Abstract:
The study discusses food quality and safety challenges and their impact on food
security policy in the public domain of Zimbabwe. It also interrogates control
measures that the Government has adopted in addressing food shortages in some
parts of the country. In an approach to food security policy which is relatively new
in Africa, the Government of Zimbabwe assisted farmers through a logistical support
programme dubbed Operation Maguta in order to improve efficacy in food security
policy and quality. The manner in which the programme was conducted has been
a subject of public debate in the country. This study queries claims of subsistence
farmers benefiting from government assistance in Buhera District. Problems of an
increasing population, lack of resources and technical knowledge to deal with preharvest
and post-harvest food losses, environmental and food hygiene adversely
affected food quality and safety in Zimbabwe. The study is conceptually based on the
following food security policy pillars: availability, accessibility, stability of supply and
access plus safe and healthy utilisation. The study adopted focus group interviews
with subsistence farmers and agriculturalists, and the questions were directed at
production, supply and demand. The study found that agricultural production levels
in Buhera District are still low with regard to contributing to malnutrition, which
consequently affects growth and learning capacity for children and the ability of
adults to lead fully productive lives.
