From Subsistence to Smallholder Commercial Farming in Malawi: A Case of NASFAM Commercialisation Initiative

This paper investigates the relationship between food security and commercialisation using data from a household survey in National Smallholder Farmer Association of Malawi (NASFAM) operated areas. NASFAM promotes commercialisation of agriculture by introducing the principle of farming as a business among its members who are largely smallholder subsistence farmers. The study finds that households with plenty of family labour are therefore likely to participate in NASFAM commercialisation initiatives. We also find a positive relationship between participation and value of durable assets, suggesting that wealth is an important determinant in the decision to participate in commercialisation. Household food security also increases the probability of participation, suggesting that when food markets are unstable, farmers that are not food secure may be constrained in their attempt to commercialize their farming systems. Furthermore, we find that the degree of commercialisation is negatively associated with age and household size but positively associated with food security, access to fertilizers, NASFAM business orientation and market access benefits.DfI

The implementation of guidelines in a South African population with type 2 diabetes

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the treatment gaps that pertain to risk factors in South African patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, using national treatment guidelines.Design: Cross-sectional study.Setting and subjects: The study consisted of 666 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, attending a diabetes clinic at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital.Outcome measures: Using a public sector database, retrospective data were obtained on the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus participants. Patients were randomly selected on the basis of established type 2 diabetes mellitus diagnosis, and if they were receiving oral hypoglycaemic and/or insulin therapy. Age, gender, race, blood pressure, haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and fasting lipids were captured and measured. The history of patients’ previous coronary artery disease, strokes, nephropathy, neuropathy and retinopathy was recorded.Results: The mean age of the patients was 63 years [standard deviation (SD) 11.9], 55% of whom were females. The HbA1c was 8.8% (SD 2.5). 26.2% of patients attained HbA1c levels of < 7%. Of the total patients, 45.8% met a < 130/80 mmHg blood pressure target, and 53.8% a low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol of < 2.5 mmol/l. Only 7.5% obtained the combined target for HbA1c , blood pressure and LDL cholesterol.Conclusion: Traditionally, type 2 diabetes mellitus treatment has centred on correcting blood glucose levels. Yet, as many as 80% of people with type 2 diabetes mellitus die from some form of cardiovascular disease  (CVD). Many trials have demonstrated the benefits of targeting CVD risk factors (HbA1c, blood pressure and lipids) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Despite the wealth of evidence, our data suggest that significant undertreatment of risk factors in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus remains.Keywords: diabetes mellitus, risk factors, targets, managemen

A case study of challenges facing the implementation of life skills education in primary schools in the Zomba District, Malawi.

The Ministry of Education in Malawi introduced Life skills Education program with the intention to empower children with appropriate information and skills to deal with social and health problems affecting the nation including the fight against HIV infections. This study investigates factors affecting the implementation of the Life skills programme in four schools in the Zomba District, Malawi. A curriculum is not implemented within a contextual vacuum. I draw on Cornbleth‟s (1990) notions of the structural and social contexts to study the contexts of the school organisation, classroom environment and social-economic-political context in which the curriculum is implemented. Within this framework, I use Whitaker‟s(1993) identification of key role players in curriculum implementation, to consider the specific ways in which teachers, learners, principals, district officials and the community affect the implementation of this curriculum within the schools I chose to study. Findings suggest that the implementation of Life skills is constrained by a variety of social and structural contextual factors. Some of the crucial factors hampering the teaching of Life skills are the poor conditions under which teachers are working. Teachers are paid very little salaries and this affects their motivation to teaching making some of these teachers giving most attention to what they perceive as priority subjects only such as Maths and Languages at the expense of Life skills. The cascade model of training leaves the responsibility of training Life skills teachers to school principals who are not subject specialists. This adds to their already highly pressured roles in terms of managing their schools, resources and learners. The training of teachers in life skills curriculum involves two days of training. This short duration of the training is not sufficient to develop understanding of content and empower teachers to mediate sensitive topics with 3 confidence. This model of training also undermines professional responsibility of each teacher to empower themselves to become subject experts in the subjects they teach. The inaccessible language used within the Teachers‟ Guide contributes to the omission of areas of the curriculum by teachers who struggle to understand and teach certain topics. The case study shows that hunger experienced by learners affects their concentration in class and leads to frequent absences. It has been found that the Life skills curriculum is not supported by all sectors of the community. Certain teachers and their principals found a clash between rural communities‟ cultural beliefs and the Life skills programme. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS affects both the teachers of Life skills and their learners resulting in teachers feeling uncomfortable and reluctant to teach that which affect them and their learners. Some teachers believe that it is inappropriate to teach sexual matters to children of this age. This results in the teachers omitting the very issues that the Life skills curriculum has sought to address. Given these issues, the research finds significant challenges facing the implementation of the Life skills curriculum in Malawi and based on the findings, recommendations are made for improvement of the implementation of the Life skills program

Overview of restoration and management practices in the degraded landscapes of the Sahelian and dry land forests and woodlands of East and southern Africa

The highest deforestation and forest degradation rates in Africa occur in the dry forests and woodlands where pressure for land is increasing, poverty is rampant, livelihood options are few and climate change effects are severe. This paper examines factors that cause land and forest degradation in the Sahel and dry forests and woodlands of eastern and southern Africa and highlights some successful restoration practices, technologies and approaches. In the Sahel, enclosures are used to protect young growing trees while in East Africa are implemented on degraded, land as a mechanism for environmental rehabilitation with a clear biophysical impact. The choice of techniques for rehabilitating specific degraded areas depends first on the priorities and management objectives of stakeholders followed by the costs and benefits associated with available rehabilitation techniques and the economic, social, and environmental values of the land resources in their current and desired future states. In the Sahel, sustainable land management is considered as an imperative for their sustainable development and the practices include soil and water conservation activities and structures. In all regions, natural forest rehabilitation has used both natural and assisted regeneration to promote the growth of especially indigenous species through coppice regrowth and root suckers rather than seeds. Assisted regeneration was especially prevalent in the Sahel where indigenous tree species have been identified to dominate the degraded sites during early stages of secondary forest succession. The success of any rehabilitation activities depends on community-based natural resources management. In addition, the forest policies and their related policies need to be enabling in order to address issues of concern including (i) the full participation of communities; (ii) clear land and tree tenure and (iii) equitable benefit sharing.This paper draws primarily, but not exclusively, from a body of review articles commissioned by the African Forest Forum in 2012/2013, and covering several countries in Eastern and southern Africa and the Sahel.The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC),http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tsfs202018-02-02hb2017Plant Production and Soil Scienc

Carbon sequestration and selected hydraulic characteristics under conservation agriculture and traditional tillage practices in Malawi

Conservation agriculture (CA) is increasingly promoted among smallholder farmers of sub-Saharan Africa in a quest to improve food security while sustaining the natural resource base of the agro-ecosystems where agriculture is based. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of CA and traditional tillage on soil organic carbon (SOC) and selected hydraulic properties in two contrasting agro-ecological zones of Malawi. Six farmers hosted on-farm trials in each location, with each farmer having the following treatments: CA with continuous sole maize (CA-SM), CA with maize–legume intercrops (CA-ML), and traditional tillage with continuous sole maize (CT-SM). Soil samples were randomly collected in October 2015, from farmers’ fields located in Chipeni, Chinguluwe, Lemu, and Zidyana where CA had been implemented for 10 years (2005–2015) at six depth intervals: 0–10, 10–20, 20–40, 40–60, 60–80, and 80–100 cm. Bulk density, soil water characteristics, and pore size distribution were determined using undisturbed core samples. At all sites, CA improved total SOC, carbon stocks, and the stable fraction of particulate organic carbon. Maize–legume intercropping under CA had 35%, 33%, and 73% more total SOC than CT-SM in Chipeni, Lemu, and Zidyana respectively. In Chinguluwe and Lemu, CA-ML had 0.54 and 0.50 g kg–1 respectively more stable fraction of particulate organic carbon (POMP) than CT-SM; whereas in Chipeni, CA-SM had 0.73 g kg–1 higher POMP compared with CT-SM. CA also improved soil porosity, pore size distribution, and water retention capacity by increasing the proportion of mesopores and micropores compared with CT-SM. Thus, changing management practices from CT-SM to CA has the potential to improve the soil organic matter and soil hydraulic properties across agro-ecological zones in Malawi, which is important for sustainable agriculture. Farmers should be encouraged to minimise tillage, retain residues as mulch on the soil surface, and practice crop rotation

Microbiology of chronic suppurative otitis media at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi: A cross-sectional descriptive study

Background Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) is still a significant health problem in developing countries. Therefore, it was pertinent to determine the local Malawian microbiology in order to guide adequate treatment, avoid complications, and provide records for future reference.Aim The study sought to determine the CSOM-causing microorganisms at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi, and establish their relationship signs and symptoms, and with the demographic pattern of the study.Methods This was a hospital-based cross-sectional descriptive study carried out at the ENT outpatient clinic and the Microbiology Department of Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital.The sample comprised 104 patients with unilateral or bilateral active CSOM, who met the inclusion criteria. All patients were evaluated through a detailed history and clinical examination. Pus samples from draining ears were collected by aspiration with a sterile pipette. The specimens were immediately sent for microbiological analysis. Data were analyzed using SPSS.version 20.Results The study found that Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus were the most prevalent aerobic bacteria, while Bacteroides spp. and Peptostreptococcus spp. were the commonest anaerobic bacteria causing CSOM. These CSOM-causing microorganisms were predominant among males aged 18 years and below. Some CSOMcausing microorganisms were—significantly more so than the others—characteristically associated with each of the following clinical features: quantity of pus drainage, mode of onset, otalgia, hearing loss, location of tympanic membrane perforation, and mucosal appearance

Trees in the landscape : towards the promotion and development of traditional and farm forest management in tropical and subtropical regions

This introductory paper aims to synthesize the findings on on-farm trees research with the integration of traditional silvicultural knowledge on multipurpose trees for the design of small scale forestry practices in Africa and Asia. The science, socio-economics and governance aspects of traditional tree based management systems have been documented through the different papers. The findings provide a synopsis of on- farm tree management in Africa and Asia. The synthesis shows that there are still important knowledge gaps such as the ownership of land and trees, gender, the motivation to invest on farm trees, income and livelihood strategies and ecological issues of on farm trees in the context of climate change adaptation and sustainable development goals. There is a general consensus that successful implementation of community involvement in natural resource management in Africa and Asia will only be realized by implementing enabling policies on land tenure, devolution for full empowerment visa viz planning, beneficiation and sharing of benefits.http://link.springer.com/journal/104572017-08-30Plant Production and Soil Scienc