Co-Creating Sustainable Food Systems: Soil

This is the first episode of the podcast series co-produced as part of the Co-creating Change towards Sustainable Food Systems: Learning with Communities of Practice in Zimbabwe project.

In this episode, we hear about sustainable farming practices, such as organic farming and permaculture, and how they enhance soil fertility and productivity by reducing harmful chemicals and promoting biodiversity. We explore methods like intercropping and mulching, which also improve soil structure and resilience, as well as the use of local resources such as manure and organic waste to improve soil quality and cut costs, creating a sustainable nutrient cycle. By embracing these methods, farmers attest to seeing robust plant growth, better water retention and greater climate resilience.

The podcast series, along with a website (see link below) and Stories of Change book (available for download on the website), have resulted from a collaboration between Dr Pamela Richardson (University of Sheffield) and three Zimbabwean organisations: Kufunda Village, PORET Trust and PELUM Zimbabwe.

The production of the podcast series and book was funded through a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research Fellowship, with support from the Institute for Sustainable Food, the Institute for Global Sustainable Development and the School of Geography and Planning at the University of Sheffield. Both the podcast series and book will be freely available to all as an open educational resource. Visit the website:
https://storymaps.com/stories/b8d4962d055c4ad2b7845317b16d2614