Knowledge Center Catalog

Delineating a typology for co-designing whole farm prototypes under smallholder mixed farming systems in Malawi : (Record no. 68599)

MARC details
000 -LEADER
fixed length control field 06544nam a22004097a 4500
001 - CONTROL NUMBER
control field 68599
003 - CONTROL NUMBER IDENTIFIER
control field MX-TxCIM
005 - DATE AND TIME OF LATEST TRANSACTION
control field 20250130132920.0
008 - FIXED-LENGTH DATA ELEMENTS--GENERAL INFORMATION
fixed length control field 250129s2024 mw ||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d
040 ## - CATALOGING SOURCE
Original cataloging agency MX-TxCIM
041 ## - LANGUAGE CODE
Language code of text/sound track or separate title eng
100 1# - MAIN ENTRY--PERSONAL NAME
Personal name Kamwana, F.
9 (RLIN) 38114
245 10 - TITLE STATEMENT
Title Delineating a typology for co-designing whole farm prototypes under smallholder mixed farming systems in Malawi :
Remainder of title Exploring options for sustainable intensification through legume integration in different farm types at Mtunthama Extension Planning Area (EPA) in Malawi
260 ## - PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION, ETC. (IMPRINT)
Place of publication, distribution, etc. [Malawi] :
Name of publisher, distributor, etc. CIMMYT,
Date of publication, distribution, etc. 2024.
300 ## - PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Extent 22 pages
500 ## - GENERAL NOTE
General note Open Access
520 ## - SUMMARY, ETC.
Summary, etc. Smallholder farming in Malawi is characterized by mixed crop-livestock farming, with immense pressure on a degraded natural resource base and limited capacity for smallholders to provide external inputs. These systems can benefit from redesign to achieve sustainable intensification to better meet farmers production, environmental and human objectives. The complexity of smallholder farms, shown by diversity in spatial distribution, resource endowment, production and consumption decisions often hinder the design, targeting, implementation and scaling of agricultural development projects. Understanding farm heterogeneity is crucial for targeting interventions that can potentially improve crop productivity, food security and livelihood sustainability. Famers in Mtunthama EPA primarily cultivate tobacco as their main cash crop, while maize remains the key staple food for household consumption. Additionally, some farmers grow legumes, under limited production, often relying on locally sourced or recycled seed from previous years or passed on from others in the community. A wide range of farm sizes are found in this EPA with a considerable number of farmers having more than 5 acres of land. With respect to agroecological conditions, Central Region has high crop production potential, providing significant opportunities for intensive and diversified farming practices. The larger farm sizes in Mtunthama enable farmers to implement more sustainable and intensive mixed farming systems (MFS), incorporating both crop and livestock production. This study was conducted in Mtunthama Extension Planning Area (EPA), in Kasungu District, Central Region, Malawi, selected as one of the Malawi action sites for the One CGIAR Initiative on Sustainable Intensification of Mixed Farming Systems (SI-MFS). The initiative aims to enhance agricultural productivity and improve livelihoods by enhancing sustainability using several socio-technical innovation bundles (STIBs). These include the introduction of climate-smart practices, improved soil fertility management, and the use of high-yielding crop varieties, all aimed at enhancing food security and resilience to climate change. The effects of these STIBs on farmers’ livelihoods must be reliably monitored and evaluated using robust indicators. The current study consisted of two steps, first summarizing the heterogeneity of farms in Mtunthama EPA by systematically allocating them to homogenous groups with respect to selected structural and functional indicators using statistical methods. A second step consisted of redesigning model farms per farm type, based on evaluation of farm performance and optimizing for production, environmental and profitability using the SI-MFS STIBs, and employing the FarmDESIGN model. Data was collected from focus group discussions (FGDs), and 44 household interviews carried out with smallholder farmers hosting mother trials in the initiative. Principal component analysis (PCA), multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) and cluster analysis were used to analyse quantitative and qualitative data variables and aggregate farms into farm types according to production means, socio-economics and demographics. Four farm types were identified, viz (i) Farm Type I - High resource-endowed (ii)Farm Type II - Medium-high resource-endowed (iii) Farm Type III - Medium-low resource-endowed legume growers, and (iv) Farm Type IV - Low resource-endowed maize growers with no livestock income (resource constrained). Type I farms are characterized by larger land size and higher household income compared to the other farm types. Labor was identified as a major challenge, with high labour cost relevant for type I farms, while household size has more bearing for type II, III and IV farms. The farms types exhibited variable livelihood strategies, and all participated in markets to varying extents. Strengthening market links is therefore imperative for the community. The use of multivariate methods allowed for the identification of the most discriminating variables for farm type delineation and subsequent clustering of farms. This forms the basis for further exploring variability across farm types for the targeting of management interventions for livelihood sustainability. Recommendations include crops rotation, strip cropping, conservation agriculture, access to micro loans facilities, agroforestry and other context-specific practices that address the unique conditions of each farm type to foster more sustainable and productive farming systems. By integrating various MFS activities in central Malawi, the Mtunthama EPA serves as a critical site for demonstrating the potential of sustainable intensification practices. This integration aims to enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability within the region.
546 ## - LANGUAGE NOTE
Language note Text in English
591 ## - CATALOGING NOTES
Affiliation Kamwana, F. : Not in IRS staff list but CIMMYT Affiliation
597 ## - CGIAR Initiative
CGIAR Initiative Mixed Farming Systems
Donor or Funder CGIAR Trust Fund
CGIAR Impact area Environmental health & biodiversity
-- Nutrition, health & food security
CGIAR Action areas Resilient Agrifood Systems
CGSpace handle https://hdl.handle.net/10568/172572
650 #7 - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--TOPICAL TERM
Topical term or geographic name as entry element Farming systems
Source of heading or term AGROVOC
9 (RLIN) 1109
650 #7 - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--TOPICAL TERM
Topical term or geographic name as entry element Typology
Source of heading or term AGROVOC
9 (RLIN) 7596
650 #7 - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--TOPICAL TERM
Topical term or geographic name as entry element Fruit trees
Source of heading or term AGROVOC
9 (RLIN) 38165
650 #7 - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--TOPICAL TERM
Topical term or geographic name as entry element Conservation agriculture
Source of heading or term AGROVOC
9 (RLIN) 2619
650 #7 - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--TOPICAL TERM
Topical term or geographic name as entry element Maize
Source of heading or term AGROVOC
9 (RLIN) 1173
650 #7 - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--TOPICAL TERM
Topical term or geographic name as entry element Legumes
Source of heading or term AGROVOC
9 (RLIN) 1963
650 #7 - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--TOPICAL TERM
Topical term or geographic name as entry element Livelihoods
Source of heading or term AGROVOC
9 (RLIN) 2558
650 #7 - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--TOPICAL TERM
Topical term or geographic name as entry element Tobacco
Source of heading or term AGROVOC
9 (RLIN) 30070
650 #7 - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--TOPICAL TERM
Topical term or geographic name as entry element Multivariate Analysis
Source of heading or term AGROVOC
9 (RLIN) 8846
650 #7 - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--TOPICAL TERM
Topical term or geographic name as entry element Sustainability
Source of heading or term AGROVOC
9 (RLIN) 1283
651 #7 - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--GEOGRAPHIC NAME
Geographic name Malawi
Source of heading or term AGROVOC
9 (RLIN) 1319
700 1# - ADDED ENTRY--PERSONAL NAME
Field link and sequence number 001713480
Personal name Chiduwa, M.S.
Miscellaneous information Sustainable Agrifood Systems
9 (RLIN) 29879
700 1# - ADDED ENTRY--PERSONAL NAME
Personal name Groot, J.C.J.
9 (RLIN) 6378
700 1# - ADDED ENTRY--PERSONAL NAME
Personal name Mabhaudhi, T.
9 (RLIN) 18478
856 4# - ELECTRONIC LOCATION AND ACCESS
Link text Open Access through DSpace
Uniform Resource Identifier https://hdl.handle.net/10883/35459
942 ## - ADDED ENTRY ELEMENTS (KOHA)
Source of classification or shelving scheme Dewey Decimal Classification
Koha item type Report
Suppress in OPAC No
Holdings
Date last seen Total Checkouts Price effective from Koha item type Lost status Source of classification or shelving scheme Damaged status Not for loan Collection code Withdrawn status Home library Current library Date acquired
01/29/2025   01/29/2025 Report Not Lost Dewey Decimal Classification     CIMMYT Publications Collection   CIMMYT Knowledge Center: John Woolston Library CIMMYT Knowledge Center: John Woolston Library 01/29/2025

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