The last decade has been characterized by different periods of food crises in Zimbabwe. A food crisis can be broadly defined as the occurrence of serious food shortages across a country but where hunger deaths are rare and the incidences of chronic malnutrition are
significant, where the country is still unable to achieve food self-reliance and is significantly dependent on international aid. Cases of hunger and malnutrition have been recorded in Zimbabwe over the past years and these are consequences of lack of access to adequate food.
A combination of factors ranging from poor government policies, adverse weather, lack of timely availability of inputs and severe economic constraints to underutilization of land have contributed to these episodic food crises in Zimbabwe. These food crises have grossly undermined the right to adequate food for most people both from the urban and rural settings in Zimbabwe. This
analysis focuses on the right to food in Zimbabwe. It discuses what the right to food entails, the Government of Zimbabwe’s obligations in the realization of this right, how previous government policies have undermined the realization of this right and recommendations on what measures the Inclusive Government of Zimbabwe can take in order to respect, protect and fulfill the right to food.