ESAFF, NASFAM launch project to increase rural farmers’ participation in climate advocacy

Amid increasing threats of another food crisis in Malawi following a drought that has yet again hit the country, the National Smallholder Farmers Association of Malawi (NASFAM) has announced the launch of the Adaptation Policies and Accountable Climate Funding Project.

NASFAM Head of Programmes and Communication, Rejoice Chikakuda, said the project, which will be implemented in partnership with Eastern and Southern Africa Small-Scale Farmers Forum (ESAFF), seeks to increase participation and advocacy of rural smallholder farmers.

“Ultimately, this project seeks to address issues of climate change and food security challenges through capacity building, policy analysis as well as campaign and advocacy for systemic change. Among others, the will empower the farmers to influence policy issues related to agriculture, climate change, food and nutrition security,” she said.

Chikakuda disclosed that the project follows study findings, which indicated that the escalating impacts of climate change continue to threaten food security and nutrition across Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA).

She stated that smallholder farmers particularly women, who produce 70-80 percent of the food consumed in these regions, face increasing risks from droughts, floods, cyclones and pests & diseases.

“This situation is further worsened by inadequate government action on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 2030) and the ending CAADP Malabo Commitments on Agriculture coupled with insufficient climate adaptation funding for rural communities. By August 2023, an alarming 57.5 million people in SADC and 43.4 million people in the EAC were food insecure. This crisis is exacerbated by climate change, inadequate investment in rural agriculture and regional conflicts,” she explained.

Chikakuda disclosed that the project will run from 2025 to 2027, covering direct 10 ESAFF member countries and seven indirect member countries. The total project budget is EUR 600, 000 whereby EUR 540, 000 is funded by BfdW while EUR 60,000 as matching funds from ESAFF.

This project’s main objective is to increase participation and advocacy of rural smallholder farmers, (especially women) in climate-related policy dialogues at district, national governments and regional levels, on the allocation and disbursement of funds for climate change related programs and food and nutrition security for increased productivity though agro-ecology practices.

Lilongwe and its surrounding districts of Dowa, Mchinji, and Dedza have long been recognized as Malawi’s food basket, owing to their fertile land and significant contributions to the country’s agricultural output.

But, but as Mavuto Chikadza and Linda Jussa, who are NASFAM members from Lilongwe, explain, climate change is increasingly threatening this vital agricultural region.

Chikadza and Jussa said rising temperatures, erratic rainfall patterns, and prolonged droughts are undermining the productivity of smallholder farmers, who rely on traditional farming methods that are vulnerable to changing weather patterns.

In addition to these environmental challenges, land degradation and deforestation have worsened, as farmers continue to cut down trees and sell their prime agricultural land to developers and investors.

“Therefore, this project has come at the right time and we expect to benefit a lot from it,” said Jussa when Chikakuda introduced the project to them on Tuesday last week.

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