Small-scale farmers drive Zimbabwe's agriculture, which in turn drives the country’s economy. The livelihoods of more than half of the 15 million citizens depend on agriculture but productivity is generally low due to climate change, input shortages and limited knowledge of good agricultural practices.

Crop farming and livestock production are the major sources of livelihood for smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe. Most farm animals are reared in low rainfall areas where more than 75% of farmers rely on cereal crop residues as feed supplements.

For 60-year-old Maxwell Machivenyika, farm-life was filled with tedium, drudgery and challenges. To get the job done working on his small farm meant waking up at 4 a.m. daily. Machivenyika has been growing maize, Zimbabwe’s main staple crop, since 1988. But his yields have been poor because of using inefficient farming methods.