Working to improve nutrition through participatory cropping systems research in Malawi : the Soils, Food and Healthy Communities project, Ekwendeni, Malawi

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A Geospatial Approach to Assessing the Impact of Agroecological Knowledge and Practice on Crop Health in a Smallholder Agricultural Context

In the context of food insecurity in resource-poor settings, agroecology (AE) has emerged as an important approach promoted for improving crop productivity, yet few studies have demonstrated how a combination of agroecological methods can improve crop health and thereby crop productivity. Using a geospatial approach, this study investigated whether agroecological practices can improve crop health in smallholder contexts. We compared leaf area indexes (LAIs) of crops on AE and non-AE farms and prospectively predicted the impact of AE using vegetation indexes (VIs). We found that crops on AE farms produced higher average growing season LAIs for maize and pigeon peas (1.28 m2/m2) and maize and beans (1.29 m2/m2) farms compared to 0.97 m2/m2 and 0.80 m2/m2, respectively, for the same crops on the non-AE farms. The higher LAIs suggest that the combination of farming strategies practiced on the AE farms produced healthier crops on AE farms. Random forest regression prospective predictions generated statistically significant higher LAIs for maize and beans (R2 = 0.90, root mean square error [RMSE] = 0.32 m2/m2) and maize and pigeon peas (R2 = 0.88 m2/m2, RMSE = 0.42 m2/m2) on the AE farms, but predictions for the non-AE farms were not statistically significant. The findings demonstrate that combining AE strategies can potentially improve crop productivity to enhance household food security and income in smallholder contexts

Estimating Groundnut Yield in Smallholder Agriculture Systems Using PlanetScope Data

Crop yield is related to household food security and community resilience, especially in smallholder agricultural systems. As such, it is crucial to accurately estimate within-season yield in order to provide critical information for farm management and decision making. Therefore, the primary objective of this paper is to assess the most appropriate method, indices, and growth stage for predicting the groundnut yield in smallholder agricultural systems in northern Malawi. We have estimated the yield of groundnut in two smallholder farms using the observed yield and vegetation indices (VIs), which were derived from multitemporal PlanetScope satellite data. Simple linear, multiple linear (MLR), and random forest (RF) regressions were applied for the prediction. The leave-one-out cross-validation method was used to validate the models. The results showed that (i) of the modelling approaches, the RF model using the five most important variables (RF5) was the best approach for predicting the groundnut yield, with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.96 and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.29 kg/ha, followed by the MLR model (R2 = 0.84, RMSE = 0.84 kg/ha); in addition, (ii) the best within-season stage to accurately predict groundnut yield is during the R5/beginning seed stage. The RF5 model was used to estimate the yield for four different farms. The estimated yields were compared with the total reported yields from the farms. The results revealed that the RF5 model generally accurately estimated the groundnut yields, with the margins of error ranging between 0.85% and 11%. The errors are within the post-harvest loss margins in Malawi. The results indicate that the observed yield and VIs, which were derived from open-source remote sensing data, can be applied to estimate yield in order to facilitate farming and food security planning

The effects of crop type, landscape composition and agroecological practices on biodiversity and ecosystem services in tropical smallholder farms

In the tropics, smallholder farming characterizes some of the world's most biodiverse landscapes. Agroecology as a pathway to sustainable agriculture has been proposed and implemented in sub-Saharan Africa, but the effects of agricultural practices in smallholder agriculture on biodiversity and ecosystem services are understudied. Similarly, the contribution of different landscape elements, such as shrubland or grassland cover, on biodiversity and ecosystem services to fields remains unknown.We selected 24 villages situated in landscapes with varying shrubland and grassland cover in Malawi. In each village, we assessed biodiversity of eight taxa and ecosystem services in relation to crop type, shrubland and grassland cover and the number of agroecological pest and soil management practices on smallholder's fields of different crop types (bean monoculture, maize-bean intercrop and maize monoculture).Increasing shrubland cover altered carabid and soil bacteria communities. Carabid abundance increased in maize but decreased in intercrop and bean fields with increasing shrubland cover. Carabid abundance and richness and wasp abundance increased with soil management practices. Carabid, spider and parasitoid abundances were higher in bean monocultures, but this was modulated by surrounding shrubland cover. Natural enemy abundances in beans were especially high in landscapes with little shrubland, possibly leading to lower bean damage in monocultures compared to intercropped fields, whereas maize monocultures had higher damage. In maize, grassland cover and pest management practices were positively related to damage. Carabid abundance was higher fields with high bean damage, and increased carabid richness in fields with high maize damage. Parasitoid abundance was negatively associated with bean damage.Synthesis and application. Our results suggest that maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services on smallholder farms is not achievable with a 'one size fits all' approach but should instead be adapted to the landscape context and the priorities of smallholders. Shrubland is important to maintain carabid and soil bacterial diversity, but legume cultivation beneficial to natural enemies could complement pest management in landscapes with a low shrubland cover. An increased number of agroecological soil management practices can lead to improved pest control while the effectiveness of agroecological pest management practices needs to be re-evaluated

Severe climate change risks to food security and nutrition

This paper discusses severe risks to food security and nutrition that are linked to ongoing and projected climate change, particularly climate and weather extremes in global warming, drought, flooding, and precipitation. We specifically consider the impacts on populations vulnerable to food insecurity and malnutrition due to lower income, lower access to nutritious food, or social discrimination. The paper defines climate-related “severe risk” in the context of food security and nutrition, using a combination of criteria, including the magnitude and likelihood of adverse consequences, the timing of the risk and the ability to reduce the risk. Severe climate change risks to food security and nutrition are those which result, with high likelihood, in pervasive and persistent food insecurity and malnutrition for millions of people, have the potential for cascading effects beyond the food systems, and against which we have limited ability to prevent or fully respond. The paper uses internationally agreed definitions of risks to food security and nutrition to describe the magnitude of adverse consequences. Moreover, the paper assesses the conditions under which climate change-induced risks to food security and nutrition could become severe based on findings in the literature using different climate change scenarios and shared socioeconomic pathways. Finally, the paper proposes adaptation options, including institutional management and governance actions, that could be taken now to prevent or reduce the severe climate risks to future human food security and nutrition

Predictors of Program Participation in a Nutrition-Sensitive Agroecological Intervention in Singida, Tanzania

This research article was published in the Current Developments in Nutrition Volume 4, SUPPLEMENT 2, June 2020Objectives Nutrition-sensitive agricultural interventions are theorized to improve child’s diet through asset provision and program participation. Although some programs measure participation, predictors of participation are understudied. We therefore investigated predictors of men’s and women’s program participation in Singida Nutrition and Agroecology Project (SNAP-Tz; NCT02761876). Methods In SNAP-Tz, ‘mentor farmers’ led their peers (smallholder farmers with children < 1 year at baseline) in learning about agroecology, nutrition, and gender equity through meetings and household visits. At baseline, we collected data on demographics, Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (0–27), men’s involvement in 7 household tasks (0–7), and Abbreviated Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (AWEAI). Participating men (n = 262) and women (n = 283) were asked to recall their program participation biannually. Predictors of high participation, defined as attendance in ≥60% participant meetings and household visits, were identified using multiple logistic regressions, controlling for clustering at the village level. Results Only 59% and 37% of women and men, respectively, had high participation. Women’s high participation was associated with their spouse’s participation (OR = 4.23, P < 0.01), greater food insecurity (OR = 1.03, P = 0.03), years of education (OR = 1.13, P = 0.02), and being empowered (OR = 5.88, P < 0.01). Men’s high participation was associated with their spouse’s participation (OR = 4.22, P < 0.01), greater food insecurity (OR = 2.23, P = 0.01), involvement in household tasks (OR = 1.25, P = 0.04), and age (OR = 1.03, P < 0.01). Conclusions Associations between an individual’s and their spouse’s participation indicate the importance of spousal dynamics. The association between participation and baseline gender equity (i.e., women’s empowerment, men’s involvement in household tasks) highlights the challenges of gender programming in nutrition-sensitive interventions. Analysis of program participation was simple and revealed valuable lessons for program implementation and design; more programs should therefore analyze participation

Agroecological practices supporting food production and reducing food insecurity in developing countries - Volume 2

This report represents a second step in structuring existing knowledge about agroecology as farming and food system in support of the EC Knowledge Centre on Food and Nutrition Security (https://ec.europa.eu/knowledge4policy/global-food-nutrition-security_en). It complements the report “Agroecological practices supporting food production and reducing food insecurity in developing countries” (Paracchini et al., 2020 ) in which scientific literature has been screened, selected and synthesized for 17 developing countries. An identical protocol has been applied to a new set of nine countries (Bolivia, Burundi, Cameroon, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Uganda). In total, agroecological practices have been analysed on the basis of 278 selected documents (papers and reports) which have been synthesized and used to derive country-specific and general conclusions. Approximately 50% of the analysed papers report a positive contribution of agroecological practices to food security, mostly due to improved yields, improved resilience, enhanced diversification of production, and better economic situation of producers. Overall, agroecology contribution to food security in these regions needs to be further investigated. In fact, most country reports lack of quantifiable data and direct measurement of the relationship between the use of agroecological practices and food security. The availability of useful publications was limited for several countries.JRC.D.5 - Food Securit

A Participatory Agroecological Intervention Reduces Women’s Risk of Probable Depression Through Improvements in Food Security in Singida, Tanzania

This research article was published in the Current Developments in Nutrition Volume 4, Supplement 2, June 2020In 2015, depressive disorders led to over 50 million disability-adjusted life years lost globally, with more than 80% occurring in low- and middle-income countries. Depressive disorders are also risk factors of a number of adverse maternal and child health outcomes. To our knowledge, the Singida Nutrition and Agroecology Project (SNAP-Tz), is the first nutrition-sensitive agriculture (NSA) intervention identified to improve women’s probable depression (2020). Food security has been posited to play an important role in the relationship between NSA interventions and depression, yet causal factors have not yet been analyzed quantitatively. Therefore, we investigated food security’s mediating role on this impact

Increasing understanding of the relationship between geographic access and gendered decision-making power for treatment-seeking for febrile children in the Chikwawa district of Malawi

Background: This study used qualitative methods to investigate the relationship between geographic access and gendered intra-household hierarchies and how these influence treatment-seeking decision-making for childhood fever within the Chikwawa district of Malawi. Previous cross-sectional survey findings in the district indicated that distance from facility and associated costs are important determinants of health facility attendance in the district. This paper uses qualitative data to add depth of understanding to these findings by exploring the relationship between distance from services, anticipated costs and cultural norms of intra-household decision-making, and to identify potential intervention opportunities to reduce challenges experienced by those in remote locations. Qualitative data collection included 12 focus group discussions and 22 critical incident interviews conducted in the local language, with primary caregivers of children who had recently experienced a febrile episode. Results: Low geographic accessibility to facilities inhibited care-seeking, sometimes by extending the ‘assessment period’ for a child’s illness episode, and led to delays in seeking formal treatment, particularly when the illness occurred at night. Although carers attempted to avoid incurring costs, cash was often needed for transport and food. Whilst in all communities fathers were normatively responsible for treatment costs, mothers generally had greater access to and control over resources and autonomy in decision-making in the matrilineal and matrilocal communities in the central part of the district, which were also closer to formal facilities. Conclusions: This study illustrates the complex interplay between geographic access and gender dynamics in shaping decisions on whether and when formal treatment is sought for febrile children in Chikwawa District. Geographic marginality and cultural norms intersect in remote areas both to increase the logistical and anticipated financial barriers to utilising services and to reduce caretakers’ autonomy to act quickly once they recognize the need for formal care. Health education campaigns should be based within communities, engaging all involved in treatment-seeking decision-making, including men and grandmothers, and should aim to promote the ability of junior women to influence the treatment-seeking process. Both mothers’ financial autonomy and fathers financial contributions are important to enable timely access to effective healthcare for children with malaria