Zimbabwe’s Urban Crises: Food Security and the Joint Initiative

The crisis in Zimbabwe is prolonged, widespread and deeply felt. Zimbabwe faces multiple challenges: political stalemate; very poor service delivery; a stagnant and contracting economy; increasing unemployment; an HIV/ AIDS pandemic and the progressively challenging task of accessing even the most basic commodities. Coupled with a hostile government and poor relations with the international community, the crisis in Zimbabwe shows no signs of abating. The combination of these factors is driving Zimbabweans into poverty. Life expectancy has plummeted from 62 years in the late 1980s to 43 years in 20101. The HIV rate among adults peaked at 27 percent in 1997 and over 1.3 million children are without either one or both parents2. Historically, Zimbabwe was the ‘breadbasket’ of Southern Africa. Today, however, due to inefficient governance, low agricultural investments, a crippled private sector, cyclical weather patterns, and controversial land reform programmes, Zimbabwe has become a net food importer. Food security has declined significantly and is now a critical issue facing the population.