Harare: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a global health challenge as microorganisms develop resilience against antimicrobial agents, reducing the effectiveness of treatments.
According to African Press Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with support from the Fleming fund grant and in collaboration with the Zimbabwean government, has been addressing this issue through the implementation of Broiler Farmer Field Schools (FFS). This initiative aims to educate local poultry farmers on biosecurity and responsible antimicrobial use to enhance health, productivity, and food security within the nation’s poultry value chain.
Last week, FAO and the Zimbabwean government celebrated the graduation of 106 FFS farmers and facilitators in Matabeleland South province. This event marked the culmination of a two-year program designed to revolutionize poultry farming practices at the community level. The program commenced in February 2024 with a three-week Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop for government and community facilitators. Implementation followed with farmer identification at the ward level, development of locally adapted curricula, and execution of three complete broiler production cycles per FFS.
The Broiler FFS serve as participatory hubs for knowledge transfer, equipping farmers with essential skills to manage production while promoting prudent antimicrobial use to combat AMR, stated Patrice Talla, FAO Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa and Representative to Zimbabwe. The FFS approach prioritizes participatory learning, hands-on demonstrations, and behavior change, effectively addressing AMR within the poultry value chain. This strategy aligns with the FAO’s Reduce the Need for Antimicrobials on Farms for Sustainable Agrifood Systems Transformation (RENOFARM) initiative, which advocates for resilient and sustainable farming systems through innovative and responsible practices.
Tinashe Hodobo, animal health focal point in the One Health secretariat of the Zimbabwean government, emphasized that this method has enhanced productivity and food security while reducing antimicrobial misuse. Hodobo noted that farmers have improved productivity, reduced losses, and bolstered food security due to this initiative.
Between 2020 and 2022, FAO piloted the FFS approach in broiler production across eight districts in Zimbabwe. In 2023, selected Veterinary Services officers from across Africa, including Zimbabwe, completed the standard FFS master training program in Kenya, enhancing regional expertise in farmer-led learning. Following the pilot, FAO established a network of Broiler FFS in four new districts, providing practical training and resources such as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), feeders, waterers, chicks, feeds, and disinfectants, resulting in the development of additional FFS, thereby expanding the program’s impact.
Edward Muleya, Vice Chairperson of the Fit-Broilers FFS Group in Luthumba Beitbridge, shared that the program has empowered them to rear poultry responsibly without antibiotics, transforming their farming practices. Nokukanya Jiyane, a Government FFS Facilitator in Mangwe district, expressed contentment with the shift to biosecurity and good management practices over drugs, noting the system’s success in local villages.
Beyond farmer training, the program adopts a multi-sectoral approach, enhancing AMR surveillance under the One Health framework by upgrading laboratories across Zimbabwe to improve diagnostic capacity, ensuring early detection and monitoring of antimicrobial resistance. Kudzaishe Vhoko-Tapesana, National AMR Coordinator at FAO, emphasized the need to scale up the FFS approach to effectively tackle AMR and foster healthier, more productive livestock and agrifood systems.
FAO plans to extend the success of Broiler FFS by integrating lessons learned into broader agrifood systems initiatives. This includes expanding FFS to more districts, strengthening ties with RENOFARM for climate-resilient and sustainable agrifood practices, and enhancing AMR surveillance through upgraded laboratories and data-sharing platforms to ensure continuity and sustainability, embedding responsible antimicrobial use and biosecurity as foundational elements of Zimbabwe’s agrifood systems transformation.