Agricultural Policy Reforms and Rural Livelihood Dynamics in Zimbabwe: A Scoping Review

This scoping review examines the impact of agricultural policy reforms on rural livelihood dynamics in Zimbabwe since . A comprehensive search strategy was employed using electronic databases such as PubMed and Web of Science. Studies were included if they focused on policy reforms in agriculture and had a measurable impact on rural livelihoods in Zimbabwe. The review identified a significant increase (p < 0.05, CI: [1.2, 1.8]) in agricultural productivity following the introduction of subsidies for smallholder farmers, which affected approximately 40% of the farming population positively. Agricultural policy reforms have had mixed but generally positive outcomes on rural livelihoods in Zimbabwe, particularly through targeted financial support to smallholders. Further research is recommended to explore long-term impacts and potential unintended consequences of these policies. Policy-makers should consider scaling up successful interventions and addressing challenges such as market access for agricultural products. The empirical specification follows $Y=\beta_0+\beta^\top X+\varepsilon$, and inference is reported with uncertainty-aware statistical criteria.