IN Dema, a rural community southeast of Harare, we recently hosted a community gathering with a simple but powerful goal: to reconnect with the food we grow, the way we farm, and what ends up on our plates.
Rooted in the principles of a “Barefoot Guide” approach, the event brought together local farmers, elders, youth, and cooks to explore how we can build more sustainable and culturally affirming food systems by embracing organic agriculture and indigenous cuisine.
Our conversation was not just about farming practices — it was about identity, memory, health, and dignity. It was about challenging the assumptions we have inherited and rediscovering what we already know.
A barefoot approach
The term “barefoot guide” represents a humble, grounded approach to knowledge-sharing.
Rather than expert-led lectures, our meeting encouraged conversation, storytelling, and hands-on learning. The barefoot method centres lived experience — what people know from working the soil, raising animals, and cooking for their families. It values traditional knowledge not as outdated, but as essential.
The Dema gathering was one of several such community meetings held across Zimbabwe in recent months with support from PELUM Zimbabwe.
From Mbare to Chitungwiza, barefoot guides have been facilitating spaces for ordinary people to examine how food systems are changing and to explore practical, homegrown alternatives to chemical-intensive agriculture.
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The chemical mistake
A key learning tool at our gathering was a resource titled “The Chemical Mistake”, which helped guide reflection on the rise of synthetic fertilisers, pesticides, and hybrid seeds in smallholder farming.
The document does not point fingers —it simply invites readers to consider the long-term impacts of chemical agriculture, especially in communities that were once food secure using organic methods.
As participants read and discussed the text, many shared stories of how farming became more expensive over time. Buying fertiliser and seed each season added financial pressure, while soil quality declined and pests became harder to manage.
Some spoke of water sources being affected or vegetables that no longer tasted the same.
But the mood was not despairing. The conversation quickly turned to what can be done. Elders described how they used to farm with livestock manure, ashes, compost, and intercropping — methods that cost nothing but paid off in rich soils and resilient crops.
The group agreed that blending such traditional techniques with selected innovations offers a more balanced and sustainable way forward.
Organic agriculture: Not a trend
We explored the idea that organic farming isn’t a new trend — it is a return to the Zimbabwean way of farming before chemicals became common.
Long before synthetic inputs were introduced, our communities had effective ways of nurturing soil fertility, controlling pests, and saving seed.
Today, many are rediscovering these methods. Participants in Dema shared how they have resumed composting using kitchen waste and livestock dung, growing cover crops, and using plant-based pest repellents such as mutsine and muchekacheka.
These practices not only restore soil health but also reduce dependency on purchased inputs.
Another important theme was seed sovereignty. Community members emphasized the value of saving and sharing indigenous seeds — grains such as finger millet (zviyo), sorghum, cowpeas (nyemba), and traditional maize. These crops are better suited to local conditions, offer higher nutritional value, and are part of our culinary heritage.
Rediscovering indigenous cuisine
As the conversation shifted to food, we encountered something more emotional — something many of us carry quietly. While everyone agreed that indigenous food is healthier and more sustainable, there was an honest and sometimes painful discussion about how it has come to be viewed.
Several participants shared their discomfort with traditional dishes — not for their taste or nutrition, but because of what they symbolised.
“I used to think sadza rezviyo was for old people with no teeth,” someone said, to much laughter. “Or for when there was no money for roller meal!”
Another added, “We grew up being told masawu and nyii were bush snacks for poor people. If you were seen with them in town, people thought you had come from the rural areas.”
This sentiment echoed across generations. There was a quiet revulsion, born not from the food itself, but from how society has labelled it.
For many, indigenous food represented poverty, struggle, and shame — while fast food became a symbol of status and modernity.
One participant joked: “A plate of zviyo and pumpkin leaves might save your life—but try competing with a burger and chips on Instagram!” That drew laughter and nods of agreement.
Yet this moment of truth opened the door to healing. We began discussing how we could rebrand traditional foods — not as relics of the past, but as cuisine worth celebrating. Could roadrunner chicken be the next free-range delicacy? Could mutakura and mufushwa une dovi (dried vegetables and peanut butter) feature in upscale restaurants and food blogs?
As one elder wisely said: “Chikafu chinotakura tsika — our food carries our culture.”
A feast to remember
To embody our learning, we closed the day with a community lunch: a beautiful, simple meal that reflected everything we had discussed. The menu was proudly local — sadza rezviyo, roadrunner chickens, vegetables in peanut butter sauce, and wild fruits such as masawu and nyii.
The flavours were rich, the portions generous, and the conversations warm and affirming.
This was not just nostalgia — it was a statement. We can eat well, live healthily, and sustain our environment using what we already have, and already know.
A movement gaining momentum
Dema is not alone. Across Zimbabwe, other barefoot guides are facilitating similar gatherings. With support from PELUM Zimbabwe, communities in Mbare, Chitungwiza, and beyond are coming together to reflect on their food systems and take practical action.
Each meeting adds to a growing movement — one that values participation over prescription, collaboration over command. The barefoot approach reminds us that change begins at ground level, with small steps taken together.
Intergenerational exchange
One of the most uplifting aspects of the event was the intergenerational dialogue. Young people were curious, elders were generous, and there was a mutual willingness to listen and learn.
Some youths expressed interest in starting organic gardens or learning traditional recipes. Others proposed documenting elder stories about farming and food.
We discussed setting up a small organic demonstration plot, reviving nhimbe (communal work), and organising seasonal food festivals to celebrate indigenous crops and dishes. These are not grand, top-down projects — but community-led, realistic steps toward reclaiming food sovereignty.
A gentle return to what works
Reviving organic agriculture and traditional cuisine in Zimbabwe does not require us to reject modernity or fear change. Rather, it invites us to remember what has worked for generations and to build upon it with confidence and pride.
This is not a call to return to the past, but to walk barefoot into the future — firmly grounded in the richness of our soil, the wisdom of our elders, and the flavours of our culture.
Our meal in Dema was a quiet revolution: a reminder that good food doesn’t need a wrapper or a barcode. It needs connection and community.
Call to action
Let us continue to gather, plant, cook, and share with pride.
- Mafa writes on behalf of Rima Africa Trust Zimbabwe. He is an agricultural economist. These weekly New Perspectives articles published in the Zimbabwe Independent are coordinated by Lovemore Kadenge, an independent consultant, managing consultant of Zawale Consultants (Private) Limited, past president of the Zimbabwe Economics Society (ZES) and past president of the Chartered Governance and Accountancy Institute in Zimbabwe. Email- kadenge.zes@mail.com or Mobile No. +263 772 382 852
