Mwenezi, Zimbabwe – In the arid landscapes of southern Zimbabwe, where a decades-long drought has decimated traditional maize crops, a new cash crop is helping smallholder farmers build a profitable and resilient future. With support from the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Government of Japan, sesame seeds are emerging as a vital export, transforming subsistence farming into a thriving business.
For years, farmers like Kastina Sibanda faced constant crop failures and financial hardship. Now, she’s part of a program that provides farmers with improved seeds and training to cultivate sesame, a highly drought-tolerant and lucrative crop. “Our yields are better,” Sibanda says. “And we get paid for the crop — which means we can provide for the family.”
The Rise of a Drought-Tolerant Crop
The shift to sesame is part of a larger initiative to enhance food and nutrition security while building resilience against climate shocks. According to Bezel Garedondo, a WFP Programme Officer, sesame provides farmers with a viable alternative when staple crops like maize or sorghum fail. The project, funded by Japan, has already reached over 8,000 farmers and plans to expand to more than 14,000 households.
The program’s success is rooted in its focus on market-driven solutions rather than traditional aid. By linking smallholder farmers to global supply chains, the initiative enables them to earn a sustainable income, even during harsh weather events like the El Niño drought that left 5.9 million smallholder farmers food insecure last year.
Meeting Global Demands
For Japan, which imports almost all of its sesame, the partnership offers a stable supply of a high-quality, traceable product. “This project supports food security, climate resilience and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, benefiting both producers and consumers,” says Tetsuya Murakami, a Counsellor at the Japan Embassy to Zimbabwe.
The project also prioritizes quality control. Farmers are trained to use natural pesticides to ensure their crops are organic and meet the rigorous standards of the Japanese market. After harvest, the seeds undergo cleaning and testing for moisture, aflatoxins, and chemical residues. The processed sesame is then shipped from the Port of Durban, South Africa, to Japan, where it is transformed into oil.
The transition to sesame has been financially transformative for farmers. Alexander Gusingo, a smallholder grower, harvested a 600 kg bumper crop from less than a hectare of land and received instant payment, a stark contrast to the long waits he experienced with other crops. “With sesame, the prices are good, and the payment is instant,” he says.
By connecting farmers directly to a reliable market, the program eliminates the exploitation of middlemen and ensures fair prices. According to Lloyd Masunda, Deputy Country Director for Sustainable Agriculture Technology (SAT), a local NGO partner, yields have soared, and post-harvest losses have dropped by a quarter. Farmers are now earning up to $900 per metric ton, a significant increase from what was previously offered by unregistered traders.
The success of the sesame project showcases how a market-based approach can empower smallholder farmers, build resilience against climate change, and strengthen economic ties between nations. As Counsellor Murakami notes, “If they can produce safer, higher-quality agricultural products and supply them stably, Zimbabwe can revive its status as the breadbasket of southern Africa.”
