Malawian farmers are moving away from single-crop dependence, with new evidence showing that diversification, particularly livestock integration and expanding legume cultivation are boosting incomes and resilience despite worsening climate shocks.
A study titled ‘Assessment of agricultural diversification strategies and rural household food security in Malawi’ by Anderson Gondwe and others, found that households adopting crop-livestock systems earned more and consumed more varied diets than those relying solely on crops such as maize and tobacco.
Drawing on data from the Malawi Rural Agricultural Livelihoods Panel Survey between 2019 and 2024, the study found that livestock integration cushioned families against El-Niño-induced droughts and floods.
Reads the study in part: “Agricultural diversification is positively associated with household per capita income and household dietary diversity.”
A separate regional study led by Hambulo Ngoma and colleagues at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre showed a rapid growth in legume cultivation in Malawi.
Between 2012 and 2023, legume production expanded by an average of 32 900 hectares a year, raising legumes’ share of cropped land by five percentage points.
Nearly half of Malawian farmers reported growing more legumes in 2023 than five years earlier, according to the study.
“There is also a need also to increase the availability and use of improved legume varieties that are better adapted to the evolving climate and disease pressure and to improve legume productivity through improved agronomy and soil fertility management,” reads the study.
Speaking in an interview on Wednesday, Mwapata Institute executive director William Chadza said the findings reflect realities on the ground, adding that the share of households engaging in livestock production has increased in recent years.
“Integrated crop–livestock systems are emerging strongly and these should be recognised, supported and scaled to maximise both income and nutrition benefits,” he said.
But Chadza noted that access to quality seed, fertiliser and extension services remain a major barrier.
“Increased investments in extension, access to credit for inputs and linking producers to off-takers could address these barriers,” he said.
In an interview, agriculture development policy analyst Tamani Nkhono-Mvula said strengthening the inclusion of legumes in national subsidy programmes is a low-hanging fruit for quick triple wins.
He said this has potential to improve soil fertility, overall farm productivity and increased farm income.
The researchers found that legume expansion was linked to higher household income and expenditure, particularly among low-income households though dietary benefits were less direct as most legumes are sold rather than consumed.
