Investing in small holder agriculture in Malawi to improve performance by scaling up conservation agriculture by Sosten Chiotha
1. Investing in small holder
agriculture in Malawi to
improve performance by
scaling up conservation
agriculture
Prof., Sosten Chiotha*, Dr Dalitso
Kafumbata, Dr Daniel Jamu,
Mathews Tsirizeni, & Welton
Phalira
*Leadership for Environment and Development
(LEAD), Zomba, Malawi
2. Landscape mosaic in Malawi
Landscape
mosaic, gradually more
fragmented(last 100 yrs),
Agriculture, human settlements,
main cause of fragmentation
1991-1973 forest cover decline: 45 to
25.3 % and continues
High population growth, the main
driver of landscape change
Population trebled to13 million (1966
to 2008), projected growth rate is 2.9%
3. Declining natural resource
base
84 % employment natural resource based:
agriculture, forestry, fishery are key sectors
All 3 sectors declining in productivity due
to unsustainable practices
More than 40% smallholders own <0.5ha,
average farm size is 0.28ha
Farming system is essentially low input and
low output
Fallow, crop rotation, mixed cropping,
integrated with livestock production are
limited or non – existent
4. Investing in conservation
agriculture a must!!!
Climate
change has made the situation
worse : erratic rainfall, prolonged dry
spells and other extreme weather
events
Severely degraded landscapes with
diminishing ES leave many rural
communities in persistent food
shortages and poverty
5. Investing in conservation
agriculture a must!!!
CA
is one approach to address the
challenges to achieve sustainable production
and improve livelihoods
Uptake of CA is low to achieve scale of
restoring ecosystem services
Investment through the small-holder
households, likely to break the vicious cycle
of environmental degradation, low
agricultural production and poverty
9. Need for investment into off-farm activities
to shift unsustainable use of marginal and
fragile ecosystems
10. Estates in southern Malawi showing
intensity of production, hedgerows and
forest reserve as required by law for
estates. Also notice land under fallow
The small holder tea farmers belong to an
association and hence there is potential for
investment in addressing small holder land use
challenges to achieve scale at landscape
11. Contrasting land uses by small holder
farmers and estates in southern Malawi
Land use by small holder farmers. Notice the small
landholdings, the variation in crop density/quality,
location of trees, human settlements
12. Rethinking investment
Government:
move from input-subsidies to more
integrated incentives that support landscape
sustainability(e.g. PES, sustainable rural economic
growth)
Private sector: support value addition, viable
cooperatives of small-holders,
Banks & lenders: providing small-holders with better
access to financial services (savings, credit, etc.)
Donors/development partners: more flexibility in
approach to address difficult trade offs small holder
farmers make that compromise landscape quality
of services( essential for long-term livelihoods)
13. WLE:
Acknowlegdements
Support to attend GLF
Lake Chilwa Basin Climate Change Adaptation
programme: supported by the Royal Norwegian
Embassy in Malawi.
ASSETS: supported by ESPA UK through DFID
Participatory GIS in Malawi. Donors/development
partners: Funded by IDRC
Population and climate change: Funded by
Population Action International
Malawi state of Environment and outlook report
14. For more information
Related
Publications:
Linkages between population, reproductive
health, gender and climate change
adoption in Malawi
Lake Chilwa Basin Climate Change
Adaptation Programme
Contact:
Sosten Chiota: schiotha(at)yahoo.com