Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2020 Sustainable Land Management and Smallholder Farmers in Zimbabwe Owen Prince Gono Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University College of Management and Technology This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Owen P. Gono has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Daphne Halkias, Committee Chairperson, Management Faculty Dr. Judith Forbes, Committee Member, Management Faculty Dr. Nikunja Swain, University Reviewer, Management Faculty Chief Academic Officer and Provost Sue Subocz, Ph.D. Walden University 2020 Abstract Sustainable Land Management and Smallholder Farmers in Zimbabwe by Owen P. Gono MBA, Keller Graduate School of Management, 1999 BSc, Pepperdine University, 1995 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Management Walden University November 2020 Abstract The sustainability of smallholder farms in Southern Africa is largely dependent on farmers’ decision-making abilities regarding land management practices; however, smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe have knowledge gaps on sustainable land management practices. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to gain a deeper understanding of specific knowledge gaps among smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe to tailor sustainable land management training to their needs. To address the research problem and purpose of the study, qualitative data were collected from multiple sources of evidence, including semistructured interviews with 7 smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe, archival data, and reflective journaling notes. This study was framed, first, by Ashely and Carney’s sustainable livelihoods framework and, second, by Leach, Mearns, and Scoones’s environmental entitlements framework. Fifteen themes were gleaned from five conceptual coding categories grounded in the conceptual framework: (a) relationship with trainers, (b) materials provided by trainers for sustainable land management, (c) land management strategies needed by farmers, (d) sustainable land management activities favored by farmers, and (e) unfavorable conditions for smallholder farmers. There is a need for agricultural transformation in Zimbabwe to drive change in knowledge systems, technology development and delivery, institutions, and policies. This research study may contribute to positive social change by providing training and innovative methods of sustainable land management practices to smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe aimed at improved rural food security and livelihoods, viable crop-livestock systems, and market participation. Sustainable Land Management and Smallholder Farmers in Zimbabwe: A Multiple Case Study by Owen P. Gono MBA, Keller Graduate School of Management, 1999 BS, Pepperdine University, 1995 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Management Walden University November 2020 Dedication For my family My kids, the Gono people, Because of you, LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL! For my mother, your love, your dedication can never be fully appreciated. In the memory of my late father Paul Marshie, thank you. Acknowledgments I would like to thank my dissertation committee Chair Dr. Daphne Halkias. Dr. H., was indefatigable and very committed to the study far beyond the call of duty as a great teacher and mentor. She was always an email away to answer any questions which she always followed with encouraging words and pointed guidance. Using Isaac Newton’s words I can only say this: “if I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” I also love and cherish your sixth sense. You knew when the student needed help, needed a push, needed a break, and above all you were able to guide students to discover and develop their potentials. Dr. Judith L. Forbes, my Committee Member and Dr. Nijunja Swain, the study’s University Research Reviewer, thank you so much. I acknowledge their contributions and supportive feedbacks throughout the dissertation process. I am so thankful to Dr. Nse Evelyn Obot who sacrifice a lot of her precious time and effort to help me choose an appropriate software to record and transcribe the collected data. Table of Contents List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... vi List of Figures ................................................................................................................... vii Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study ....................................................................................1 Background of the Study ...............................................................................................2 Problem Statement .........................................................................................................5 Purpose of the Study ......................................................................................................7 Research Question .........................................................................................................7 Conceptual Framework ..................................................................................................7 Nature of the Study ........................................................................................................9 Definitions....................................................................................................................11 Assumptions .................................................................................................................16 Scope and Delimitations ..............................................................................................17 Limitations ...................................................................................................................18 Significance of the Study .............................................................................................19 Significance to Practice......................................................................................... 19 Significance to Theory .......................................................................................... 19 Significance to Social Change .............................................................................. 20 Summary and Transition ..............................................................................................21 Chapter 2: Literature Review .............................................................................................23 Literature Search Strategy............................................................................................24 Conceptual Framework ................................................................................................25 i Literature Review.........................................................................................................32 The Smallholder Farmer in Zimbabwe: A Historical Perspective ........................ 32 Challenges of the Smallholder Farmer in Africa .................................................. 36 Economic and Social Capital Barriers to Adoption of Sustainable Land Management Practices .............................................................................. 42 Geographic Challenges Faced by Smallholders Farmers in Zimbabwe ............... 46 The Consequences of Institutional and Government Policies .............................. 50 The Knowledge Gap in Sustainable Land Management for Smallholder Farmers ..................................................................................................... 51 Delivery of Training in Sustainable Land Management Practices for Smallholder Farmers ................................................................................. 53 Knowledge Dissemination of Sustainable Land Management Practices .............. 56 Research Gaps in the Literature Align with Knowledge Gaps of Smallholder Farmers ................................................................................. 59 Summary and Conclusions ..........................................................................................60 Chapter 3: Research Method ..............................................................................................63 Research Design and Rationale ...................................................................................64 Role of the Researcher .................................................................................................71 Methodology ................................................................................................................73 Participant Selection Logic ................................................................................... 74 Instrumentation ..................................................................................................... 80 Procedures for Recruitment, Participation, and Data