Turning the Tide: Building Climate Resilience for Smallholder Farmers in Malawi

“When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.” – Benjamin Franklin

These timeless words resonate now more than ever as communities everywhere deal with the increasingly devastating impacts of climate change.

Rising temperatures, shifting weather patterns, and more frequent extreme weather events such as droughts and floods pose significant challenges to lives and livelihoods.

In 2022, Pakistan faced record-breaking floods that directly impacted over 33 million people, with a significant 20.6 million in immediate need of humanitarian aid. Several parts of the Northern Hemisphere, including the Southwest of the US and Mexico, Southern Europe and China saw extreme heat waves in July 2023. Rising temperatures are resulting in deaths and illnesses including, respiratory and cardiovascular disease, as well as wildfires. In Mexico alone over 200 people died due to the heat. 

Understanding Climate Change and Poverty

Climate change affects everyone, but those living in extreme poverty face the most severe consequences. For smallholder farmers in rural areas, climate change threatens their ability to grow enough food to feed their families and earn an income. This, in turn, can deepen poverty and worsen food insecurity, creating a cycle that can be difficult to break.

Malawi is one region experiencing the harsh realities of climate change. In the Mulanje District, smallholder farmers face the challenges of unpredictable rainfall, prolonged droughts, and soil degradation. These conditions make it difficult for farmers to grow enough food to sustain their families and earn a stable income highlighting the need for Climate Resilience.

Strengthening Climate Resilience in Malawi

Mulanje District, located in southern Malawi, is home to about 700,000 people. Most of the residents rely on subsistence farming, growing crops such as maize, beans, and peanuts. However, the region faces several challenges, including climate variability, soil degradation, and limited access to financial services. These challenges contribute to persistent poverty and food insecurity.

Opportunity International Canada, along with our partners, is focused on three key areas to strengthen climate resilience in Malawi and improve the lives of smallholder farmers and their families: regenerative agriculture, financial inclusion, and empowering women and youth. The project aims to enhance food production, improve income, and build resilience against the impacts of climate change.

Regenerative Agriculture

One of the core components of the initiative is the promotion of regenerative agriculture practices. Regenerative agriculture involves adopting sustainable farming methods that improve soil health, increase water retention, and boost biodiversity. These practices help farmers increase crop yields while reducing dependence on inorganic fertilizers and pesticides.

Key practices include:

• Crop Diversity: Introducing intercropping, cover crop cultivation, and border planting to enhance soil health and provide diverse sources of food and income.
• Biological Diversity: Encouraging overgrown soils, living roots, and reduced/no tillage to improve soil structure and fertility.
• Insect Diversity: Utilizing perennial crops and edge planting to support pollinators and other beneficial insects.

By adopting these methods, farmers can improve their resilience to climate-induced livelihood loss and increase their overall agricultural productivity.

Financial Inclusion

Access to financial services is crucial for smallholder farmers to invest in productive assets, recover from economic or weather shocks, and diversify their income. In Malawi, limited financial inclusion hinders households from accessing these opportunities.

The initiative addresses these challenges by:

• Providing Financial Literacy: Training farmers in financial management and helping them understand the benefits of formal financial services.
• Establishing Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs): Creating 400 VSLAs of about 15 members each to support smallholder households. These groups provide access to savings and loans, enabling farmers to invest in sustainable farming methods and diversify their income.
• Facilitating Linkages with Formal Financial Institutions: Connecting farmers with financial service providers to help them access suitable financial products and services.

By enhancing financial inclusion, the initiative empowers farmers to take control of their financial futures and improve their livelihoods.

Empowering Women and Youth

The initiative places a strong emphasis on empowering women and youth within the community. In Mulanje District, 70-80% of the VSLAs are composed of women, promoting gender equality, and providing women with opportunities for financial independence.

The project also prioritizes the inclusion of young adults, as people under 35 make up 85% of the population in Mulanje. By engaging young people in agricultural and financial activities, the initiative helps create income opportunities and encourages long-term community development.

Florence’s Story

Florence Zulu, a resilient farmer in Malawi, has recently diversified her farm by growing more maize, groundnuts, and soybeans. Prior to working with Opportunity, she had never used a bank account and was always concerned about how to keep her earnings safe, especially given that her home was not very secure. She was concerned about her grandchildren’s safety in her home, as well as their education.

Today, Florence’s life has been transformed. After opening her first bank account, she secured an agricultural loan to invest in top-quality seeds and fertilizer. With newfound knowledge from village training sessions, Florence’s yields flourished, along with her confidence.

Her increased income allowed her to make life-changing improvements to her home, including a new metal roof for better protection. Most importantly, she has given her grandchildren the gift of education by enrolling them in excellent schools, paving the way for a brighter future.

Florence’s story is an example of how access to support and training can empower farmers in rural Malawi to overcome challenges and change the future for their families for generations to come.

At Opportunity International Canada, we envision a brighter future where smallholder farmers like Florence thrive. By embracing regenerative agriculture, fostering financial inclusion, and empowering women and youth, we can turn the tide of climate change and plant the seeds of sustainable change.