Foreword
The Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC), as has become the tradition since 2002, conducted the 15th annual Rural Livelihoods Assessment (RLA). The assessment is part of a comprehensive information system that informs Government and its Development Partners on programming necessary for saving lives and strengthening rural livelihoods in Zimbabwe.
ZimVAC is the central pillar around which the Food and Nutrition Council (FNC) plans to build its strategy to fulfil the 6 th Commitment of the Government of Zimbabwe’s Food and Nutrition Security Policy (FNSP) and monitor implementation of the ZimASSET.
The 2016 RLA covers and provides updates on pertinent rural household livelihoods issues such as education, food and income sources, income levels, expenditure patterns, crop and livestock production and nutrition. In addition to paying particular focus on, and putting households at the centre of its analysis, the RLA also collects and records rural communities’ views on their livelihoods challenges as well as their development needs. The RLA recognises and draws from other national contemporary surveys that define the socio-economic context of rural livelihoods. Most notable amongst these are the Crop and Livestock Assessments, the Demographic and Health Surveys, the National Census, the Poverty Assessment Surveys and National Economic Performance reviews.
We want to express our profound gratitude to all our Development Partners in the country and beyond for their support throughout the survey. Financial support and technical leadership were received from the Government of Zimbabwe, United Nations Agencies, NGOs and Technical Agencies. Without this support, this RLA would not have been successful. We also want to thank the staff at FNC for providing leadership, coordination and management to the whole survey. Our sincere appreciation also goes to the rural communities of Zimbabwe as well as the local leadership for cooperating with and supporting this survey.
We submit this report to you all for your use and reference in your invaluable work. We hope it will light your way as you search for lasting measures in addressing priority issues keeping many of our rural households vulnerable to food and nutrition insecurity.