Python farming in Zimbabwe: Assessing local appetite for a novel agricultural system

Abstract

Python meat is a traditional but small source of protein throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa, but supply is exclusively from wild harvest. We build on recent evidence that supports snake farming as a viable and sustainable small-scale livestock system in Asia. We explore python farming as a strategy for enhanced food security in Zimbabwe. Our survey results highlight challenges, including drought and human-wildlife conflicts that face both traditional free-range livestock systems and food security, and reveal production prerequisites for complementary python farming. Preliminary findings suggest small-scale python farming could present a viable and sustainable complement to increasingly vulnerable traditional livestock systems.

Python farming as a flexible and efficient form of agricultural food security

“…The dietary treatments that we offered did not significantly influence growth rates of the snakes, suggesting that pythons exhibit efficient protein conversion ratios under a range of dietary and production scenarios. Our findings support previous studies highlighting the role of snake farms in facilitating efforts to control rodent pests, and in upcycling waste-protein resources to close nutrient cycle loops 20,21,32,52 .…”