It’s a new era for urban farming in Malawi
These days, whenever you log onto social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, you are welcomed by such posts as “Farm Fresh Vegetables for sale,” or maybe a picture of a farm with a caption like “Our Farm, get inspired”.
Just like jogging, hiking, and other “trendy” activities once did, farming seems to be taking over as the new hobby in town.
“All I’m trying to do is develop a hobby that will keep me busy at the same time making some income out of it. I want to have something to keep me going even when I retire from my job,” says Immaculate Nyadani, a young farmer specializing in vegetables and poultry.
Like most people of my generation, I grew up with the mentality that farming is for the rural communities, and also for those that pursued agricultural related courses. Clearly times have changed. People from all walks of life are making it big in the agri-business sector. Some have established their farming ventures right within their urban compounds. Others have invested in land in the vicinity of the country’s major cities and towns, solely for farming purposes.
Driven by restrictions on movement, and social distancing measures introduced in the wake of Covid-19, Thanthwe Farms, Amazing B, Rose Farm and Adah Seasons — all based in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe — have become household names in this emerging sector. In addition to supplying large supermarkets, most have embarked on door to door deliveries of farm produce to home-bound city residents.
Urban farming for food security and poverty alleviation
Urban agriculture is increasingly seen as an important tool in boosting food security, and reducing urban poverty, across Africa. Providing appropriate extension support, as well as facilitating access to markets, especially for women farmers, are prerequisites in achieving scale. In addition, giving the right incentives to wealthier farmers can help in creating job opportunities in this emerging sector.
In order to tap the potential of urban agriculture, Malawi’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has developed an Agricultural Sector Wide Approach (ASWAp) strategy aimed at increasing agricultural production to reduce poverty in line with the Malawi Growth and Developing Strategies.
The strategy is aimed at, among others, helping to refocus smallholder subsistence farming towards more commercial approaches, so as to promote growth in the agriculture sector, which is the backbone of Malawi’s economy.
How Covid-19 is affecting urban agriculture
Unlike the negative impact on other sectors, the disruptions to food supply chains due to the novel coronavirus have actually boosted urban and backyard farming.
Forced to grow their own vegetables due to Covid-19 containment measures many city dwellers are finding that it is not only helping to meet their food needs, but also contributing to healthy eating. I recently visited an urban women’s gardening association, whose members regularly share tips for improving their backyard gardens, with some even making efforts to share seedlings.
With this growing momentum towards healthy eating, Malawi appears to be on the right track towards developing a more sustainable food system. Moreover, the increased competition among urban agribusinesses is helping to cut costs for consumers, while also enhancing innovation, and the diversity of available products and services. Covid-19 aside, the future for urban farming appears bright and healthy!
Written by Nellie Kanyemba Kapatuka
This article is part of Covid-19 Food/Future, an initiative under TMG ThinkTank for Sustainability’s SEWOH Lab project (https://www.tmg-thinktank.com/sewoh-lab). It aims at providing a unique and direct insight into the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on national and local food systems. Also follow @CovidFoodFuture, our Video Diaries From Nairobi, and @TMG_think on Twitter. Funding for this initiative is provided by BMZ, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
