Land Reform Program in the Face of Climate Change: An Exploration of a Coffee Farming Community of Honde Valley in Zimbabwe

Abstract

This research examined the effects of climate change on the newly resettled Arabica Coffee farmers in Honde Valley Estates. In the beginning of the new millennium, the Zimbabwean government embarked on the land reform program known as Fast Track, which gave land to the black Zimbabweans from the white farmers, and Honde Valley coffee farms were also among the targeted land areas. The land reforms were done, unfortunately, during the time when the country was facing the detrimental effects of climate change.  Honde Valley Estates have not been immune to the effects of global warming.  The overall agenda of the research was to examine the experiences of these newly resettled farmers in the Honde Valley farming community in relation the effects of the changing climate. In exploring the research agenda, the qualitative approach was used in order to obtain an inside perspective of how the farmers were coping with climate change. The data was collected using in-depth interviews, and key informant's interviews. The research has demonstrated that there are numerous challenges facing the farmers due to the negative effects of climate change. This is mainly due to extreme high heat temperatures that have affected the climatic conditions for growing coffee in the area under discussion. As a result, climate change has increased the farmers` operation costs, and there is need for various stakeholders which includes government, nongovernment organisations, and various private sectors organisations to help new farmers to mitigate the effects of climate change and warming. This is very crucial to make sure that farming play a crucial role in making the country realise the millennium development goals.