Sustainable intensification and diversification of maize-based farming systems in Malawi – early win project report
This Africa RISING supported project aims to analyze the impact of three agricultural production systems –conservation agriculture, continuous no-till maize and conventional tillage — on food production, soil fertility and quality, human nutrition, resilience to drought and climate variability and change and household income in Malawi.
Support from Africa RISING was crucial in sustaining this project by funding the first growing season of at least three growing seasons needed to complete the rotation cycle of the three agricultural production systems being studied. The outputs from this ‘early win’ project benefit the long-term goals of Africa RISING by evaluating demand-driven options for sustainable intensification that contribute to rural poverty alleviation, improved nutrition and equity, and ecosystem stability.
Additionally, strong collaboration between CIMMYT, Washington State University, Total LandCare, and Bunda College of Agriculture will facilitate partner-led dissemination of integrated innovations for sustainable intensification beyond the Africa RISING action research.
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More early win’ projects
The Africa RISING program comprises three linked research-for-development projects, funded by the USAID Feed the Future Initiative, and aiming to sustainably intensify mixed farming systems in West Africa (Southern Mali and Northern Ghana), the Ethiopian Highlands and East and Southern Africa (Tanzania, Zambia and Malawi).
To produce some short-term outputs and to support the longer term objectives of the projects, in 2012 Africa RISING funded several small, short-term projects in each of the regions. More information.
