Zimbabwe used to be characterized by a productive and advanced commercial farming sector and a mostly subsistence communal farming sector. The commercial sector did secure a significant part of the cereal production, but focused largely on high value export crops. Food security at the national level was secured through the combined production of all sectors, with around? of the cereal production coming from the communal areas.

The main cause for the frequent food insecurity of most rural households is the highly vulnerable subsistence based agriculture methods which are extremely susceptible to external factors and is characterized by very low management and yield levels.