Lesley Macheka

• BSc. MSc. PhD
• Director - Innovation and Industrialisation at Marondera University of Agricultural Sciences

Background: The escalating frequency and severity of climate extremes, such as floods and droughts, are projected to exacerbate the burden of malnutrition. This issue is particularly pronounced among vulnerable populations, including children under five years of age and pregnant women, wherein malnutrition may be further aggravated by the prevalenc...

This study reviewed the nutritional composition and safety of sorghum, pearl, and finger millet in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, focusing on raw and value-added products. Using PRISMA guidelines, 35 peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2023 were analysed. Data were extracted from Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Most studies (5...

In the face of unprecedented climate change, adaptation has emerged as important for communities and nations to deal with the devastating effects of the phenomenon. It is inevitable that communities must adapt, although evidence in several regions, including Zimbabwe also point towards maladaptation. A plethora of studies have been developed to und...

Background: In Sub-Saharan Africa, approximately 64 million children under the age of five are at risk of acute malnutrition due to chronic poverty, climate change and reliance on nutrient-deficient staple foods, such as maize, which is commonly used as a weaning food. To mitigate the burden of malnutrition, resource-poor households should utilize...

Mopane worms (Gonimbrasia belina) are important sources of nutrition among many people in southern Africa. Threats of climate change and over-harvesting have provided compelling evidence to conserve and domesticate these edible insects through a better understanding of their natural habitat. A study was conducted in Zimbabwe, with the objectives of...

This study was aimed to investigate the association between Cyclone Idai and the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) practices in Chimanimani and Chipinge districts in Zimbabwe. The WASH parameters assessed included the main water source, the type of toilet in the household, the number of households sharing a toilet and the presence of a handwashi...

Introduction The study was aimed at understanding the needs and perspectives of HIV affected households on food and nutrition security intervention programmes. Methods The study used qualitative methods that include focus groups discussions and key informant interviews to solicit for lived experiences of People Living With HIV (PLWHIV). Results T...

Maize in Zimbabwe lacks essential nutrients like protein, iron, and zinc. This study explored alternative ingredients , including climate smart cereals used in porridge, to address this issue. A fortified porridge was developed by adding mopane worm powder, known for its high protein content. Consumer analysis in the UK and Zimbabwe confirmed accep...

Background: Vulnerability assessment and analysis have gained increasing significance as they provide essential data to guide governments on food insecurity issues. Aims: This review was aimed at establishing the use and influence of food and nutrition security vulnerability assessment and analysis data and reports in Zimbabwe. Methods: A total of...

Mopane worm (Gonimbrasia belina) consumption contributes to the sustainable supply of protein and several other nutrients for low socio-economic communities. However, mopane worm are bivoltine, producing two generations per rainy season which is postulated to affect their nutritional value. This research investigated the effect of emergence season...

Despite noteworthy advancement of theoretical and practical knowledge of social media eWord-of-Mouth with evidence from prior empirical research, the influences consumers’ purchase intentions of commercialised indigenous fruits products in fast moving consumer goods retailers remains unexplored in academic domain. Therefore, the purpose of the stud...

Mopane worms ( Gonimbrasia belina ) are important sources of nutrition among many people in southern Africa. Threats of climate change and over-harvesting have provided compelling evidence to conserve and domesticate these edible insects through a better understanding of their natural habitat. A study was conducted in Zimbabwe, with the objectives...

Edible insects are nutritious with potential to improve nutritional outcomes and livelihoods in low-income countries. However, it is not clear whether consumption of edible insects is positively correlated with improved dietary diversity and food security indicators. Therefore, this cross-sectional study was designed to investigate the relationship...

Mopane worms (Gonimbrasia belina) is an important source of food and contribute to the nutrition of people who consume them. However, the traditional processing methods may have detrimental effects on the nutritional value and should also guarantee microbial quality. In this study, the nutritional composition and microbial quality of mopane worms p...

Background The increased frequency of climate induced natural disasters has exacerbated the risks of malnutrition in the already vulnerable regions. This study was aimed at exploring the effects of Cyclone Idai on nutrition outcomes of women of child-bearing age and children under 5 years. Method The household-based cross-sectional study was condu...

Consumption of edible insects is a potential solution to the growing need for protein. However, the wild harvested edible insects’ value chain faces several challenges including limited knowledge on indigenous practices in the harvesting and processing and lack of information on roles of the different actors in the chain. A case study of Gonimbrasi...

The main aim of the project was to evaluate the nutritional and psychosocial health impacts of three major climate change adaptation actions in rural Southern Africa, using case studies of communities situated in the mid-Zambezi Valley area of Zimbabwe’s Mbire District, in Mashonaland Central Province. The adaptation actions in focus were: a) Shift...

In a collaboration between the UK Government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) Urgency Grants invited proposals from researchers using innovative approaches to address the impacts of natural disasters and climate change on tangible...

Natural resources are a valuable component of traditional food systems that contributes to food and nutrition. The distribution and consumption patterns of these natural resources still needs exploration for follow-up research and optimum utilisation. The aim of this study was to investigate the agro-ecological distribution and the consumption of w...

Background The increased frequency of climate induced natural disasters has exacerbated the risks of malnutrition in the already vulnerable regions. This study was aimed at exploring the effects of Cyclone Idai on nutrition outcomes of women of child-bearing age and children under five years. Method The household-based cross-sectional study was co...

The increased frequency of extreme climate-induced natural disasters (floods, cyclones, mud slides, heat waves, droughts), attributed to climate change, is causing stress to already vulnerable livelihoods by affecting both tangible and intangible cultural heritage (ICH) assets. There are limited studies that have established how the climate-induced...

Background: Malnutrition is one of the most serious problems affecting the world and it remains a dominant issue in the health of the world’s poorest nations. Community based approaches, such as the Care Group Model, are now recognized as one of the most important avenues for improving nutrition and reducing child mortality. Aims: This study invest...

The objective of this review was to explore the status of value addition, the processing methods and products that have been developed from African Indigenous Vegetables (AIVs) since 1980–2021 globally. Scholarly literature on AIVs were retrieved from online databases. This information will help product development to identify new product developme...

The study was aimed at reviewing literature related to traditional mopane production as well as exploring the potential for diapause termination to allow for continuous year-round production. Larvae of mopane worms (Gonimbrasia belina) are highly nutritious and popular food for many people in Southern Africa. Improved and sustained supplies of mopa...

Background The relationship between climate adaptation strategies and nutrition security is poorly understood and often unclear. Although several adaptation strategies have been implemented to mitigate the impact of climate change, there is still a lack of conclusive evidence or studies on the interrelationships between adopted climate change adapt...

The consumption of insects “entomophagy” or insect‐based foods is increasingly being recognised as an emerging solution to promote diet diversification and address the multiple burden of malnutrition. Although several studies suggest edible insects as valuable nutrient sources, few have evaluated the effects of processing on nutrient bioavailabilit...

COVID-19 has disrupted the already fragile food systems worldwide, resulting in increased number of food insecure households. The objective of this review is to explore the implications of COVID-19 on food security and livelihoods for households in Zimbabwe. A review of literature on subnational information sources was conducted in line with the ob...

Background HIV/AIDS can have a disastrous effect on household food and nutrition security outcomes such as stunting in children under 5. However, stunting and HIV/AIDS are highly gendered phenomena that need to be explored in order to get an in-depth understanding of the interrelationship. This study was therefore aimed at investigating gender dime...

Background: HIV/AIDS can have a disastrous effect on household food and nutrition security, an example includes stunting in children. However, stunting and HIV/AIDS are highly gendered phenomena that need to be explored in order to get an in-depth understanding of the interrelationship. This study was therefore aimed at investigating gender dimensi...

Background: HIV/AIDS can have a disastrous effect on household food and nutrition security outcomes such as stunting in children under 5. However, stunting and HIV/AIDS are highly gendered phenomena that need to be explored in order to get an in-depth understanding of the interrelationship. This study was therefore aimed at investigating gender dim...

Background: HIV/AIDS can have a disastrous effect on household food and nutrition security, an example includes stunting in children. However, stunting and HIV/AIDS are highly gendered phenomena that need to be explored in order to get an in-depth understanding of the interrelationship. This study was therefore aimed at investigating gender dimensi...

Background: High prevalence of stunting in children under 5 years poses a major threat to child development in developing countries. It is associated with micronutrient deficiency arising from poor diets fed to children under 5 years. Food fortification is amongst the interventions focused at reducing the incidence of stunting in children under 5...

Background: High prevalence of stunting in children under five years poses a major threat to child development in developing countries. It is associated with micronutrient deficiency arising from poor diets fed to children under five years. Food fortification is amongst the interventions focused at reducing the incidence of stunting in children und...

High prevalence of stunting in under 5 children poses a major threat to child development in developing countries. It is associated with micronutrient deficiency arising from poor diets fed to under 5 children. Food fortification is amongst the interventions focused at reducing the incidence of stunting in under 5 children. Using a large scale hous...

The nutritional benefits associated with edible insects have led to the recognition of the important role that edible insects can play in improving global food and nutrition security. The acceptance of edible insects by consumers and the contribution of edible insects to food security are well studied. However, there is still a knowledge gap in ter...

Postharvest losses (PHL) are a major problem in tomato supply chains, especially in tropical climates, as up to 40% of harvested fruits are estimated to decay along the chain. The study aimed at identifying which farmers’ context characteristics, logistics and quality control activities relate with the generation of PHL in tomato supply chains, par...

Postharvest losses in fresh produce chains are a major threat to food security, especially in transition countries. To develop effective intervention strategies for postharvest losses reduction, it is important to first understand the core logistics and quality control activities that could affect postharvest losses in these chains. In this study,...

Eulepida mashona Arrow (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is widely consumed in rural and farming communities ofZimbabwe. Preparation methods before consumption for these insects are variable and have not been documented. Our study hypothesised that cooking for different durations result in different nutritional and bioactive compoundscomposition in insect...

The food manufacturing sector in Zimbabwe is dominated by small scale companies and most of these companies do not have food safety management systems. The barriers and motivation factors towards the implementation of Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS) such as Hazards Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) and ISO 22000 in the food manufac...

The issue of food losses is of high importance in the efforts to combat hunger, raise income and improve food security in many developing countries. Therefore, there is need to minimise food losses in agri-food supply chains. This study was conducted with the aim to identify causes of mechanical defects in banana fruit supply chain in Zimbabwe and...

Cold chain management in cut flower supply chains is now of major importance due to markets which are far apart. This paper provides an overview of possible ways to realise the added value of investing in cut flower cold supply chains. The paper suggests that in addition to the external quality parameters currently being used in the grading system...