Mapping Possibility: How Climate Knowledge Is Transforming Smallholder Farming

In a small rural community in Mangwe, Zimbabwe, 539km from the capital city Harare, Annah Dube holds out a sketch of her homestead. The drawing looks simple, a few rectangles for the house and granary, a couple of fields, cattle, goats and chickens. To her it’s a map of possibility. 

“Before, these were just things we owned,” she says, tapping the page. “Now I see them as tools to create a better life for my family.”

This shift in mindset was sparked by the Participatory Integrated Climate Services for Agriculture (PICSA) programme, implemented by the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNDP, with the Government of Zimbabwe, through AGRITEX and the Meteorological Services Department. The PICSA approach is a simple but powerful idea: provide farmers with knowledge and tools to make informed decisions.

The programme brings together historical climate information, seasonal forecasts, and farmers’ own knowledge of their local conditions, using participatory planning approaches to help them make informed agricultural and livelihoods decisions. Through a train‑the‑trainers model, UN Agencies equip AGRITEX officers with PICSA tools, enabling them to guide farmers in linking their resources and priorities to reliable, locally relevant climate information.”

In the 2025/26 season alone, over 23,000 farmers across six districts, Masvingo, Chipinge, Mwenezi, Mangwe, Rushinga, and Mt Darwin, benefited from PICSA training. Women make up 64% of participants, underscoring the programme’s role in empowering households.

The pathway begins with the Resource Allocation Map, the picture Annah carries, inviting families to list every asset they already have: a field, a stand of trees, a small herd, a chicken coop, a well to access water. 

That’s followed by the seasonal calendar and a steady stream of seasonal and short-term forecasts, delivered with support from meteorologists. With that evidence in hand, farmers make concrete decisions: what to grow, when to plant, what to scale up, what to pause.

“We used to guess,” shared Julius Siwadi, a farmer in Masvingo. “Now we plan. When the first rains came, I already had my fields prepared and mulched. The harvest fed us through the hungry months.”

PICSA’s strength is that it doesn’t replace farmers’ judgment; it structures it. One AGRITEX officer, Daniel Kampiawo, in Rushinga put it this way: 

“PICSA doesn’t give orders. It gives options and the reasons behind them.” 

Officers say the programme has changed their work too, offering a clear framework, materials at hand, and a language that makes climate data understandable. With those tools, they report deeper trust and more regular dialogue especially around weather updates during the season.

The ripple effects travel quickly. Farmers share what they learn within the household and across the village via farmer groups, demonstration plots, WhatsApp, and radio. That last channel has expanded PICSA’s reach. Trained AGRITEX officers now host radio programmes that walk listeners through pieces of the curriculum and seasonal advice, making climate smart planning available even where phones and data are scarce.

The numbers behind those stories are striking. A 2025 report found that nearly all farmers made changes after training, 92% in crops, 50% in livestock, and 27% in livelihoods. Four out of five reported better food security, and almost two thirds saw household income rise. Many described moving planting dates earlier (guided by forecasts), adopting drought tolerant crops like sorghum and pearl millet, and improving soil and moisture management. Among those who shifted planting dates, 80% saw yield gains.

Not every barrier is one training away from a fix. Many farmers said they wanted to do more but were held back by cash, inputs, and the risk of a bad season. “PICSA doesn’t pretend to solve all of that. What it does is reduce uncertainty and help households make the best possible decisions with what they have, when they need to make them,” explained WFP Programme Policy Officer, Munyaradzi Mubaiwa.

In a country where climate change threatens food security, PICSA has become a strategic tool. By blending scientific knowledge with local realities, it empowers farmers and helps them thrive. As Annah shared, “We no longer wait for luck. We plan, we act, and we build our future.”

This support was made possible by the Green Climate Fund, UNDP, the Government of Zimbabwe and other partners.