000			05516nab|a22005417a|4500
001			69462
003			MX-TxCIM
005			20260112155111.0
008			251027s2025||||xxu|||p|op||||00||0|eng|d
022			_a1876-4517
022			_a1876-4525 (Online)
024	8		_ahttps://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-025-01583-z
040			_aMX-TxCIM
041			_aeng
100	1		_aNgoma, H. _8001712572 _gSustainable Agrifood Systems _915771
245	1	4	_aThe dawn of a legume revolution in Southern Africa : _btrends, drivers, and implications
260			_aNew York (United States of America) : _bSpringer, _c2025.
500			_aPeer review
500			_aOpen Access
520			_aAfrican agriculture faces multiple challenges, dampening its contribution to economic development, food and nutrition security, poverty reduction and resilience. Legumes are a necessary component of diversified maize-based cropping systems that are more resilient against climate change and can better deliver food and nutrition security while building soil fertility. Despite this potential, the uptake of legumes by smallholders in southern Africa remains restricted to small areas compared to areas under maize, and the uptake of improved legume germplasm remains low. However, amid rising chemical fertilizer costs and the increasing need to restore soil fertility, there is anecdotal evidence suggesting that smallholders are increasingly cultivating more legumes. This paper assesses the extent of changes in legume cultivation, drivers, and consequences on food security and welfare using secondary data spanning a 10-year period (2012–2023) and household survey data collected in 2023 from 1,100 farmers randomly selected from 14 districts in Malawi and Zambia. The total area under maize and legume cultivation increased between 2012 and 2023 in both countries. However, the share of cultivated land under maize declined, while the share under legumes increased over the same period. Proportionately, the area cultivated under legumes increased by 5percentage points in Malawi and 14 percentage points in Zambia between 2012 and 2023. About half of the surveyed farmers (47% in Malawi and 50% in Zambia) indicated they were cultivating more legumes in 2023 than before. The main factors driving the expansion of legume cultivation included the perception that legumes have higher producer prices relative to those of other crops, and the perception of increasing fertilizer costs. Cultivating more legumes was associated with higher income, especially for the low-income households, and higher expenditure in the mid quantiles. We conclude that there is a dawn of a quiet “legume revolution” in southern Africa. Significant technological innovations, e.g., increasing availability of improved germplasm, accompanied by institutional and policy innovations are critical success factors. There is also an urgent need to address the underdeveloped and informal legume seed systems, improve market access and postharvest handling and storage, foster value addition and encourage the adoption of improved agronomic practices. Strengthening the inclusion of legumes in national subsidy programs can contribute to improved soil fertility and overall farm productivity and environmental sustainability, while increasing farm income.
546			_aText in English
597			_bDiversification in East and Southern Africa _bAgroecology _bExcellence in Agronomy _bMixed Farming Systems _bClimate Resilience _bGender Equality _bNature-Positive Solutions _bSeed Equal _bSustainable Healthy Diets _dUnited States Agency for International Development (USAID) _dCGIAR Trust Fund _dUnited States Department of State (DOS) _fScaling for Impact _fBreeding for Tomorrow _uhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/177615 _aClimate adaptation & mitigation _aEnvironmental health & biodiversity _aNutrition, health & food security _aPoverty reduction, livelihoods & jobs _cResilient Agrifood Systems _cSystems Transformation
650		7	_aCropping patterns _2AGROVOC _91067
650		7	_aFood security _2AGROVOC _91118
650		7	_aIncome _2AGROVOC _94569
650		7	_aExpenditure _2AGROVOC _913850
650		7	_aSmallholders _2AGROVOC _91763
651		7	_aMalawi _2AGROVOC _91319
651		7	_aZambia _2AGROVOC _94309
700	1		_8001713480 _aChiduwa, M.S. _gSustainable Agrifood Systems _929879
700	0		_aSubakanya Mitelo _8001713985 _gFormerly Sustainable Agrifood Systems _920491
700	1		_aMulenga, B.P. _920490
700	1		_aSetimela, P.S. _gSustainable Agrifood Systems _8INT2636 _9846
700	1		_aSchulthess, U. _gSustainable Agrifood Systems _8CSCU01 _92005
700	1		_aChikowo, R. _8001713580 _gSustainable Agrifood Systems _93959
700	1		_aMhlanga, B. _8001710048 _gSustainable Agrifood Systems _91683
700	1		_aSilva, J.V. _8001712458 _gSustainable Agrifood Systems _99320
700	1		_aChamberlin, J. _gSustainable Agrifood Systems _8I1706801 _92871
700	1		_aStewart, Z. _929648
700	0		_aInnocent Pangapanga-Phiri _932879
700	1		_aNagarajan, L. _95657
700	1		_aOdhong, J.A. _gSustainable Agrifood Systems _8001713992 _931912
700	1		_aMarenya, P.P. _gSustainable Agrifood Systems _8I1705822 _9787
700	1		_aSnapp, S.S. _8001712907 _gSustainable Agrifood Systems _97149
773	0		_tFood Security _dNew York (United States of America) : Springer, 2025. _x1876-4517 _wG93816 _gv. 17, p. 1493–1515
856	4		_yOpen Access through DSpace _uhttps://hdl.handle.net/10883/35984
942			_cJA _n0 _2ddc
999			_c69462 _d69454