Strategies steering intensification pathways of farmers in Central Malawi

cg.authorship.typesCGIAR and developing country instituteen
cg.authorship.typesCGIAR and advanced research instituteen
cg.contributor.affiliationWageningen University & Researchen
cg.contributor.affiliationBioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agricultureen
cg.contributor.affiliationInternational Maize and Wheat Improvement Centeren
cg.contributor.affiliationMichigan State Universityen
cg.contributor.affiliationInstituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche, Argentinaen
cg.contributor.affiliationCentre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique Pour le Développementen
cg.contributor.affiliationGroningen Universityen
cg.contributor.donorUnited States Agency for International Developmenten
cg.coverage.countryMalawi
cg.coverage.iso3166-alpha2MW
cg.coverage.regionAfrica
cg.coverage.regionSouthern Africa
cg.coverage.regionEastern Africa
cg.howPublishedFormally Publisheden
cg.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-023-00413-0en
cg.identifier.iitathemeNATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENTen
cg.isijournalISI Journalen
cg.issn1572-9915en
cg.issue3en
cg.journalHuman Ecologyen
cg.reviewStatusPeer Reviewen
cg.subject.alliancebiovciatCROP PRODUCTIONen
cg.subject.alliancebiovciatFOOD SYSTEMSen
cg.subject.alliancebiovciatSMALLHOLDER FARMERSen
cg.subject.iitaFARMING SYSTEMSen
cg.subject.iitaNATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENTen
cg.subject.sdgSDG 1 - No povertyen
cg.subject.sdgSDG 2 - Zero hungeren
cg.subject.sdgSDG 10 - Reduced inequalitiesen
cg.subject.sdgSDG 11 - Sustainable cities and communitiesen
cg.volume51en
dc.contributor.authorTimler, Carl J.en
dc.contributor.authorGroot, Jeroen C.J.en
dc.contributor.authorSnapp, Sieglinde S.en
dc.contributor.authorTittonell, Pablo A.en
dc.date.accessioned2023-07-05T07:30:22Zen
dc.date.available2023-07-05T07:30:22Zen
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/130998
dc.titleStrategies steering intensification pathways of farmers in Central Malawien
dcterms.abstractSmallholder farmers face many challenges to improve their livelihoods and food security. Intensification of agricultural production can help to achieve these goals. Yet farmers are highly heterogenous in their strategies towards intensification, potentially following unsustainable intensification pathways. Using Q Methodology, we ascertain different strategies regarding farm improvement and intensification of smallholder farmers in the Dedza and Ntcheu Extension Planning Areas in Central Malawi. These strategies were associated to coherent sequential choices as expressed in “managerial intensification pathways” (MIPs). Three main strategies emerged: Seed Saving Peasants, Aspirant Modern Farmers and Entrepreneurial Business(wo)men. These were subsequently linked to four MIPs. Seed Saving Peasants focus strongly on local seed systems and post-harvest protection of grains, but also allocate more labour to improving crop residue use and manure quality, thus pointing to a labour-oriented MIP. Aspirant Modern Farmers willingly adopt hybrid seeds and inorganic fertilizers but require more extension support; these farmers follow a technology-oriented MIP. Entrepreneurial Business(wo)men are early adopters of new technologies and benefit from improved access to market information and suppliers of new technologies and follow a sustainable technology-based or techno-ecological intensification pathway. This study shows that strongly contrasting perspectives on intensification exist among smallholders and it is expected that their preferred intensification choices will have diverging impacts on the sustainability of their farms. A diversity of extension, advice and incentive instruments will be needed to support farmer decision making towards sustainably intensified farms.en
dcterms.accessRightsOpen Access
dcterms.audienceAcademicsen
dcterms.audienceCGIARen
dcterms.audienceDonorsen
dcterms.audienceGeneral Publicen
dcterms.audienceScientistsen
dcterms.available2023-06-30en
dcterms.bibliographicCitationTimler, C.J., Groot, J.C.J., Snapp, S.S. and Tittonell, P.A. 2023. Strategies steering intensification pathways of farmers in Central Malawi. Human Ecology 51(2).en
dcterms.extentpp. 455-469en
dcterms.issued2023-06en
dcterms.languageen
dcterms.licenseCC-BY-4.0
dcterms.publisherSpringeren
dcterms.subjectfarmersen
dcterms.subjectintensificationen
dcterms.subjectfarming systemsen
dcterms.typeJournal Article

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