Macadamia nuts constitute a vital component of both nutrition and livelihoods for smallholder producers in Malawi. We conducted a comprehensive mixed-methods study, combining qualitative and quantitative analyses, to explore varietal preferences and production challenges among these farmers. Leveraging cross-sectional data from 144 members of the Highlands Macadamia Cooperative Union Limited, our study underscores several significant findings. Our findings reveal that the majority of smallholder macadamia farmers (62%) are aged over 50, with farming as their primary occupation. Varied preferences are driven by yield-related traits, including high yield potential (38%), nut quality (29%), and extended flowering patterns (15%). Among the macadamia varieties, the top five choices, grown by over half of the farmers, include HAES 660 (18%), 800 (10%), 791 (9%), 816 (8%), and 246 (7%). Additionally, our study identifies five primary constraints faced by smallholder macadamia farmers: insect pests (81%), diseases (34%), limited market access (33%), wind damage (25%), and inadequate agricultural advisory services (17%). Based on these findings, we propose two policy recommendations to enhance smallholder macadamia production and productivity in Malawi and other regions. Specifically, we advocate for informed breeding programs that align with farmer preferences to promote greater adoption of macadamia varieties. Additionally, we emphasize the crucial role of the Malawian government in the macadamia value chain, suggesting active participation in providing extension services and marketing support, akin to its support for other cash crops.

Do electoral considerations play a role in the targeting of humanitarian transfers? We analyze the targeting of direct cash and food transfers distributed in Malawi in response to an exceptionally poor harvest following a late and erratic rainy season of 2015/16. Combining household survey data on transfers with a remotely sensed measure of drought and with the results of the 2014 and 2019 parliamentary elections, we show that transfers were disproportionately targeted at marginal constituencies. Rather than distributing the transfers based solely on need or mobilizing its tribal base, the government attempted to persuade swing voters to support its candidates in the next elections. We find no evidence that this strategy was successful at increasing the vote of ruling party candidates in subsequent elections. (c) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

The study aims to analyse key determinants of urban and peri-urban youth employment in agribusiness in Malawi to support youth policies. A mixed-methods approach is used, which combines both quantitative and qualitative analyses. The quantitative method involved a Bivariate Logit Model and Multinomial Logit Model to analyse nationally representative survey data from the Fourth Integrated Household Survey in 2016-2017. The qualitative method employed thematic analysis to data generated through Focus Group Discussions and Key Informant Interviews for key stakeholders involved in agri-business in Lilongwe district. The qualitative analysis, which focuses on a case study for urban and peri-urban youth in agribusiness, was used to validate, and provide context for the quantitative analysis. The results revealed that a majority of the urban and peri-urban youth engaged in agribusiness across Malawi work in sole farming (family farms or ganyu); in addition, women outnumber men in terms of engagement in agribusiness, and this stems from tradition. In addition, the determinants that affect youth's engagement in agribusiness consist of demographic factors, institutional support, assets, and shocks. It was also shown that men were more likely than women to be engaged in sole farming, but they were as likely as women to be engaged in other forms of agribusiness. The policy recommendation from this study is that programs aimed at supporting youth engagement in agribusiness should consider a variety of factors; If resources are limited, the programs should ensure that they offer capacity strengthening for the youth in the form of extension services and practical training in agribusiness.

Building Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Change (BRACC) is a five year program whose main objective is to strengthen the resilience of poor and vulnerable households to withstand current and future weather and climate-related shocks and stresses in four districts in Southern Malawi: Balaka, Chikwawa, Mangochi and Phalombe. Resilience is operationalized as the ability of households to smooth consumption in response to shocks and stresses. This baseline report introduces the evaluation context and describes the BRACC program, details the evaluation design, summarizes main findings from the baseline household survey, and tests whether the randomizations successfully balanced baseline observable characteristics across the treatment arms.

Conservation agriculture (CA) is a management paradigm in which soil is covered outside of cropping seasons, minimally disturbed, and recharged with nitrogen-fixing legumes. Finding effective ways to encourage CA is a centuries-old problem playing out acutely today in Sub-Saharan Africa. To better understand this issue, we have collected data on rural livelihoods and CA adoption during a two-year intervention in southern Malawi. The intervention evaluated rates of CA adoption under two different structures of payment and three levels of monitoring. The dataset includes a baseline and endline survey covering 1,900 households, along with surveys conducted with participants opting into the intervention. Baseline and endline questions included modules on farm-level inputs and production at the plot-crop level; plot characteristics; household composition and assets; savings, loans, and other sources of income; neighborhood characteristics; and perceptions regarding CA. Registration questionnaires in the intervention included detailed assessments of recent production in plots being registered to the intervention, and basic information for all other plots; and basic information on household structure and assets.

This paper aimed to identify factors affecting adoption of multiple climate change adapta tion strategies in SouthernMalawi.An ordered probit model was estimated using survey data collected in Nsanje and Balaka districts in 2014-2015 cropping season.Age of household head, total land area owned, petty trading and formal employment were found to reduce the probability of adopting more than two CSA strategies.Farmers who reported observing changes in moisture levels in their areas for the 20 -year period prior to the survey were found to have lower probability of adopting four CSA strategies as compared to those who reported not observing any changes in moisture in the same time period.Importantly, being a lead farmer, which proxied ample access to climate smart agriculture extension messages and training access, acreage used in agricultural production and observing an increase in incidences of floods in a 20-year period prior to this study increased the probability of adopting more than two CSA strategies.Interestingly, household income was found not to affect number of CSA strategies adopted.The study recommends that relevant stakeholders should provide farmers with CSA-related extension messages if more farmers are to adopt multiple CSA techniques.

This study identifies drivers of adoption and its intensity on smallholder goat farming in southern Malawi. A Zero-Inflated Negative Binomial model was estimated using survey data collected in Balaka and Nsanje districts in 2014/15 cropping season. The study found that farmers residing in Nsanje have higher probability of adopting goat farming as compared to farmers in Balaka. Interestingly, farmers with no extension contact have higher probability of adopting goat farming than those who have access to agricultural extension. Further, education and age of the household head, access to credit services, total household income and household size were found to positively influence the intensity of adoption. The study suggests that apart from increasing contact between farmers and extension service providers, agricultural extension should include more livestock farming messages. Furthermore, the study suggests that all relevant stakeholders should intensify efforts to educate Malawians as it positively influences intensity of adoption. Lastly, stakeholders should help smallholder farmer’s accessing credit services so that they get the much needed capital to intensify goat farming

This study identifies drivers of adoption and its intensity on smallholder goat farming in southern Malawi. A Zero-Inflated Negative Binomial model was estimated using survey data collected in Balaka and Nsanje districts in 2014/15 cropping season. The study found that farmers residing in Nsanje have higher probability of adopting goat farming as compared to farmers in Balaka. Interestingly, farmers with no extension contact have higher probability of adopting goat farming than those who have access to agricultural extension. Further, education and age of the household head, access to credit services, total household income and household size was found to positively influence the intensity of adoption. The study suggests that apart from increasing contact between farmers and extension service providers, agricultural extension should include more livestock farming messages. Furthermore, the study suggests that all relevant stakeholders should intensify efforts to educate Malawians as it positively influences intensity of adoption. Lastly, stakeholders should help smallholder farmer’s accessing credit services so that they get the much needed capital to intensify goat farming Keywords: Intensity, Adoption, Zero Inflated Negative Binomial, Technology