vulnerable as they have to rebuild their lives and acquire skills in order to sustain themselves; this vulnerability is identified as 1 of the major driving factors to environmental degradation. There was and continues to be a significantly high rate of deforestation as people clear land for farming, homestead establishment as well as for fuel wood. The gradually decreasing rainfall and seasonal changes experienced as a result of Climate Change continue to threaten local biodiversity and the farming activities. Some indigenous crops such as brown rice that farmers used to grow in the past can no longer be grown as a result of the changing climatic seasons and low rainfall received. The area is also a predominantly dry area whose water table is low; as a result communities have major challenges in accessing water for domestic and agricultural use. An operational borehole is expected to be more than 55m deep for sustainable supply of water; this has posed a challenge to the community some of whom have resorted to establishing their gardens along the Mupfure River.

The project intends to use a three pronged approach in implementing and achieving its goals and ensuring the resuscitation and promotion of indigenous agro-biodiversity in the Tsunga community and beyond. Current indigenous technologies/methods being applied by the Tsunga women in preserving their various indigenous seed varieties such as nyimo (round nuts), nyemba (cowpeas), nzungu (groundnuts), mupunga (brown rice), mhunga (millet) and several others will be identified and improved inorder to preserve quality indigenous seed. For this project 3 indigenous crops have been identified and targeted for scientific testing inorder to determine their suitable germination conditions, physical purity and other characteristics. 4 varieties of roundnuts, 2 varieties of groundnuts and 3 types of beans have been targeted for these tests which will be conducted by the Department of Research and Specialists Services Zimbabwe-Seed Department. Traditional granaries are going to be modified for improved seed storage for guaranteed quality. 3 demonstration traditional seed banks will be established. The project seeks to promote and upscale the women?s activities and capacity to preserve this seed, mainstream indigenous crop production as well as sustainably manage their environment and natural resources through the establishment of 3 organic indigenous agro-biodiversity gardens measuring 30mx40m amongst the 8 participating villages. Agro-forestry will be practiced in the gardens where indigenous and exotic fruit trees will be incorporated with other traditional crops grown in the garden for holistic environmental management. Farmers will identify the best suitable trees to be planted in their gardens. Woodlots and nurseries will be established and managed at village level with the leadership of the local traditional leaders. The final thrust of the project is to influence the mainstreaming of indigenous crops in local and national biodiversity conservation activities, agriculture and food and nutrition security as well as to promote the crops as income generating crops.

The project seeks to remove the common misconception that has seen most indigenous crops/vegetable be wrongfully classified as minor or poverty crops. This has then resulted in these numerous varieties of indigenous crops gradually going into extinction thereby threatening local and national agro-biodiversity, health and food security. There is need to initiate community based agriculture interventions that usher in ecologically adaptive farming systems technologies, revolutionize, align and harmonize socio-cultural diversity farming practices that positively contribute towards sustainable management of natural resources.

8 villages from the Tsunga community will participate in the implementation of the project with 120 members of the Kunzwana Women?s Foundation being direct implementers and beneficiaries of the project. Traditional leaders will engage and lead the whole communities from the targeted 8 villages in the establishment of community woodlots and forest conservation at village level. The Kunzwana Women?s Foundation was formed in 1985 with the main objective of mobilizing and empowering women farm workers with skill and capacity to implement income generating and conservation projects.
Project Beneficiaries Distribution
Participating Villages Number of beneficiaries Widows Single mothers Elderly
10, 1 30 3 5 8
12,3 30 1 10 6
6,5 30 0 9 7
4,11 30 4 12 9

In implementing its proposed activities the project aims to address the GEF Biodiversity Conservation Thematic area while directly addressing GEFSGP Strategic Objectives Number 5 and 6 which aim to promote forest rehabilitation through reforestation, raising tree seedlings and tree planting, enrichment planting, woodlots establishment, social forestry approaches, and agro-forestry approaches as well as to support community based actions that help to sustainably utilize the agro-ecosystems and these include crop diversification, crop rotation . The project will contribute immensely to genetic diversity through the establishment of gene banks including cultivation of a variety of hybrid legumes and cultural small grain. The project will also be consistent with the Aichi Biodiversity Targets Strategic Goal C which targets to improve the status of biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity and more specifically target 13 which reads:
Target13
By 2020, the genetic diversity of cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and of wild relatives, including other socio-economically as well as culturally valuable species, is maintained, and strategies have been developed and implemented for minimizing genetic erosion and safeguarding their genetic diversity.