‘Political Grains’: Hunger and the Struggles for Food in Bulawayo,Zimbabwe,c.2000–2010

By 2006, Zimbabwe had lost its reputation as a regional agricultural powerhouse and had become a hunger hotspot. Widespread food insecurity and poverty were a reality for Zimbabweans. Hyperinflation further exacerbated the difficulty of accessing basic goods and services. Revisiting the crisis years in Zimbabwe, this paper demonstrates how ordinary Zimbabweans survived and carved out new economic and social enclaves of power. As hunger worsened, food was politicized and weaponized for survival. An informal economy emerged, and various foods, including staple grains (maize, millet, and sorghum), dried fish, sugar, and oils, became a key medium of exchange, replacing the national currency. During the 2000s, food security effectively shaped and reshaped the economic, social, and political landscape across the country.