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International research partnership launches project to re-examine land evaluation and support climate adaptation in Zimbabwe
Researchers from the UK and Zimbabwe have come together in Harare to launch a new project that will explore how historical approaches to land evaluation continue to shape agriculture today and how indigenous knowledge can help support climate adaptation in the future.
Researchers from the UK and Zimbabwe have come together in Harare to launch a new project that will explore how historical approaches to land evaluation continue to shape agriculture today and how indigenous knowledge can help support climate adaptation in the future.
The project, ReCLAIM (Reframing Ecological Land Evaluation in Zimbabwe: unpicking the colonial legacy and re-centering indigenous knowledge to facilitate climate adaptation), is led by the University of Nottingham and brings together researchers from both Zimbabwe and the UK, funded by the UKRI through their Cross-Council programme to support cross-disciplinary research.
The international team met in Harare for the project’s kick-off meeting, marking the start of a collaborative programme of research that combines environmental science, agricultural research, social science, history and linguistics.
ReCLAIM will investigate the legacy of the Agroecological Survey carried out during the colonial era in what was then Southern Rhodesia. The survey classified the country into a series of “Natural Regions” based on their perceived suitability for commercial agriculture. Although developed under colonial administration, these classifications remain widely used in agricultural research, policy and land-use planning today. These regional boundaries can give the impression of fixed natural divisions, despite the reality that landscapes, soils, climates and farming systems are often far more complex and variable. The project will examine how these classifications were created, the assumptions that informed them, and how they continue to influence decision-making decades after Zimbabwe’s independence.
A key scientific aim of the project is to develop new ways of understanding agricultural landscapes that better reflect local environmental variation and farming realities. Researchers will combine national-scale analyses of soils, climate and land use with community-based studies that explore how farmers understand and manage their land.
“ReCLAIM gives us a unique opportunity to combine cutting-edge environmental science with historical and social perspectives to better understand how agricultural landscapes are interpreted and managed,” said Dr Grace Kangara, a scientist at Rothamsted Research. “By working closely with colleagues in Zimbabwe and drawing on indigenous knowledge alongside soil, climate and land-use data, we can develop more realistic and locally relevant approaches to land evaluation. This is particularly important as farmers face increasing challenges from climate change and need tools and evidence that reflect the complexity of the environments in which they work.”
The project is led by the University of Nottingham and is a collaboration between Rothamsted Research, the University of Zimbabwe, and the Department of Research and Specialist Services (DR&SS) under the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development for Harare, Zimbabwe and Integral Kumusha.
Contacts
Dr Muneta Grace Kangara
SOIL SCIENTIST CLIMATE AND NUTRIENT-SMART AGRICULTURE
ABOUT ROTHAMSTED RESEARCH
Rothamsted Research is the longest-running agricultural research institute in the world. We work from gene to field with a proud history of ground-breaking
discoveries in areas as diverse as crop management, statistical interpretation and soil health. Our founders, in 1843, were the pioneers of modern
agriculture, and we are known for our imaginative science and our collaborative approach to developing innovative farm practice.
Through independent research, we make significant contributions to improving agri-food systems in the UK and internationally, with
economic impact estimated to exceed £3 bn in annual contribution to the UK economy. Our strength lies in our systems approach, which combines strategic research,
interdisciplinary teams and multiple partnerships.
Rothamsted is home to three unique National Bioscience Research Infrastructures which are open to researchers from all over the world:
The Long-Term Experiments,
Rothamsted Insect Survey and the
North Wyke Farm Platform.
We are strategically funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), with additional support from other national and
international funding streams, and from industry. We are also supported by the Lawes Agricultural Trust (LAT).
ABOUT BBSRC
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council is part of UK Research and Innovation, a non-departmental public body funded by a grant-in-aid
from the UK government.
BBSRC invests to push back the frontiers of biology and deliver a healthy, prosperous and sustainable future. Through our investments, we build and support a vibrant,
dynamic and inclusive community which delivers ground-breaking discoveries and develops bio-based solutions that contribute to tackling global challenges,
such as sustainable food production, climate change, and healthy ageing.
As part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), we not only play a pivotal role in fostering connections that enable the UK’s world-class research and innovation system
to flourish – we also have a responsibility to enable the creation of a research culture that is diverse, resilient, and engaged.
BBSRC proudly forges interdisciplinary collaborations where excellent bioscience has a fundamental role. We pioneer approaches that enhance the equality, diversity,
and inclusion of talent by investing in people, infrastructure, technologies, and partnerships on a global scale.
ABOUT LAT
The Lawes Agricultural Trust, established in 1889 by Sir John Bennet Lawes, supports Rothamsted Research’s national and international agricultural science through the provision of land, facilities and funding. LAT, a charitable trust, owns the estates at Harpenden and Broom's Barn, including many of the buildings used by Rothamsted Research. LAT provides an annual research grant to the Director, accommodation for nearly 200 people, and support for fellowships for young scientists from developing countries. LAT also makes capital grants to help modernise facilities at Rothamsted, or invests in new buildings.