Tendekayi Tracy Kurehwatira’s life as a smallholder farmer in the rural Mazowe district of Zimbabwe was a constant struggle. She grew crops including white maize, peanuts, sugar beans, and white sweet potatoes, but low yields made it frequently difficult to sustain the food and nutrition needs of her family, let alone earn a decent income. Her family’s health also suffered from their nutrient-poor diet, a likely contributor to frequent bouts of illness.

Climate change and other global crises have caused ongoing shocks to food systems, disrupting supply chains, reducing incomes, and raising food prices—exacerbating malnutrition. Women and children, who have higher nutrient needs, are especially susceptible to dietary deficiencies and inequitable social norms that lead to life-long negative impacts on their development and health.

When the Government of Canada-funded Expanding Nutrients in Food Systems project was introduced in 2023, Kurehwatira  and her fellow farmers received training through a partnership with the Department of Agricultural Technical and Extension Services (AGRITEX). The training included nutrition awareness, improved agronomic practices for growing iron beans and vitamin A maize, and value addition—equipping them with an understanding of farming as a business and knowledge on how to process their produce into income-generating products.

“HarvestPlus has truly transformed my life and the lives of my family,” said Kurehwatira. She has been growing iron beans and vitamin A maize, which she is now processing into maputi (a popped and roasted maize snack) and mahewu (a fermented maize beverage) to sell to the local school. She also produced fermented vitamin A maize flour to sell to her community. Her income has risen to USD50 per 50-kilogram (kg) bag, compared to the USD 25 per 50kg bag selling unprocessed grain.

“We have a more diverse and nutrient-rich diet, and I can now earn a decent income by processing and selling my crops. My children are healthier, and I can afford to send them to school,” said Kurehwatira. At the market, she sells 20 kgs of iron beans for USD 24, and vitamin A maize for USD 9-10.

The project’s impact extends beyond Kurehwatira’s household. It has empowered women in the community, who are now respected as successful farmers and entrepreneurs, no longer dependent on men for their livelihood. Kurehwatira sees herself as a role model, inspiring and motivating other women to embrace biofortification and value addition.

“I am proud that my community recognizes and respects me for my exceptional farming practices. As a capable female farmer, I have become a great example of growing biofortified crops. It is a privilege to inspire others and show that gender doesn’t limit success in agriculture,” added Kurehwatira.

Despite facing challenges like the El Niño-induced drought in the 2023/24 season, Kurehwatira  envisions a future where she can create jobs and expand her new food processing business, while her entire community benefits from the availability and accessibility of biofortified crops. The Expanding Nutrients in Food Systems project is transforming Kurehwatira’s life and has the potential to reshape the local food systems in rural Zimbabwe.