Malawi

The Carter Center, in partnership with the Sasakawa Africa Association, began working in partnership with the Malawian Ministry of Agriculture to improve food security in 1999. 

Our Work and Methods 

Maize accounted for half of the national farming area in Malawi, the largest per capita producer of maize in the world. However, unstable market conditions drove large-scale farmers to end cultivation in Malawi altogether. 

Our Agriculture Program, worked with regional agricultural agencies to demonstrate that small-scale farmers across the country could make up for maize shortages.  

The program helped plant more than 16,000 maize management training plots, used field schools to promote improved technologies to small-scale farmers, and encouraged crop diversification.  

Impacts 

• Despite delayed and insufficient rainfall, farmers achieved large yields with the use of fertilizer, drought-resistant maize, and other techniques. 

• Conservation agriculture, which addressed problems of soil fertility and water shortages, proved popular with Malawi’s farmers. 

• The program encouraged the use of quality protein maize for better nutrition. 

The Carter Center ended its agricultural activities in Malawi in 2006.