Droughts induced household food insecurity in Zimbabwe has presented new complex
political, social and economic challenges threatening national security and peace in addition
to development and growth of the economy in the context of social vulnerability of labour
constrained households. Free Food Distribution has been the most common approach of
mitigating food insecurity among labour constrained households in times of drought. Coping
with the effects of drought has not only proved to be a mammoth task for the government but
a complicated mix of policy, strategy, capacity and political will. The research is a case study
using mixed methods to examine the complications of household food security and mitigating
effects of drought in labour constrained households in rural Zimbabwe at the same time
examining the social construction of vulnerability by labour constrained households, role of
state and non -state actors. The resilience and coping mechanisms of labour constrained
households are also extensively examined in the context of household food security. The
opportunities for transforming government drought mitigation interventions in to sustainable
livelihoods base for household food security are examined. The government acknowledges
that droughts have had varied impact on household food security depending on the nature of
vulnerability of households. Labour constrained households have been regarded as the most
vulnerable compared to the non-labour constrained households hence they have maintained
an automatic qualification for free food whose effectiveness and sustainability has not been
fully examined. Social vulnerability is complicated and not homogenous thus labour
constrained households have an untapped potential, state and non -state actors have
struggled to understand household food insecurity and social vulnerability in the context of
community and household resilience and coping strategies