Zimbabwe’s 2019 National Tree Planting Theme Defined
Updated 28 December, 2019
Written By: Kelvin Katambarare.
Humwe Eden: Green Culture
Zimbabwe’s 2019 National Tree Planting theme was, "Fruit Trees for Food Security and Nutrition". Mutunduru an indigenous fruit tree was 2019’s national tree of the year. In a bid to understand the theme we will start by defining some few terms. Food Security refers to a situation when all the citizens have access to food at all the times to ensure a healthy and active life. Food refers to any substance or material that can be consumed and it provides nutrients to the body in order to be fully functional. The theme seeks to attain some concerns which were raised in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, "Everyone has a fundamental right to be free from hunger".
In plight of the effects of climate change, some areas are no longer receiving adequate rainfall hence if we re-introduce our indigenous fruit trees that thrived and adapted to the local climatic environment for generations we are re-introducing sustainable solutions. With our tree of the year "mutunduru" it's a typical species that can thrive in this era of rapid and abrupt climate changes which is rooted deeply in human activities with minimum human assistance. Both human and animal species can benefit from the fruit trees, animals do not have the capability to work in industries and farms to ensure food security but the silent depend on the wild fruits for their survival.
The theme can be interpreted in various ways, this context will allude to how then the fruit trees can ensure food security and nutrition. According to current statistics, 80% of the food we consume is plant based. Fruit trees offer a biodiverse avenue to divert from agricultural sources of nutrition. Rather than relying on maize (an exotic crop to the region), rapoko, vegetables to name a few people can diversify their diet to non-agricultural sources of food which also provide nutrients to our bodies to be functional. Muchakata an indigenous fruit tree whose fruit ‘chakata’ are rich in protein and calcium and Mukwakwa whose bright yellow, very sweet fruit ‘hwakwa’ rich in vitamin C have historically assisted many Zimbabweans survive previous droughts to date.
Mutamba whose fruit damba is similar in appearance to hwakwa but has a bitter sweetness is used to prepare a nutritious porridge for children. Mupfura popularly known as the Marula tree similar to the Muchakata tree bears nutritious fruit with a bitter sweetness, that naturally ferments after it turns yellow. The seeds of the Marula and Muchakata fruits have a nut within them rich in protein and other minerals. In regions that are seriously affected by climate change can harvest the fruits and sell them processed or unprocessed to earn a living, by so doing they ensure their families are well fed at all the times, hence food security is ensured. From an environmentalist point of view fruit trees not only ensure food security and nutrition but also assist in attaining economic, developmental and environmental sustainability.
Planting fruit trees ensures food security, source of income, more carbon sequester, beautification of the environment and habitats to animals. "A tree provide oxygen to an average of four human begins" quoted from Mr. Foto's speech during the Gweru City Council Tree Planting. This implies that if we plant more fruit trees we can enjoy dual benefits as human beings we have food and source of oxygen not withstanding other environmental benefits. Together we can achieve the 15 million target plus a 2 million shortfall from the previous year. "Muti hupenyu... hupenyu muti".
