Social Capital and Agriculture Intervention Programmes: The Transformative Potential of Pfumvudza in Ward 24, Masvingo South, Zimbabwe

Abstract

Agricultural interventions are increasingly sought for in a world devastated by climate change. Such inter-ventions help to cushion farmers from the adverse impacts of climate change and thus, improving and trans-forming their livelihoods. Successful adaptation to, and implementation of new approaches to farming such as Pfumvudza/Intwasa, however, requires interaction and engagement with the social capital endowments of the local farmers in order to avoid duplicating failed, top-down rural development paradigms. Deploying social capital theory and based on a qualitative methodology, this study examines the role of social capital in agricultural innovation with particular reference to the Pfumvudza/Intwasa farming model implemented in Zimbabwe. Through unstructured interviews, focus group discussions and quasi-participant observation, the study found that social capital and agricultural innovation are inextricably linked. The article demon-strates that Pfumvudza benefited a lot from grassroots networks, organisations and interactions with far-reaching positive effects on rural development. Bonding capital at village level played a key role in reduc-ing the costs and labour associated with the agricultural intervention. At the same time, linking social capi-tal in the form of government agencies and non-governmental organisations provided the much-needed technical know-how. The study also shows the ‘dark side’ of social capital which relates to norms that are conservative and resistant to change. It recommends interfacing as a solution to negative social capital where the views and interests of various stakeholders are counterpoised