Agroecology is usually described as a set of farming practices. This story shows it is also a household one. In Zimbabwe’s Dande Valley, a 52-year-old farmer used agroecology training and joint household planning to end recurring food shortages, cut input costs, and put two children through school.
This is the story of Lizzy Kagumba of Makina Village, Ward 2, in the Dande Valley of Mount Darwin District.
The starting point: strain inside and outside the field
Lizzy had farmed crops and livestock for years. Before joining APT’s Sustainable Farming Systems Programme in 2025, the household faced three problems at once:
- recurring food shortages
- weak management of the resources they did have
- tension within the family over money and decision-making
That third point matters more than it might appear. A household arguing about who decides what cannot plan a season, and a farm without a plan cannot recover from a bad harvest.
What changed: planning together before planting
The turning point came through agroecology training that incorporated Gender Action Learning System (GALS) methods. It helped the family plan together, share responsibilities, consult one another on decisions, and manage income more deliberately. Lizzy attended every session and applied the lessons at home.
“Equality has improved, with joint decision-making and shared responsibilities.”
She reports this reduced conflict at home and brought greater peace, unity and cooperation — the foundation everything else was built on.
The farming practices adopted
The training also gave the family practical ways to strengthen production despite limited resources:
- Pfumvudza — making better use of small plots while conserving water and disturbing the soil less
- Dande basal and top-dressing fertiliser — prepared from locally available materials, lowering production costs while improving soil fertility
- Reduced dependence on purchased inputs — a direct saving in a context where cash is the binding constraint
Lizzy reports these changes brought visible improvements in her farming and helped secure year-round household food availability.
Diversifying beyond crops
The benefits extended past crop production. Lizzy diversified into rearing goats, sheep and chickens, which now contribute both food and income. That income has paid school fees for her granddaughter at Mavhuradonha Secondary School and helped support her daughter’s university education.
What this story shows
For Lizzy, the change has not only been in what the family grows, but in how the household works together. Agroecology is not only about practices in the field. It depends on fairness, participation, planning and the wise use of resources within the home. In her case, agroecology training supported by GALS methods built a more cooperative family, a more productive farming system, and a clearer path to a more secure future.
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Related: How APT strengthens agroecological farming systems · The Sustainable Farming Systems Programme · More resources and insights