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Author
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Tambo, Takudzwa B.
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Title
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Community perception on the significance of Indigenous Knowledge Systems on post- harvest food crops preservation and storage for sustainable rural household food security. In ward 12, Centenary District, Mashonaland Central.
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Abstract
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Food insecurity is a major issue amongst rural communities in most African countries and due to the level of development, most of these communities have increasingly turned to Indigenous knowledge systems for food production. Crops are produced but due to post-harvest losses some farmers often suffer from food shortages. The research aims to assess the community's perception on the significance of Indigenous knowledge systems on post-harvest food crops preservation andstorage for sustainable rural household food security. The research was conducted in Centenary District Mashonaland Central Ward 12 using a mixed sampling procedure that included random and purposive sampling techniques to achieve accurate and representative results. Data was gathered through questionnaires and interviews and was subsequently analyzed using Excel and SPSS to generate tables and graphs. The results reveal that Sun drying, wood ash, fermentation, winnowing and threshing are the most used and reliable Indigenous post-harvest preservation practices used across various crops like (maize, sorghum, beans, sweet potatoes, cassava, vegetables, and potatoes) followed by cleaning, spreading produce on the floor, salting, smoking and natural in-ground cooling being the least applied preservation practices. While Indigenous Knowledge Silos, baskets, clay pots, putting produce on rooftops, and hanging them on bamboo are the most used and reliable post-harvest storage practices followed by in-ground storage being the least used. All these different types of Indigenous knowledge practices have a positive impact on rural household food security. Despite the availability of these IK practices, farmers in the study integrate Indigenous knowledge with modern scientific knowledge of post-harvest management to minimize losses. The study highlighted that 72.9% of the sample population rely on Indigenous knowledge for post-harvest operations,27.1 rely on modern methods only and those that do not farm at all, this implies that Indigenous knowledge has a significant impact on rural household food security. The adoption of IK is influenced by the level of household income, availability and affordability of Indigenous raw materials, education, and employment status. The studyrecommends the recognition and support of Indigenous knowledge strategies in post-harvest management, establishing partnerships with government agencies to integrate Indigenous knowledge into programs, national plans, and strategies for food security
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Date
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May 2024
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Publisher
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BUSE
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Keywords
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indigenous knowledge systems on crop harvesting
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Supervisor
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Dr Manyangadze
