At least 160 farming households in Dowa District have attributed their food security achievement to the adoption of permaculture.
The farmers said this on Wednesday during a media tour of Chikwangula Village in Traditional Authority Chakhaza in the district to appreciate agroecology farming practices under the National Agroecology Conference and Sustainability Festival.
One of the farmers, Yohane Banda, said the approach has enabled them to have resilient food systems as they rely on organic farming.
He said: “We have been struggling with barren soils and the effects of climate change such as dry spells to produce food. But since 2021, Opulence Malawi introduced us to permaculture farming to embrace crop diversity and use organic manure, which has provided us with abundance.”
Banda said the practice has allowed them to utilise land and its resources effectively to achieve food and nutrition security.
Opulence Malawi extension officer Chikumbutso Chibweza said they are committed to supporting the communities to farm in harmony with the environment.
“This approach cares for the earth, which gives us food. Their crop yields are improving due to enhanced soil fertility, restored water moisture and crop diversification that ensure a resilient ecosystem due to promoted organic farming,” he said.
Participatory Ecological Land Use Management country coordinator Nozgenji Bilima said people in the country should emulate the example set by the farmers.
“This field visit was important as it brought farmers to acquire practical knowledge and get motivated to do more. We see from these communities that agroecological interventions have transformed their lives for the better,” she said.
The three-day conference was held under the theme ‘Fostering innovation, advocacy and research for scalable agroecological solutions’.
Permaculture is a system that promotes natural eco-systems to create sustainable, resilient and productive environment.
