Graph 1: showing food insecurity based on number of meals and food stocks day without food this month 26 day without food this week 21 less than 2 days maize m 26 no maize meal in house 21 one meal per day 21 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 This indicates a worse level of food security than that predicted in the “Agricultural Produce and Inputs Markets report”,46 released in the week of 17 September 2011. This document is used as a strategic planning tool by all NGOs and others concerned around food production and security. In our survey 47%, or nearly half of the families interviewed, had either no, or almost no staple food in the homestead, and an equal number had experienced a day without any food whatsoever in the recent past. On the day of the interview, several families indicated that they had no idea, by mid afternoon, of what they would eat that evening. 20% of families indicated that they had previously been involved in a CARE “Food for work” programme in their area, and half of these (10%) still had a little barley from this programme – but it was reportedly not operating in the area by September. Considering that the households interviewed included 178 children, the lack of regular meals – and common reports of days without food ‐ is an extremely alarming finding. iii. Available – but unaffordable As maize meal was priced at local rural stores at between USD 5 and USD 7 per 10 kg bag, the failure of families to have a secure supply of maize meal in the house is indicative of the extreme poverty of most families. Observers noted that the Gwanda town GMB depot was, in early October, filled to the ceiling with bags of un‐milled maize, selling at USD 16 per 50 kg bag. But this is clearly beyond the economic reach of the vast majority of families we interviewed – and as it is over 30 km from the 46 ZIMVAC report, circulated 17 September 2011. 24