Spatio-temporal analysis of Mopane Worm utilisation in South-Western Zimbabwe

Abstract

Rural areas of developing countries such as Zimbabwe and other emerging economies have in recent years become a source of several pertinent international concerns. Major areas of concern include extreme poverty and hunger, and rising spatial and interpersonal disparities, challenges that the concerned national governments and the wider international community have failed to make meaningful headway in addressing. With the share of traditional sectors of agriculture, mining and manufacturing declining, many rural households in southwestern district of Matobo District in Zimbabwe Mopane Worms (MWs) have emerged as an alternative resource that can be harnessed for the betterment of their local economies. Such attention have been complement by efforts from international development partners such as the International Labour Organization (ILO), Department for International Development (DFID), Global Environment Fund (GEF) and local development agencies such as Southern Alliance Fore Indigenous Resources (SAFIRE), Institute of Environmental Studies (IES), and local academic institutions among others who have invested their efforts in trying to optimise local gains from MW utilisation. Such efforts have unfortunately missed the fundamental knowledge deficiencies associated with MW utilisation, that makes it currently difficulty to craft a MW oriented LED strategy. There is currently dearth of research scholarship on the spatiotemporal dynamics associated with MW resource dependency. We also lack data on spatio-temporal factors that shape successful territorial dynamics that would lead to situations of growth in the MW industry and the local economy. We lack a complete understanding of resilience dynamics associated with MW territories and how such may limit or enhance capacities of concerned communities when faced with adversity. Finally, no single study has drawn important connections between MW utilisation and the local economy. The present study sought to bridge this knowledge gap by addressing these shortcomings using a case study of five villages drawn to the southwestern rural district of Matobo, in Zimbabwe. Using a combination of household survey data and a series of PRA studies conducted, the study employed a variety of statistical tools and calculation of partial LED indices such as The Gini Coefficient, Successfully Territorial Dynamic Index, Rural access index, Resilience capacity among others to estimate the impact of MW utilisation on the local economy. Logistic regression analysis was employed to understand MW resource dependency. Other approaches such as Data Envelop Analysis (DEA) were also used to assess the contribution of MW use towards addressing territorial imbalances. Our findings reveal that in addition to widely mentioned socio-demographic variables, MW resource dependency is heavily influenced by many special variables including rural access, distance to markets, market efficiency. A combination of results from DEA and use of clustering algorithms revealed that a MW territory’s capabilities in terms of social, economic, institutional, ecological and engineering capability attributes is crucial in determining territorial success. The study also revealed important positive differences between the partial LED indices of communities where the intensity of trade measured by the Household commercialisation Index (HCI) was high. We found out that MW are reducing income inequalities, territorial imbalances, and in enhancing the resilience capacities of communities. We conclude by proposing a MW-oriented LED strategy that strikes a balance between pro-growth and pro-poor interventions. We proposed the implementation of both an input-oriented and output-oriented LED strategy that is place sensitive. A progressive entrepreneurial ecosystem frame is developed that may lead to situations of growth in the