The future of our agriculture will not be secured by seed alone, nor by fertiliser subsidies or short-term climate relief programmes.
It will be secured beneath our feet in the soil.
Enhancing soil carbon management in Zimbabwe’s croplands is no longer just an environmental ambition; it is an economic necessity, a climate adaptation strategy, and a food security imperative.
Soil carbon is the backbone of soil fertility. It improves soil structure, increases water retention, enhances nutrient cycling, and supports microbial life.
In simple terms, soil rich in organic carbon produces healthier crops and withstands climate shocks better.
Yet across many parts of Zimbabwe, soil carbon levels have declined steadily due to land degradation, continuous monocropping, overgrazing, deforestation, and limited organic matter return to the soil.
The effects are visible across the country.
In Matabeleland North and South, recurrent droughts and fragile sandy soils have left fields vulnerable to erosion and declining productivity.
Farmers in districts such as Hwange, Lupane, Gwanda, and Beitbridge struggle with low rainfall and poor soil structure, conditions worsened when organic matter is not replenished.
In Masvingo Province, particularly in Chiredzi and Mwenezi, high temperatures and erratic rainfall patterns compound soil degradation.
Continuous maize cultivation without adequate organic inputs has reduced soil resilience, leaving farmers exposed to frequent crop failures.
In Mashonaland East and Central, once considered grain baskets, soil exhaustion is becoming more common.
Areas such as Mutoko, Murehwa, and Mount Darwin face declining yields partly due to nutrient mining and insufficient soil restoration practices.
Meanwhile, parts of Midlands province, including Gokwe, have experienced deforestation linked to tobacco curing and expanding agriculture, reducing organic matter inputs and increasing carbon loss from soils.
These regional realities point to a national challenge Zimbabwe’s croplands are losing carbon faster than they are gaining it.
The irony is that soil carbon management offers a rare triple win solution boosting productivity, improving climate resilience, and contributing to global carbon mitigation efforts.
First, from a food security perspective, increasing soil carbon enhances water retention a crucial factor in a country where rainfall is becoming more erratic.
In drought-prone regions such as Matabeleland and Masvingo, soils with higher organic matter can hold moisture longer, allowing crops to survive dry spells.
This reduces the risk of total crop failure and stabilizes household food supplies.
Second, soil carbon improves nutrient efficiency. When organic matter is integrated through composting, mulching, crop rotation, and conservation agriculture, soils become biologically active.
Nutrients are released gradually, reducing dependence on costly synthetic fertilisers.
For smallholder farmers already facing high input prices, this represents both economic relief and environmental sustainability.
Third, enhanced soil carbon management positions Zimbabwe within the global climate conversation.
Soils are one of the largest terrestrial carbon sinks.
By adopting regenerative agricultural practices, Zimbabwe can contribute to carbon sequestration while potentially accessing climate finance mechanisms tied to sustainable land management.
But achieving this transformation requires more than technical advice; it requires a shift in mindset.
For decades, agricultural productivity has been measured largely by yield per hectare, often achieved through intensive tillage and chemical inputs.
While such methods may produce short-term gains, they frequently accelerate soil carbon loss.
Ploughing exposes organic matter to oxygen, speeding up decomposition and releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Conservation agriculture minimum tillage, crop residue retention, and crop diversification offers an alternative pathway.
These practices are already being implemented in parts of Zimbabwe through government and NGO-supported programmes.
In districts like Mutoko and Guruve, farmers practicing agroecology have reported improved soil structure and increased yields over time.
Agroforestry systems also hold promise. Integrating trees with crops improves soil organic matter through leaf litter and root biomass while reducing erosion.
In areas such as Chimanimani and parts of Manicaland, where land degradation has followed cyclones and heavy rains, agroforestry can help stabilize soils and rebuild carbon stocks.
Livestock integration is another underutilised opportunity.
Managed grazing systems can enhance soil carbon when properly implemented.
However, overgrazing particularly in communal areas of Matabeleland continues to degrade soils.
Community-based grazing management models could reverse this trend.
Policy support is critical. Soil carbon management must be embedded within Zimbabwe’s agricultural policy frameworks, climate strategies, and extension services.
Farmers need training, access to organic inputs, incentives for conservation practices, and support for transitioning away from destructive land-use systems.
Research institutions also have a role to play.
Monitoring soil carbon levels across provinces would provide evidence-based guidance for targeted interventions.
With institutions such as the University of Zimbabwe and international research partners already engaged in environmental research, Zimbabwe has the scientific foundation to lead in sustainable soil management.
Yet the most important actors remain farmers themselves.
Across Zimbabwe, many smallholder farmers already practice forms of regenerative agriculture mulching, intercropping, composting often rooted in traditional knowledge.
Strengthening and scaling these practices through structured support systems could dramatically enhance national soil carbon levels.
The conversation about soil carbon is not abstract science. It is about whether a farmer in Lupane can harvest enough maize after a poor rainy season.
It is about whether a household in Chiredzi can withstand climate shocks without sliding into food insecurity.
It is about whether Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector can remain productive in an era of rising temperatures and unpredictable weather.
Enhancing soil carbon management is, fundamentally, about resilience.
It demands long-term thinking in a sector often pressured by short-term needs.
It requires investment in soil health the same way infrastructure is maintained consistently and intentionally.
And it challenges Zimbabwe to view soil not simply as a medium for crops, but as a living system that underpins national stability.
Taking better care of farmland soil is not optional. It is the foundation of climate adaptation, economic sustainability, and intergenerational food security.
If Zimbabwe invests in rebuilding soil carbon today from Matabeleland’s drylands to Mashonaland’s fields it will not only improve production but also strengthen its environmental future.
*Gary Gerald Mtombeni is a Harare based journalist. He writes here in his personal capacity. For feedback Email garymtombeni@gmail.com/ call: +263778861608