This document discusses the vision for Kusamala Institute of Agriculture and Ecology in Malawi to become a hub in the Savory Network for holistic livestock land management. It describes Kusamala's work empowering farmers through permaculture training, demonstrating practices like tree planting, home gardens, and crop diversification. The vision is for Kusamala to train staff in holistic management, impact 650 hectares by 2016, and create a grassroots network in Malawi focused on land restoration. The goal is for Kusamala and similar hubs around the world to become locally led and financially self-sustaining.

1. Upscaling Grassroots Efforts with
Holistic Livestock Land Management

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• Savory Network Concept
• Kusamala
• Kusamala Vision with Holistic Livestock Land
Management
• Questions
Summary

4. What if there was a place where farmers, ranchers and
pastoralists could come together to learn a better way to
manage their land? A way built upon ancient wisdom
informed by nature's patterns. A way that restores the
integrity of the ecological capital upon which our
existence depends?

5. What if this place embraced and celebrated individual
initiative and the entrepreneurial spirit, with results so
dramatic that the momentum began to spread among
neighbors?

6. What if this place was one of many in a global network
working together to grow beyond self-sufficiency under
an intentionally different business model?

7. “What if” has already begun
• Over 20 Million Hectares Influenced
• 2.5 Million Hectares Influenced in 2014
• Over 1800 people trained in 2014
30Communities
changing the world

8. Empower the farmer, rancher, pastoralist
with Holistic Management knowledge, tools,
and support.
Measure the outcomes. What we have to
teach is worthless unless everyone
(including the consumer) can see the value.
Grow our network through partnerships with
those who have come before and strategic
partnerships. As we expand our reach, we
are designed to be self-sustaining*.
Self-sustaining is the point. We believe
that it’s not only possible, but reasonable for
a non-profit to be able to support itself once
there is momentum. To be clear, we are
positive that our business model will
eliminate the need for the constant cycle of
fundraising.

9. Our goal is 100 locally owned, led, and
managed self-sustaining Hubs around the world
by 2025, doing this in their own social, cultural,
political, and ecological contexts.

10. “Land degradation costs an
estimated $40 billion USD annually
worldwide” - UNFAO
The estimated cost of the
mismanagement of all natural
assets to the world economy today
at around $6.6 trillion USD a year,
equal to 11 percent of global GDP –
UNCCD
The annual loss of 75 billion tons
of soil costs the world about $400
billion USD per year.
- Dr. Rattan Lal

11. Increase
Increase
Increase
Profit &
Cashflow
Production Social
Wellbeing
Outcomes of Managing Holistically

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The Kusamala Institute of
Agriculture and Ecology is
a local, non-governmental
organization that
promotes household-level
permaculture and
agroecology systems in
Malawi through
demonstration, education,
outreach and advocacy.
Kusamala
legumes, pigeon pea, tephrosia (fish bean), cassava

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• JANEEMO 2012 - 2014 (400 farmers): 140,000 trees
planted (jatropha, moringa, pod mahogany,
Faidherbia albida, Acacia, fruit trees)
• CSA 2013 - 2016 (1500 farmers):
▫ Tree Nurseries: 100
▫ Home gardens: over 150 home gardens and growing
▫ Inter-cropping in dimba gardens (tomatoes, onions, rape,
pumpkin, beans)
▫ Grey water management (i.e. banana circles at boreholes
and behind bathing shelters)
▫ Conservation Agriculture Practices (mulching, no-till
permanent beds, crop rotation)
▫ Agroforestry (Pod mahogony, Faidherbia albida, Acacia,
Tephrosia)
▫ Crop diversification in the staple field (sunflower, pigeon
pea, sugar bean, maize)
Climate Smart Agriculture
banana, legumes, sweet potato, and pumpkin

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• 82 % of our farmers reported that their current income rarely or never covers their basic needs
• Over half our farmers either sell cash crops (tobacco) or work as ganyu to supplement their
household needs
• 74% reported that their soils were unfertile
• 40% of our famers said they were somewhat or not prepared to address animals (i.e. goats or cows)
• 64% of our farmers said that animals (i.e. goats or cows) were moderate to serious concerns to their
farms.
• The most serious threats to their farms were:
 High fertilizer prices
 Changes in rainfall patterns
 High seed prices
 Lack of markets
 Soil Infertility
• 17% practiced planting food trees and 26% practiced agroforestry
 Some food trees planted were (mango, guava, banana, moringa)
Baseline Data – Context of our Farmers

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Participatory Video and Mapping
Coordinator Vincent practice interview Khundi Mapping Workshop

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• 4 accredited trainers on staff
• Train 10 staff on Holistic Livestock
Land Management, 6 of them
women
• Affect 650 Hectares in Rural
Lilongwe and 1 pilot community
project in Dowa District by 2016
• Create a similar network in
Malawi for grassroots efforts and
small projects focusing on holistic
land management.
Vision for Kusamala as a Savory Hub

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19. Kusamala Institute of
Agriculture & Ecology
Nature’s Gift Permacuture
Center
19
Zikomo!
Tre’ Cates
tcates@SavoryInstitute.org
www.SavoryInstitute.org
Molly Cheatum
molly@kusamala.org
www.kusamala.org