admin | March 12, 2026
News Brief
Grena Banda and her husband, Daniel Mwafulirwa, once struggled with erratic rains, floods, and costly fertilizers on their Rumphi farm. After joining agroecology training by SPRODETA, they now use manure, crop rotation, and water-efficient practices to boost yields and cut costs. Farmers like Judith Chikoko and John Nyangulu report higher production and savings, while the district promotes natural soil health solutions. Experts say agroecology strengthens food security, encourages diversity, and supports women and youth. Malawi’s Ministry of Agriculture is scaling up the approach to improve resilience and sustainability.
Grena Banda and her husband, Daniel Mwafulirwa, spent years struggling to make ends meet on their small farm in Rumphi district. Erratic rainfall, floods, droughts, and rising fertilizer costs made each season a gamble. Feeding their children, paying school fees, and covering basic household needs often felt impossible.
Mrs. Banda explains, “Year in, year out we were facing food shortages. We depended on fertilizer, but we could not afford enough of it. Sometimes, we harvested so little that we did not know how we would manage until the next season.”
Her husband, Mr. Mwafulirwa, describes how he sometimes resorted to hunting illegally to feed the family. He says, “I had no choice at the time. When you see your children hungry, you do things you never imagined you would do. Look at these scars. They are from handcuffs as I was arrested multiple times.”
The family’s situation began to improve when Banda joined agroecology training sessions organized by the Small Producers Development and Transporters Association (SPRODETA). She says, “Using the knowledge I learnt, we adopted agroecological practices, and that has been the best decision we made. We are now able to produce enough to meet our family needs and surplus, which we sell for income.”
Judith Chikoko, a 44-year-old farmer from Samuel Ngoma village, once struggled to grow enough maize on her 3-acre plot. She says, “Before, I could only afford one bag of fertilizer and it was not enough. Now with agroecology, I use manure and plant one maize per station following proper spacing, which has significantly increased my yields. I am able to produce more, spend less, and protect the environment.”
John Nyangulu, a farmer in a nearby village, turned to agroecology to cope with unpredictable rains. He says, “I decided to try agroecology because of the unpredictable rains. I have created permanent and raised beds to ensure that my crops retain moisture during dry spells. I also make compost manure and manage water efficiently, even using wastewater for vegetables and sweet potatoes.”
He adds, “For one acre, you need about four bags of inorganic fertilizer, which costs close to half a million kwacha. But with manure, the cost is reduced to around 100,000 kwacha. The savings are significant, and it is much more sustainable.”
Hastings Nyirongo, director of agriculture at Rumphi District Council, says the district encourages farmers to use ecological processes rather than synthetic inputs. He says, “We are mostly encouraging communities to build on the ecological synergies that exist. We are looking at the use of natural nitrogen fixation to improve soil health rather than applying a lot of chemicals.”
Anna Chikoko, SPRODETA’s programs manager, explains that farmers are now reducing fertilizer costs while increasing yields. She says, “The farmers are currently cutting on cost of fertilizer by over 40% while yielding between 30 and 40 bags of 50 kilograms of maize per acre, proving agroecology as a sustainable and cost-efficient way to food production. Diversity has also been key in the progress registered where farmers are able to raise various livestock, supporting manure production thus enriching the soil. Manure also supports in water retention, allowing crops to flourish even when there are dry spells.”
Nozgenji Bilima, an agroecology and food systems expert, says the approach strengthens resilience and food security. She says, “Agroecology provides diversity in both production and diets, which enhances food and nutrition security for households. It encourages farmer-led research and ownership, and most of all, gender equality with inclusion of women and youth.”
She adds, “There are trade-offs. Agroecology can be labor-intensive. Intercropping may limit mechanization, and myths that ‘agroecology cannot feed the growing population’ limit investment funding. One important indicator of success would be having a clear national agroecology strategy. Public funding should also support sustainable approaches rather than focusing mainly on fertilizers and hybrid seeds.”
Gertrude Kambauwa, director of land resources at Malawi’s Ministry of Agriculture, says the country is integrating agroecology into policies to improve climate resilience. She says, “In terms of verification and impact measurement, farmer field schools are being used to showcase agroecology practices, with strong monitoring and evaluation systems in place. What remains is implementing agroecology at a scale so that these benefits are experienced by many farmers in the country.”
Photo: Grena Banda and Daniel Mwafulirwa. Image by Kelvin Tembo.
This story is based on an article written by Kelvin Tembo for Mongabay, titled “In Malawi, farmers rebuild soil and livelihoods through agroecology.” To read the full story, go to : https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/in-malawi-farmers-rebuild-soil-and-livelihoods-through-agroecology/