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Special pullout the nation 30 auguSt 2012

by professor george Kanyama-phiri green Belt initiative national coordinator

the following institutions and organisations that are promoting agriculture in Malawi
1. aicc 2. BeRl
PHOTOGRAPH: NATiON LibRARy

3. cadecom 4. cepa 5. Demeter 6. Development Fund 7. Find Your Feet 8. Four S easons 9. Funwe Farm 10. hestian projects 11. Mapeto group Retread 12. Mapeto group tyres 13. Masm 14. pannar Seed 15. plan international 16. polyplast 17. total land care 18. transglobe 19. universal Milling 20. universal trading 21. Zalco
Irrigation farming remains key to food security

green belt initiative enhancing Malawis green revolution t

his paper aims at enlightening the readers about the green Belt initiative (gBi) in Malawi and its linkage to the green revolution. the paper also attempts to draw lessons from green revolution of other countries and how this can inform the green Belt initiative in Malawi. the major question being what is the main driver of the initiative in Malawi. Malawi has recently been hailed as the miracle of africa and a role model for other countries. after four years of chronic food shortages, Malawi turned itself around and started producing enough maize to fulfil its national requirements in 2006 and even to export maize in 2007. the Malawi miracle came about because the government followed the green revolution model; and subsidising the distribution of chemical fertilisers and hybrid maize seeds through the Farm input Subsidy program (Fisp). the

green Revolution asia, the rice basket of the world, has often been cited as the birth place and a successful continent in implementing the green revolution starting in the 1960s and 1970s, particularly

FactS

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Malawi story has become a powerful marketing tool for the promotion of a new green revolution in africa. in africa, the green revolution is being championed by the alliance for a green Revolution of africa (agra) launched with the support of the Bill and Melinda gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. at the local level, Malawi is implementing gBi which is aimed at wealth creation through promotion of irrigation farming, increased agricultural production and productivity, enterprise development and increased exports. the initiative is expected to enhance Malawis green revolution that started with the introduction of the Fisp.

in rice production. the main achievement of green revolution in asia is the increase in grain production mainly attributed to high yielding variety seeds and chemical inputs. other factors such as subsidies for the inputs and development of new varieties, access to credit and markets, irrigation system, government price support and infrastructure

improvement (mainly roads and transport system) were important. What is also important is that the single rice crop system was changed to two or three monocroppings of rice, which also explained the increase in overall production. area expansion contributed to PAGE 3

agricuture employs about 80 percent of total workforce, accounts for 39 percent of gross domestic product (gDp) and contributes about 70 percent of foreign exchange. in Malawi only about 90 000 hectares are currently under irrigation against about one million hectares of potentially irrigable arable land

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Special eSSaY

turning Malawi green

PAGE 2 nearly one-third of asian rice output growth in the 1960s and one-fifth in the 1970s. With the green revolution, Brazil agricultural products increased at a great pace as far as the quantity is concerned. the crop and cattle raising activities were expanded which allowed the people to expand and create a complex sector of agribusiness. the green revolution also helped people to get various financial supports from the government and the introduction of the land reform programme to promote agricultural productivity. Brazil produces around 80 percent of juice in the world and in recent times, it has also become one of the leading countries in producing and selling chicken and beef. there is a lot that Malawi can learn from the above mentioned green revolution experiences as it implements its gBi. green Belt initiative the Malawi success story in achieving food security has largely been attributed to the introduction of Fisp. Since its inception in 2004/2005, the programme has depended on rain-fed agriculture and has benefited from a few exceptionally good years of weather. But this might not be sustainable particularly in the event that there is drought due to negative effects of climate change. it is, therefore, the vision of the leadership of Malawi that the gains from Fisp should be sustained and the green revolution be enhanced by the introduction of the gBi. apart from national food security, the ultimate goal is to transform Malawi from being a predominantly importing and consuming nation to that of predominantly

A farmer watering his vegetable garden

producing and exporting. this will lead to sustainable economic development in line with the Malawi growth and Development Strategy (MgDS) which is the overarching medium term development strategy for Malawi. gBi is being implemented within the framework of agriculture Sector Wide approach (aswap) under the focus area Sustainable agricultural land and Water Management. in Malawi only about 90 000 hectares are currently under irrigation against about one million hectares of potentially irrigable arable land. government has introduced the gBi against the background that Malawi is endowed with abundant fresh water bodies which cover 21 percent of the countrys territorial area in the form of lakes, perennial rivers and ground water. the country has depended on rainfed agriculture which is facing several challenges, including the global climate change that has brought about weather shocks and natural disasters such as unreliable and erratic rainfall patterns, droughts and dry spells, occasional floods, pests and diseases, among others. the gBi aims at intensifying irrigation farming, livestock, fisheries, infrastructure development, agro-processing and market development, among others. the initiative is being

implemented throughout the country where arable land and perennial sources of water suitable for irrigation exist. concentration will be 20 kilometres along lake Malawi, lake Malombe and perennial rivers right from chitipa in the north to the Shire Valley in the South, offering connection of already existing interventions and targeting one million hectares. But the green Belt initiative Strategic plan is currently planning to develop 200 000 hectares under irrigation by 2016. initially, government has identified and is developing four sites which include: chikhwawa irrigation Scheme covering over 6 000 hectares in the areas of

traditional authorities Mwanza and Khombedza in Salima; nthola-ilola-ngosi irrigation Scheme covering 1 000 hectares in the area of paramount chief Kyungu in Karonga; Malombe irrigation Scheme covering 500 hectares in the area of traditional authority chowe in Mangochi District; and chilengo irrigation Scheme covering 240 hectares in the area of traditional authority Makuwira in chikhwawa. the gBi is a multi-sector initiative that focuses on three thematic areas as follows: agricultural production and productivity; irrigation infrastructure development and rehabilitation; and agroprocessing and marketing development. the initiative is being implemented within the green farming framework where climate smart agriculture is being promoted. apart from promoting improved agricultural productivity, the initiative also ensures that this is done sustainably by promoting sustainable and efficient use of land and water resources. this is the only way to ascertain the long-term transformation of smallholder agriculture, increase productivity and sustainability, end poverty and hunger. the gBi as part of encouraging green farming will endeavour to advocate use of improved crop varieties; diversification of agricultural production; protection and enrichment of genetic diversity; improvement of soil fertility through use of integrated approach to soil fertility management; improve the environment through conservation agriculture and catchment area protection; and assure sustainable food production. green farming will be PAGE 11

QuotaBle QuoteS
carsterns Mulume, cadecom national Secretary We are determined to go green, lets make good use of our water resources for our livelihoods! trent Bunderson, tlc executive Director our ultimate goal is to transform farm communities from subsistence farming on degraded lands to prosperous communities on healthy lands. Victor KatchikaJere, Development Fund of norway programme Manager Sustainable agriculture is a viable and costeffective strategy towards addressing the onrush of climate change and variability.

PHOTOGRAPH: NATiON LibRARy

Special pullout the nation 30 auguSt 2012

Special pullout the nation 30 auguSt 2012

Empowering Communities

CADECOM Building Resilience to Climate Change Shocks

the core of the programme. through this programme we have made the communities realize the potential inherent in their available resources; communities with natural wetlands and irrigable lands have been made to utilize this resource to improve their livelihood says carsterns Mulume, national caDecoM Secretary. he continues to say to mitigate the adverse impact droughts which are to a larger extent associated with climate change, caDecoM in all the eight dioceses across the country has done mapping of irrigable lands, and is on a serious campaign for go green through the promotion of small scale irrigation. caDecoM believes in empowering the communities to be agents of their own development; thus her interventions on food security, water, hygiene and sanitation, gender, hiV and aiDS, climate change and disaster risk reduction among others, are community needs based. We build the capacity of communities to analyze their and identify their development problems and aspiration, device possible measures and solution to their problems, and develop action plans. it is from theses community action plans that caDecoM develops her programme Says Mulume. Merina Mtonga, DRR national coordinator says we are a people centered organization; we do not take communities as objects that they cannot think for themselves about what kind of development they want; through the participatory processes we help communities identified hazards which undermine their livelihood and suggest possible interventions. With funding from trocaire, caDecoM in Dedza diocese has constructed dams and irrigation channels tapping water from the hills and over 300 households are making good use of the waters which would have just been flowing into the streams en-route to lake Malawi, never to benefit nganja and Mua residents. caDecoM really believes that going green is a sure way of putting Malawis economy back on track, a sustainable way of cushioning the adverse impact of climate change. With funding from auSaiD through caritas australia in the australian african engagement Scheme (aaceS) programme, caDecoM has within one year of programme implementation trained over 3000 farmers in irrigation farming. in traditional authority chakhanza in Dowa, plans are underway to make good use of the waters from Bua River. an irrigation scheme area has already been identified and feasibility study is underway to ascertain the best ways of pumping water from Bua River for irrigation. caDecoM looks at the go green not only from the perspective of irrigation and other utilization of land; but also good environmental conservation. Within the past three year, with funding from caritas australia in the integrated community Development programme (icD) we have planted over 2 million trees, and encouraged over 400 households to have woodlots in their homes says Mulume. he continues to say through the icD programme not only have over 1500 households increased their income and food resources in Blantyre, Balaka and Mzimba districts but their lives have completely changed; those who did not have goats, now own at least five or more, those who had no pigs they can now point at ten or more, and those who could not afford paying school fees for their children, money problem is not an excuse for their childrens education failure. anderson Jimu, a farmer from Mangochi says we are singing songs of happiness here because we have been enlightened and we see the world differently; caDecoM came like a torch which has given us light out of the darkness of poverty; with the water from the river below we plant maize and cabbage for sale and earn money as a group and also as individuals. caDecoM encourages group work; it encourages establishment of associations and cooperatives; in union there is strength. With funding from oxfam caDecoM is implementing a disaster preparedness programme in nsanje, where communities, as rights holders, are being capacitated to demand services from duty bearers. caDecoM aspires to build a critical mass that will one day in unison demand the government to come up with policies that will promote the go green concept. Why should Malawi be dry, dusty, and have food deficits when plenty of fresh waters freely run into Zambezi through Shire valley which has a lot of irrigable land with rich alluvial soils? wonders Mulume.

By Martin Mazinga CADECOM NAtiONAl PrOgrAMMEs COOrDiNAtOr Survival is the first human instinct; we all do everything to survive. although to a certain extent human beings are architects to their own survival; there are certain factors which determine how we survive. the survival of all living things and the wellbeing of all people depend on the conservation of our natural environment. Without the natural environment, which forms the human habitat, life would have been impossible. our own breathing in and out depends on the oxygen which we get from trees. the alarming deforestation in rate in Malawi threatens our own survival; as the population grows there is high demand for oxygen yet trees which produce oxygen are reducing in numbers. issues of deforestation, habitat and biodiversity loss, overuse of natural resources, air and water pollution, and global climate change pose challenges for communities across the globe, and Malawi is not an exception. therefore, understanding environmental problems, their causes and their solutions is a critical step towards sustainable development. We cannot exist and develop outside the environment. over the years, the catholic Development commission in Malawi (caDecoM), which is a development arm of the episcopal conference of Malawi (ecM), has been grappling with the question: how do human activities affect the environment, and how does environmental change affect human activities? Such a question has led caDecoMs consideration of taking serious steps in addressing issues of climate change. to this effect, with funding from catholic Relief and Development aid (coRDaiD) caDecoM has been implementing a community managed disaster risk reduction (cMDRR) programme in all the eight districts across the country, targeting 76 communities. Within the years, the programme has reaped fruits; communities are becoming resilient to climatic shocks. the targeted communities are able to harvest twice or thrice a year as they are engaged in irrigation after harvesting from the rain fed fields. crop and animal diversification has also been at

Special pullout the nation 30 auguSt 2012

Special pullout the nation 30 auguSt 2012

Special pullout the nation 30 auguSt 2012

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Buy pannar seeds for best results

if you are looking for reliable top performance products you can count on, you have no other better choice than pannaR products. at pannaR we pride ourselves on providing a range of top quality products that deliver high yields and complete peace of mind. From germination to genetic purity, grading, seed treatment and ultimately seed health, pannaR lives its promise of global Research - local performance. every day and in every way, we are a company strongly rooted in african agriculture. our proven track record of supplying outstanding hybrid maize seed, Starke ayres vegetable seed and excellent service delivery in Malawi since 1997 speaks for itself. Sowing the Seeds of Success pannaR is renowned as a company that, over the decades, has exceeded the boundaries of performance. Keeping up with the latest technology and research has paid dividends over the years. it is pannaRs goal to produce new cultivars that will perform even better for the Malawi market. We are geared towards this, with a team of professional plant breeders and well equipped and strategically chosen research stations. it is important to us at pannaR to keep pace with the latest technology, but more important to constantly fulfil the changing requirements of our clients to ensure that they will continue to be successful in a dynamic industry. a number of pannaR

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to notorious diseases namely grey leaf Spot (glS) and Maize Streak Virus (MSV), short maturity period and its sweetness when eaten as green maize. hybrid Seed, key to increased production a good chunk of farmers in Malawi continue to recycle seed be it maize, groundnuts, soybean, beans because to them there is no difference between seed and grain after all they look the same. nevertheless, it can be argued that seed is the most important component of the inputs that impacts on the ultimate yield. hybrid seeds, unlike farm saved seeds, are genetically bred to have specific attributes like high yield potential, flintiness, drought tolerance to enable the farmer to get the best out of the farming endeavour. this is the reason why government of Malawi has put in place policies and projects to promote use of certified seeds, and in particular hybrid seeds. as a private sector player, pannaR is fully committed in supporting this government drive by supplying high quality hybrid maize seed. in this coming season, pannaR is geared to ensure that farmers will access its hybrid maize varieties under the Farm input Subsidy program (FiSp) as well as the commercial market. Remember the pannaR logo shooting maize plant in a circle. Remember the red dyed hybrid maize seeds Seeds of Success! n

try this: a pannar employee gives packets of seeds to a farmer

hybrid maize varieties with distinctive characteristics have been approved by Ministry of agriculture and are available on the market. these varieties include pan 53, pan 4M-19 and pan67. characterized by excellent yield potential, wide area adaptability, stability, storability and poundability, these varieties have effectively responded to the needs of the local Malawian farmer. Scientifically, yield of a particular maize variety is assessed after shelling the grain. on the contrary, the small-scale farmer will always assess the ultimate yield i.e. how much flour of that particular maize variety is required to make nsima and may go further to assess the taste. it is therefore not surprising that most farmers have fallen in love with pan 53 because its ultimate yield is incomparable. Without making any reference to reputable publications, it is not a wonder that pan 53 has been the farmers top choice in the agriculture Sector Wide approach (aSWap) project which showcases different certified maize seed varieties across the country. on the other hand, pan 4M-19, a double cobber, is fulfilling its promise to the satisfaction of the farmers who engage in irrigated or winter maize cropping. it also performs well under rain fed farming in low lying areas. its attributes are not just on paper or merely printed on the package but are vividly evident and proven in the field and harvest. the most critical attributes are its tolerance

Background Development Fund (DF) of norway is an international independent norwegian nongovernmental environment and development organisation. its headquarters is in oslo -norway, with a local office in lilongwe, Malawi. it also has presence in asia, other parts of africa and latin america. our Vision a just and sustainable world without hunger and poverty Values: Solidarity; Diversity; Just; and, participation. DF in Malawi the following are the projects that

comprise DFs on-going work in Malawi: Rumphi Food Security project: the objective is to improve local and district food production and diversify livelihood opportunities for 12,000 resource poor households. the project is a collaboration with Find Your Feet and is implemented with 5 local partners. Farmer support and advocacy: Working across all partner projects to promote sustainable agriculture technologies, farmer research and trials for evidence building on manure, supporting farmer innovations and indigenous knowledge and promote sharing and learning among programme partners. lead Farmer support: the overall object of the

project is to improve Food and nutrition Security of the 5,000 resource poor households selected from the four districts under Mzuzu agriculture Development Division, the implementing partner. the programme will make sure that there is deliberate targeting of the disadvantaged groups/ follower farmers. Youth capacity Building and institutional Strengthening: aimed at building the capacity of network for Youth Development (nfYD) a partnership organisation of 15 youth organizations working on different livelihoods thematic areas. the organizations work towards strengthening the youth civil society sector in Malawi to meaningfully engage with the

development process. community Based agrobiodiversity Management programme: the project builds on a three-year community Biodiversity Development and conservation (cBDc) project implemented as part of a regional programme involving six african countries. it is aimed at consolidating achievements of the cBDc project, mainstreaming and scaling up its approach and contributing towards alternative policy frameworks at national, regional and international levels. Rne Strategic partnership: the objective is to improve the quality and effectiveness of development cooperation in Malawi, strengthen civil society and build the capacity

PHOTOGRAPH: bRiGHT kumweNdA

of farmers. this builds on a livelihoods programme that Development Fund has been running jointly with Find Your Feet and Self help africa, called FaiR from 2008. policy analysis and advocacy in environment and natural Resources Management for Sustainable livelihoods: aimed at achieving sustainable livelihoods through strengthened capacity for sound management of the environment and natural resources. project builds on three years work and will have operational work in 4 districts targeting 3,000 households for evidence building. it will be implemented in partnership with the centre for environmental policy and advocacy (cepa). n

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Special pullout the nation 30 auguSt 2012

polyplast for world class pipes

BRENDA TWEA Staff Writer
plastic pipes last longer, they can handle heavy loads, extremely corrosive conditions and best of all, plastic is flexible and light, making it easy to install in hard to reach places. polyplast has been making pipes since 1992 manufacturing un-plasticised polyvinyl chloride (upVc) and polyethylene hDpe poly pipes which are internationally recognised as being cost effective and very user friendly worldwide. these pipes have a life span of 50 years. plastic pipes could be used for above and below ground applications and for pressure and non-pressure applications. they can be used for irrigation systems for farmers in Malawi as well as other uses including piping for transporting clean and waste water, chemicals, steam, gases, heating and cooling fluids, food solids and slurries. polyplast head of sales, gaurav gulati pointed out that their in house testing laboratory consists of the most advanced testing equipments available internationally. this, he said, maintains quality to international and local standards.

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polyplast pipes last longer and handle heavy loads upVc pipes can also withstand pressure surges generated in water reticulation system also known as water hammer effect. all our products are certified by Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) who comes regularly to inspect the quality, said gulati. he said the pipes are used in every facet of daily life, from irrigation, boreholes to drinking water, sewage system, all acting to the development of the nation. gulati observed that with increased emphasis on irrigation farming through the green belt initiative, there has been a tremendous growth in demand for these pipes. apart from pipes, the company also manufactures every conceivable and complicated design of fittings in its fabrication department, with highly skilled and trained

staff, to allow integration or expansion of existing ipVc pipes network. polyplast does not believe in selling its product alone, our strength is the technical support we provide to our customers; we have always been a preferred supplier on several major projects in Malawi and across africa. We also have one of the best machines and expert staff such that our delivery is reasonably fast, he said. in an effort to provide better management of water sources and to achieve sustainability of precious resources, polyplast committed itself to manufacturing world class products locally. the company makes the pipes from high quality polymer compounds, imported from world class leading polymers manufacturers which have excellent corrosion and chemical resistance to most acidic and alkaline solutions. the pipe making company boasts not only of their product quality but also the quality of human resources in their organisation. polyplast has branches in the major cities of the country as well as in neighbouring countries. n

PHOTOGRAPH: bReNdA TweA

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BRiGhT KumWENDA Business Editor

going green with treadle pump

maize seed from iclep. that gift marked a turning point in his life. Since he got the pump, Kayesa is either found in his garden or at his court dispensing judgement to a subject who had a brush with the village law. the 51-year-old farmer is married to Kulikeliya Disembala and the couple has eight children, four are in school and the others are married. With this machine, poverty and child labour have no room in my homestead, says Kayesa. With the proceeds from the sales of his farm produce, he bought a garden, three goats, iron sheets and built a threebedroomed house. i also used part of the proceeds to buy food for people who came to my chieftaincy coronation function. With the treadle pump, i am now able to feed my family, buy clothes and pay school fees for my children. life has never been the same since i got the pump and i really thank iclep for the gift, he says. iclep, funded by the elimination of child labour in tobacco (eclt) Foundation, was being implemented by nkhoma Synod, total land care, creative centre for

FeatuReS

illage head Kayesa is leading by example in the fight against hunger and poverty, major drivers of child labour in Dowa. the old man, born Mazoni Kayesa, never wastes time quarrelling with his wife over petty family issues as most men in the area do. equipped with a treadle he received from the integrated child labour elimination project (iclep), Kayesa wakes up early in the morning to irrigate his garden dotted with guavas, mangoes, bananas and other fruits. no wonder the village heads granary is always full, year in, year out. Kayesa also grows a lot of tomatoes and other vegetables. if any of his people face food shortages, he gives them some food and advice to work hard in their gardens to defeat hunger. i want my people to know that with the right knowledge, equipment and hard work, we can defeat hunger and poverty, he says. Kayesa, despite being a village head, was one of vulnerable people who qualified to receive a treadle pump, fertiliser and

Village head Kayesa shows his maize

Social Mobilisation (creccom), lifeline Malawi and together ensuring childrens Security. the project ran from July 2010 to 2011 focusing on strengthening community response to combat child labour through a series of interrelated interventions in such components as education, health, food security and water and sanitation. n

Drivers of green revolution aicc challenges rice farmers

PAGE 3 assured by mainstreaming the cross cutting issues including gender, hiV and aids and climate change mitigation and adaptation. Drivers of green revolution the main issue as we implement the gBi will be how to sustain productivity as well as farmers income in a manner that is efficient and cost-effective. there is need for Malawi to draw lessons from elsewhere to successfully implement the initiative. there is need to identify the drivers of this gBi. in asia, technology and research through international agricultural research centres such as iRRi and ciMMYt led the green revolution. continuous development and diffusion of fertiliser responsive and pest- and disease-resistant varieties made revolution possible. in Brazil, the green revolution was driven by government policy on land and market incentives. talking about an african green revolution, there is need to focus not just on growing more food, but look towards connecting farmers to markets so that they can sell surpluses and be more self-sustaining. given the incentive, african farmers can produce, said annan, agra chairperson. considering the Malawis socio economic environment and drawing lessons from other countries, what can drive the gBi? it is a known fact that the responses to the above question could vary among individuals. i am of the view that technology development could be one of the main drivers of the initiative. there is need to invest in technology for the initiative. this should include technologies for irrigation infrastructure, farm mechanisation and technologies for agroprocessing and value addition. this should be supported by human resources capacity building for the management of these technologies. Secondly, the participation of the private sector through the public private partnership is critical for the success and sustainability of the initiative. n

ChRisToPhER Jimu Staff Reporter

the africa institute of corporate citizenship has challenged rice farmers in the country to increase their hectarage and productivity because the crop is a huge source of income as well as being a source of food. Speaking in an interview in lilongwe on Wednesday, aicc Director of programs noel Sangole said that rice is a very good source of cash because on a small piece of land one can harvest thousands of kilogrammes. We are working with farmers in the irrigation schemes in nkhota-Kota, Machinga, chikhwala and nsanje and the lives of farmers especially in Domasi irrigation scheme (Machinga) has drastically changed. through our partnerships with farmers we want improve the quality of rice in the value chain by engaging farmers, traders as well as processors, said Sangole. according to Sangole his organisation main aim is to make

sure that the amount of rice traded is increased and quality is greatly improved so that the demand on the market is met easily and benefit all rice value chain actors. Sangole disclosed that since his organisation started working with the farmers there has been a huge increase in the amount of rice produced to the extent that about 1000 metric tonnes paddy of rice were produced last year. Farmers realised about K50 million after selling half of the rice which they used to pay back loans and start other small scale businesses but also procurement of household assets. Said Sangole, Most of the farmers that we work with are doing very well and last year we took some of them to tanzania so that they learn how their counterparts do farming as a business in the country. the impact of our projects has been immense and almost all the farmers we are working with have opened accounts and those without accounts are being encouraged to open so that

they can easily get loans from the banks. going forward, Sangole said that his organisation wants to form an organisation of rice farmers where they can exchange ideas as well experiences. currently the organisation is working with 3500 farmers in the schemes and 150 upland farmers in nsenjere area in nkhotakota but Sangole was optimistic that the numbers might rise because of the impact the project has Farmers union president Felix Jumbe hailed aicc and said that there approach to rice farming is what can help Malawi produce a lot of rice. Jumbe said that farmers should be encouraged to produce more rice because almost all the rice produced in the country is consumed here. there is huge demand of rice in the region and in Zimbabwe, South africa , Zambia as well as tanzania people are missing Malawi rice. We need to encourage our farmers to produce more as aicc is doing, said Jumbe. n

PHOTOGRAPH: bRiGHT kumweNdA

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total land care improving farmers livelihoods

ChRisToPhER Jimu eastern and Southern africa region to deliver high quality Staff Reporter
total land care (tlc) a local private humanitarian and non profit making organisation registered and operating in Malawi, Mozambique , tanzania and Zambia has vowed to continue working hard with farmers to make sure that their livelihoods change for the better. tlc which is also registered in Switzerland has been working with farmers in the country for a considerable period of time and the results in the field have been impressive. according to tlc executive Director trent Bunderson, tlc is committed to be a leading humanitarian, nonprofit organisation in the extension and training services to small scale farming communities. our aim is to increase agricultural productivity, ensure food security, reduce poverty and environmental degradation, and improve livelihoods and living standards of rural households, said Bunderson. according to Bunderson, tlc is a lead player in conservation agriculture, which is an important practice for improving agricultural productivity with minimal negative impacts on the farm environment. Bunderson added that tlc will continue to provide and help meet

the needs and demands of small scale farming communities which include extension and training support. tlc will also continue to offer extension and technical services to public and private sector organisations, including government agencies, ngos and donor-funded projects. tlc operates in most districts of the country except for likoma, Mwanza, neno, thyolo, and phalombe. in Mozambique, tlc operates in tete, province with a focus on angonia, Macanga, Domue, and tsangano. in tanzania, tlc operates in tabora, nzega, urambo, uyui and Sikonge. n

Farmers stand to benefit from utc treadle pumps

BRENDA TWEA Staff Reporter
universal trading company was established in the year 1976. over the years it has established itself to be most trusted and sort after by many organisations and companies in Malawi. With its head office at ginnery corner next to entyre tyres in Blantyre, universal trading company has a network of both wholesale and retail customers across the country. Since the year 2000 universal trading has been selling treadle pumps in the country with the main aim of helping small scale farmers to realise food security and generate income throughout the year. With the climate change, most parts of the country have been receiving fewer rains as a result of which agricultural output has been affected, rendering some farmers without food. the companys marketing manager, Davison Kumpana says although the treadle pumps were introduced, farmers were faced with some challenges which include operational and transportation to and from the gardens. With these challenges we introduced more innovative treadle pumps called Super Moneymaker. this type is small and lighter. it weighs 24 kilogrammes; it is easy to operate and to maintain and can be operated by even a seven year old boy, he says. he argues that farmers have more benefits if they use these pumps compared to other irrigation pumps as they will increase their farm yields; irrigate crops easier and quicker and they are easy to setup, use, and maintain without tools. they are also strong, durable and portable. our pumps have been received well by most farmers in the country. this has been measured by the increased number of units we are selling every year. Wherever we go to do some demonstrations, we get encouraging reports from agricultural field personnel. You can agree with us that we are now able to get green maize every road side all year round produced by small scale farmers through irrigation. We are sure that these people are using our treadle pumps to do this job. if there is irrigation pump that is frequently asked about is Super Moneymaker treadle pump. We have made Moneymaker to be a household brand and we are proud, he says. he further encouraged farmers to make use of available water close to them to do small irrigation and plant any types of crops. With climate change, we will continue to have erratic rains so with irrigation farming, we can be assured of having food throughout the year and improve our income. Moneymaker pumps are environmental friendly as they utilize water efficiently, do not use fuel or electricity and reduce salt build-up in soil, says Kumpana. n

AfshAN omAR of Four Seasons

Four Seasons improving your environment

Four Seasons nursery has been in operation since 1995, servicing lilongwe city commercial gardens, private homes and landscaping new projects. Four Seasons also improves the environment in offices through its hire and Maintenance program. our nursery, in the heart of the city centre, offers the greatest selection and diversity of plants for sale in Malawi. the centre itself offers an atmosphere of relaxation and appreciation of nature emphasised by its spectacular gardens. the centre houses restaurants, coffee shops, galleries, craft shops and of course the garden centre shop. over the past few years it has become apparent that the citys communities and businesses are taking the environment, our natural resources and surroundings, for granted. as a result, Four Seasons has decided to take steps to become more environmentally friendly and reduce its carbon footprint in various ways: decreasing topsoil use almost down to zero, optimizing resource use,putting all types of waste to use including its own inhouse composting project, introducing composting toilets (eco-San toilets), improving on-site waste management and conducting in-house trainings on various ways of being more environmentally conscious. We have dedicated time and resources to creating greater environmental awareness by mobilizing lilongwes communities. environment Week was hosted at the Four Seasons centre bringing environmental organizations together, establishing connections and building momentum in the early stages of the citys environmental movement. green camps have been hosted to educate and inspire our youth on green initiatives recognizing their future leadership role in the worlds environmental challenges. as an important connection between the public and private sector, we have initiated new efforts to bring innovative and environmental solutions to businesses and communities. Waste management has become a major problem in lilongwe and the disposal of this waste has become one of the emerging environmental issues in Malawi. the lilongwe city council granted Four Seasons additional land to develop as an environmental hub, land used in the development of the Waste for Wealth project. as a partner in the Waste for Wealth project (in conjunction with the lilongwe city council, the united nations, Bunda college, SWaM and ccoDe), a project aimed at reducing organic waste in high density areas and empowering women as entrepreneurs, FSn has created an organic compost that is 100 percent environmentally friendly, ensuring the sustainability of the land that surrounds you. With the use of 100 percent organic matter this compost has kept in mind our city, lilongwe, making it cleaner, ensuring that those of us who appreciate our environment will continue enjoying what it has to offer. organic compost (otherwise known as food for the soil) is the key ingredient in gardening, farming, and landscaping. the addition of compost enriches soil quality whereas topsoil degrades and decreases its quality. compost is not only a soil enhancer but also a natural pesticide and provides the soil with additional nutrients. Furthermore, the creation of organic compost helps to decrease the amount of waste being sent to our landfills by being recycled and decomposed into a product that is beneficial for the earth, our natural environment. using organic compost helps fulfil the zero waste policy, ensuring the sustainability of our environment. Something we should all be aiming towards! the Waste for Wealth project was created with the hope that upon its completion, compost production would continue. By continuing to purchase the compost and furthering womens knowledge, use, application and quality of the compost, Four Seasons is ensuring the sustainability of the project. our aim is to encourage all businesses and individuals to realise the importance of nature, to understand where everything comes from and commit to an act of green that will signify the positive impact you or your organisation will have on nature. to be a part of this environmental movement do not hesitate to visit us along the presidential Way towards the State house, or contact us : info@ fourseasonsmwcom or (01) 773 096.

HESTIAN PROJECTS
Promoting Fuel Efficient Technologies

are you a school or orphanage looking to find safer, cleaner and cheaper alternative methods of cooking? are you a member of parliament looking for a good project to invest in? are you a donor looking for a great program to invest in? are you a church that normally hosts large functions and needs a better way to cook which is very cheap? look no further! hestian with the Mayankho stove has the answer to all your needs. contact us on 0888846262 or 0999383457 for more information. Benefits of our stoves: Reduce household fuel consumption and expenses improve indoor air quality and promote associated health benefits Mitigate climate change by limiting greenhouse gas emissions protect forest ecosystems and biodiversity.

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CEPA develops an advocacy strategy to promote green policies

By Dorothy Tembo CENtEr fOr ENvirONMENtAl POliCy AND ADvOCACy early this year, centre for environmental policy and advocacy (cepa) developed a climate change and disaster risk management advocacy strategy covering the period 2012 to 2015. the strategy was developed as part of the fiveyear enhancing community Resilience programme which is being implemented by two consortia led by christian aid and concern universal, respectively, with funding from united Kingdoms Department for international Development, norwegian Ministry of Foreign affairs and irish aid. the advocacy strategy seeks to contribute towards strengthening disaster risk management and climate change policy, programmes and delivery structures of key government ministries and departments. this will enable households to build resilient livelihoods that are sustainable and profitable, incorporating natural resource management and risk reduction, increasing adaptive capacity and enabling vulnerable households to have a voice in decisions affecting them. the strategy was developed recognizing that Malawi has not been dynamic in considering and promulgating climate change adaptation, agriculture, energy and disaster risk management policies and ensuring their effective implementation. this is the case although natural resources degradation and effects of climate change are becoming increasingly visible in the country and national concern about them is rising rapidly. Moreover Malawi is one of
Promoting energy saving technologies such as these, reduces demand on wood fuel

Conservation agriculture technology improves both production and soil fertility at a relatively lower cost

the most vulnerable countries to effects of climate change and related disasters. this is aggravated by low adaptive capacity, heavy dependence on rain fed systems and severe environmental and natural resource degradation. among others the strategy identifies unsustainable farming practices; and unaffordable, unreliable and unsustainable energy services as some of the issues consistently pulling back Malawi towards going green. to reduce environmental and natural resources stresses and build resilience amongst households, the strategy calls for prominent reflection, significant profiling and prioritization of conservation agriculture in the upcoming national agricultural policy so as to provide guidance and direction on conservation agriculture amongst farmers and its promoters.

the strategy also calls for the revision of the national energy policy so that it reflects an integrated approach to rural energy provision combining different renewable, efficient and equitable solutions to provide village energy supply systems. effective implementation of these policies would reduce communities vulnerability to effects of climate change and natural resources losses. the advocacy strategy provides a road map for joint action and concerted effort by all stakeholders to influence policy and decision makers at local, district and national level in order to enable Malawi to respond better to climate change effects, disaster risks, environmental and natural resources stresses for a green Malawi.

Lets join hands to advocate for green policies

For a full copy and details of the advocacy strategy, contact cepa@cepa.org.mw or visit http://www.cepa.org.mw

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Effects of climate change on Agriculture

issues concerning climate change continue to present a global concern. the gravity and extremity of measures put in place to combat its effects validates this assertion. a range of scientifically generated information tends to show that the effects will affect by a greater margin, future generations than the present. in fact, much of such information predicts climatically tougher times ahead if no effective control measures are implemented by the present generation. in Malawi, the effects of climate change skew much towards agriculture, a sector that provides food to over 90% of the countrys population. over the years, noticeable among the effects include change in rainfall patterns, prolonged dry spells, short periods of cold spells, droughts, and strong winds. to try to address these effects, Malawi has adopted several measures to adapt to climate change and try to prevent its effects. notable among them include development of the national adaptation program of action (napa) which aims at improving community resilience to climate change through the development of sustainable rural livelihoods, restoring forests in the upper and lower Shire Valleys and other catchments to reduce siltation and associated water flow problems, improving Malawis preparedness to cope with droughts and floods, and improving climate monitoring to enhance Malawis early warning capability and decision making and sustainable utilization of lake Malawi and lakeshore areas resources. plan Malawi in partnership with european commission is implementing a grant project on climate change which aims at providing a platform for students and youth to implement activities on climate change prevention, mitigation and adaptation and share these with different stakeholders. as part of engaging students in implementing climate change activities, plan Malawi in conjunction with 16 students attended and took part at this years World environment Day commemorations that took place at Four Seasons nursery in lilongwe on 9th June 2012. apart from raising awareness, the event brought together organizations around Malawi whose focus is on environment. the event provided a platform for individuals and groups to be aware of what others are doing and together make a difference. the commemorations provided a platform for knowledge and skill transfer for organizations and individuals who came together and relay information not only to the wider public but within themselves. this gave everyone an opportunity to see what the environmental front in Malawi is all about and give chance to organizations to work

Plan Malawi believes in working with village leaders in addressing Climate Change and Environmental Protection issues

Plan Malawi desplay at this years World Environment Day commemoration

together. the event had a diverse array of activities including music, theatre, fashion and vendors who deal with items made from nature or specialize in recycled artifacts. in terms of music and fashion, musicians and artists alike were challenged to create and perform environmentally themed products i.e. an environmental debate on green economy by Malodza primary School. Schools and youth environmental groups played an important aspect at the event as they were the ones who took a leading role in performing for the environment in areas of art work, environmental display and theatre. the commemorations also provided probable partnership building among member organizations present. chitedze cDSS and Muzu primary School happen to interact with other organizations on how they can inter trade on the plastic bags they collect from their school premises. on top of that; Wilderness Safaris officer interacted with staff from plan on how they can link up and work hand in hand on the coming sky dive to help generate funds for the

Despite climate change every family is entitled to adequate and nutritious food
vulnerable children across the country. the Four Seasons nursery provided a gift Voucher amounting to K5, 000.00 to chitedze cDSS and Muzu primary School. the Voucher is to be used to purchase items at the Four Seasons Shop. the items may be either tree Seedlings or Flowers to be planted in their respective schools. plan realizes that development is a right for every youth; participation is their inalienable responsibility. Young people must well be informed of public policies and be given opportunity to realize the desired outcomes of these processes. Subsequently, the youths must be involved in all processes that lead to the desired outcomes such as decision making, implementation of activities and monitoring. as such students from chitedze cDSS and Muzu primary School successfully demonstrated activities entirely produced by themselves with assistance from the climate change teacher cordinators.