This document summarizes over 20 years of experience in plant and soil sciences, forestry, and environmental studies. The author is a plant and soil scientist researcher and lecturer interested in complex environmental issues, especially the interactions between climate variability, agro-ecology, social sciences, and information technology related to improving food security in Southern Africa. Their research focuses on how smallholder and large-scale farmers' livelihoods impact local environmental changes and global food security at the household level. Their work integrates fields like natural resource management, food security and climate change, land use planning, and using information technology for policymaking. Their research interests include exploring permaculture strategies for climate adaptation and shifting to "Conservation Agriculture" systems that