Southern Zimbabwe has long been a frontline region in the battle against climate change. Prolonged droughts, erratic rainfall patterns, and rising temperatures have left smallholder farmers, who form the backbone of the rural economy, vulnerable. In response, the Government of Zimbabwe, supported by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has launched a transformative programme to help communities transition from subsistence farming to resilient, market-linked agricultural livelihoods.

Driving this transformation is a powerful approach: 

Innovation Platforms (IPs). These are not just centres of knowledge, they are dynamic, multi-stakeholder ecosystems established to unlock local agricultural potential and drive climate-smart innovation across key value chains.
Each IP created customized strategies by working closely with farmers, researchers, extension workers, businesses, and government officials. These strategies directly respond to local climatic, production, and market-related challenges faced by farmers.

Innovation Platforms: Climate action anchored in communities

The validated strategies are both crop- and livestock-based and are designed to address climate-induced vulnerabilities while enhancing market access. Highlights from the 5 established IPs are as follows: 
 

• Matopos Research Institute is spearheading cattle semen harvesting, traditional grain and fodder seed multiplication. This not only strengthens genetic resilience but also improves livestock productivity and feed security. This innovation platform is ensuring small holder farmers have access to affordable and quality cattle breeds that can adapt easily in their local climate conditions. 
  Furthermore, farmers are supported to produce, select, and multiply their own seeds (e.g. sorghum, pearl millet). This Participatory Varietal Selection (PVS) boosts ownership and sustainability of seed systems and it reduces dependence on external sources and enhances resilience in crop production. Using available resources, the IP is training farmers to produce feed for their livestock that ensures quality livestock with high profits in the market.
• Esigodini Agricultural College has established a goat breeding and nutrition hub that promotes climate-resilient crossbreeds while building local capacity through trainings and Farmer Field Schools (FFS). This IP places a strong emphasis on empowering women and youth, equipping them with the knowledge and resources to rear goat breeds adapted to harsh climatic conditions. The improved breeds offer higher meat yields and better market value, enabling farmers to increase their incomes and transition toward more profitable, resilient livestock production systems. To date, 421 lead farmers have been trained on breeding, nutrition, health, marketing, and housing. These farmers are mentoring 10 follower farmers each.
• Makoholi Research Institute is enhancing food and income security through indigenous livestock breeding, sweet potato production and processing, and pearl millet value addition. The IP is promoting indigenous cattle (Nguni, Mashona) and climate-resilient sheep breeds (Sabi sheep) that are better adapted to drought and local conditions. This means their livestock have improved survival rates in case of diseases and they can get income from them even under climate stress.
  Farmers working with Makoholi are being trained to adopt climate-smart sweet potato production techniques, with a particular focus on empowering women and youth engaged in small-scale irrigation and dryland farming. They are also being capacitated on value addition for example drying, making sweet potato flour and purees. This ensures they have improved income and they products have a long lifespan.  
• Chiredzi Research Station is focused on scaling up mechanised red sorghum production and promoting climate-resilient fruit trees like mango and citrus, which also offer long-term livelihood benefits.  The farmers are not growing basic varieties, but improved varieties for example Irwin, Smiths, Delta Valencia that are suited to hot, dry climates. These trees offer long-term food security, nutrition, and income through fruit sales. Nursery sites have been established at ward level, enabling easier access to seedlings and enhancing community ownership.

Furthermore, farmers are introduced to drought-tolerant red sorghum varieties, which are more reliable than maize under low rainfall. The IP promotes mechanized planting and processing methods to reduce labour, especially benefiting women and increase productivity.  These varieties are less vulnerable to bird damage, reducing the burden on women and children for field guarding. The IP has trained 246 (64% female) lead farmers on its strategies, and these are cascading the training to other farmers in their communities. Each lead farmer is also mentoring 10 follower farmers.
 

• Chisumbanje Research Station is leading efforts in sesame and finger millet production and marketing. The IP’s main strategy is to improve access to quality sesame seed. They are ensuring farmers are directly involved in Participatory Varietal Selection (PVS), helping them choose varieties that perform best in their specific environments. The main traits they are looking for are drought and heat tolerance, early maturity, high yield and pest and disease resistance.
   

• 35 Agricultural Extension Officers (AEOs) and about 1,800 lead farmers have been trained on sesame agronomy, pest and disease control, planting and harvesting methods, post-harvest handling and value addition. Sesame was underutilized due to poor access to seed and limited market knowledge. Chisumbanje’s IP is revitalizing this value chain with certified seed development, value addition, and market facilitation.
  These strategies leverage the Innovation Platform-Farmer Field School (IP-FFS) model (a model combining research-driven innovation with hands-on field learning), integrating indigenous knowledge and scientific research, and building local ownership of climate-smart practices.
   

  Results and Opportunities

  With over US$900,000 invested to date, including co-financing from the Government of Zimbabwe, the project is laying a solid foundation for scale-up. More than 75,000 households are expected to directly benefit over the life of the project, with spillover effects reaching nearly 1.8 million people.
   

  The Innovation Platform strategy is already delivering tangible benefits to smallholder farmers across southern Zimbabwe, marking a promising shift toward more resilient, productive, and market-oriented farming systems. To date, over 2,000 lead farmers and 21,000 follower farmers have been introduced to a range of climate-resilient technologies and sustainable agricultural practices across the five IPs. Farmers are increasingly adopting drought-tolerant crop varieties including sorghum, pearl millet, sesame, and sweet potato, as well as climate-resilient livestock breeds, such as indigenous cattle and goats. These innovations are strengthening farmers’ capacity to withstand climatic shocks while laying the foundation for improved food security and income generation.
   

  By connecting farmers to value chains, markets, and technical resources, the IPs are transforming agriculture in Zimbabwe’s rural landscape. The early results confirm that these platforms are not merely channels for technology dissemination, they are catalysts for systemic transformation. They empower farmers to build climate resilience, increase productivity, and engage more effectively in commercial markets, laying the groundwork for a more inclusive and sustainable agricultural economy.