11 research outputs found
Gender norms and the marketing of seeds and ware potatoes in Malawi.
Gender dynamics shape and influence the nature of participation in, as well as the ability to benefit from, seed and ware potato markets in Malawi. 35 sex-disaggregated focus group discussions with farmers and 4 interviews with extension officers were conducted in Dedza and Ntcheu districts. Data on seed marketing and purchase, ware potato marketing, affordability, marketing decisions, and clients, as well as social norms and values that influence market participation by men and women were collected and analyzed using the Real Markets Approach focusing on social relations within markets. Results demonstrate that agricultural market interventions that do not address underlying social structures - such as those related to gender relations and access to key resources - will benefit one group of people over another; in this case men over women
Less hunger, better health and more wealth: the benefits of knowledge sharing in Malawi’s Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato project
Agricultural researchers, NGOs and farmers in Malawi have pooled their knowledge and resources to develop and distribute new vitamin-enriched and drought-resistant sweet potato varieties, and to devise and promote new commercial activities that will help its spread
Iron absorption from iron-biofortified sweetpotato is higher than regular sweetpotato in Malawian women while iron absorption from regular and iron-biofortified potato is high in Peruvian women
Background: Sweetpotato and potato are fast-maturing staple crops and widely consumed in low- and middle-income countries. Conventional breeding to biofortify these crops with iron could improve iron intakes. To our knowledge, iron absorption from sweetpotato and potato has not been assessed. Objective: The aim was to assess iron absorption from regular and iron-biofortified orange-fleshed sweetpotato in Malawi and yellow-fleshed potato and iron-biofortified purple-fleshed potato in Peru. Methods: We conducted 2 randomized, multiple-meal studies in generally healthy, iron-depleted women of reproductive age. Malawian women (n = 24) received 400 g regular or biofortified sweetpotato test meals and Peruvian women (n = 35) received 500 g regular or biofortified potato test meals. Women consumed the meals at breakfast for 2 wk and were then crossed over to the other variety. We labeled the test meals with 57Fe or 58Fe and measured cumulative erythrocyte incorporation of the labels 14 d after completion of each test-meal sequence to calculate iron absorption. Iron absorption was compared by paired-sample t tests. Results: The regular and biofortified orange-fleshed sweetpotato test meals contained 0.55 and 0.97 mg Fe/100 g. Geometric mean (95% CI) fractional iron absorption (FIA) was 5.82% (3.79%, 8.95%) and 6.02% (4.51%, 8.05%), respectively (P = 0.81), resulting in 1.9-fold higher total iron absorption (TIA) from biofortified sweetpotato (P < 0.001). The regular and biofortified potato test meals contained 0.33 and 0.69 mg Fe/100 g. FIA was 28.4% (23.5%, 34.2%) from the regular yellow-fleshed and 13.3% (10.6%, 16.6%) from the biofortified purple-fleshed potato meals, respectively (P < 0.001), resulting in no significant difference in TIA (P = 0.88). Conclusions: FIA from regular yellow-fleshed potato was remarkably high, at 28%. Iron absorbed from both potato test meals covered 33% of the daily absorbed iron requirement for women of reproductive age, while the biofortified orange-fleshed sweetpotato test meal covered 18% of this requirement. High polyphenol concentrations were likely the major inhibitors of iron absorption. These trials were registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03840031 (Malawi) and NCT04216030 (Peru)
2012 Inception report: Development of the Malawi agricultural statistics strategic master plan
Non-PRIFPRI1; MaSSPDSG
Gender norms and access to extension services and training among potato farmers in Dedza and Ntcheu in Malawi.
This paper explores the interaction between extension services and gender relations in order to suggest ways and strategies that can be useful in ensuring that extension services are gender-equitable and empowering for women
Understanding collective action and women's empowerment in potato farmer groups in Ntcheu and Dedza in Malawi.
This paper explores the potential for potato farmer groups to empower women in Malawi. It does this by examining how social and gender norms in communities, including the distribution of power, resources and responsibilities, may have an impact on the ability of farmer groups to empower female group participants
Gender norms and the marketing of seeds and ware potatoes in Malawi
Gender dynamics shape and influence the nature of participation in, as well as the
ability to benefit from, seed and ware potato markets in Malawi. 35 sex-disaggregated
focus group discussions with farmers and 4 interviews with extension officers were
conducted in Dedza and Ntcheu districts. Data on seed marketing and purchase, ware
potato marketing, affordability, marketing decisions, and clients, as well as social norms
and values that influence market participation by men and women were collected and
analyzed using the Real Markets Approach focusing on social relations within markets.
Results demonstrate that agricultural market interventions that do not address
underlying social structures—such as those related to gender relations and access to key
resources—will benefit one group of people over another; in this case men over women
Farm Mechanization and Potential role of Robotics in Malawi
Malawi’s agricultural economy comprises of the smallholder subsector on communal land, and the leasehold and freehold estate subsectors. Large farms and estates use modern inputs more frequently, than the smallholder farmers. Jayne (2016) reported the ratio of cultivated land area to total land holding size declines as farm size increases. This paper highlights farm mechanization and the potential for role of robots in Malawi. We provide a global overview of the situation in Africa and in Malawi. We also highlight the potential role of robotics. Farm mechanization often follows various stages, starting from the use of mechanical power for power-intensive operations that require little control to increased use of mechanically powered technologies, and finally to automation of production. Past state-led mechanization in Africa often failed due to insufficient understanding of the nature of demand for mechanization technologies among farmers and insufficient knowledge of private-sector functions. There are dedicated mechanization committees and departments as well as a decentralized approach to mechanization and a clear commitment to mechanization along the value chain in Malawi. While the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development (MoAIWD) is responsible for maintaining Government-owned facilities with tractor and draught animals for hire, the private sector is expected to lead this intervention area. Malawi is not on track for meeting the Malabo Commitment area number 3.1. This relates to access to agriculture inputs and technologies. However, according to the selection methodology the country is part of a cluster of countries indicating rapid mechanization rates. Malawi has had an average annual machinery growth rate of 2.7% and a high agricultural output growth of over 6%. Malawi has made strides to introduce automated farming such as use of central pivot system of irrigation. However, information on how this is performing is rather limited