The Government's push to come up with a comprehensive national soil conservation policy has reached home-stretch, with stakeholders from various institutions meeting in Harare recently to engage and share notes on the draft policy.
The draft policy, which is aligned to the United Nations' Global Soil Charter, seeks to address pressing issues of soil erosion, degradation, and climate change. It aims to promote sustainable agriculture practices, support ecosystem services, and ensure food security in Zimbabwe.
Speaking during the meeting, Lands, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development permanent secretary Professor Obert Jiri emphasised the importance of soil conservation in achieving Vision 2030 goals and the Sustainable Development Goals.
"Soil is the basis for agricultural production and its health is crucial for our future. We must come up with implementable policies to preserve and conserve our soil. Careful soil management not only secures sustainable agriculture, but it also provides a valuable lever for climate regulation and a pathway for safeguarding our ecosystems," he said.
Prof Jiri noted that soil provided habitats for organisms, purified and stored water, filtered pollutants and was the most important terrestrial carbon sequestration platform on earth.
"Protecting our soil is urgent, particularly in farm lands and rural areas."
Meanwhile, stakeholders have welcomed the initiative, recognising its value in promoting sustainable agriculture practices and protecting Zimbabwe's soil resources.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Department of Engineering, Mechanisation and Soil Conservation chief director, Engineer Edwin Zimhunga added his voice saying: "We embarked on this journey in 2022 and have so far engaged nine provinces to gather contributions from all stakeholders. We are proud to have a fully-fledged department dedicated to soil engineering and conservation services under the Ministry Lands, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development."
The development of the National Soil Conservation Policy is a significant step towards a sustainable future for Zimbabwe, setting a precedent for other countries to follow.
"The whole essence of the policy is to gather enough contributions from all stakeholders such that when it is implemented, it is a policy for everyone," said Eng Zimhunga.
Deputy director for Soil Engineering and Conservation Services, Mr Hebert Gutu, said the mantra guiding the policy 'Soil Conservation for Food Security Everywhere' was not just to encourage farmers to have conservation works on their fields, but to teach them different ways in which they can promote the conservation of soils for future use.
The workshop was attended by stakeholders from various sectors of the economy, government officials, farmers' unions, local authorities, engineers, academia, Environmental Management Agency (EMA), and Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) officials.
