In Malawi, AWSAMe collaborates with the government and local communities to promote opportunity crops

Water scarcity continues to challenge Malawi's agricultural sector. Exacerbated by climate change and the country’s heavy reliance on rainfed agriculture, this challenge threatens food security and places the livelihoods of farmers in the country at high risk.

To strengthen farmers’ resilience to climate change and its effects, particularly drought, FAO, in collaboration with the Department of Agricultural Research Services (DARS) in Malawi’s Ministry of Agriculture and with financial support from Flexible Voluntary Contribution, is implementing the Addressing Water Scarcity in Agriculture and the Environment (AWSAMe) project.

Under this initiative, FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture are promoting drought-resilient and nutritious crops, especially sorghum and cowpea, alongside improved field water management and the collection and analysis of high-quality data for evidence-based decision-making.

The implementation of the project has relied on strong collaboration between researchers and communities across various activities.  In March 2025, FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture organized a three-day training for 20 government researchers and extension officers as part of the ongoing project activities.

The training focused on strengthening the completeness, timeliness, consistency and accuracy of high-quality data collection and analysis. Participants also received training in field water management, including its vital drought screening. Practical sessions covered cowpea and sorghum research protocols, field demonstrations, hands-on data collection methodologies, and guidance on ethical considerations in data gathering. This training equipped officers with the technical expertise required to manage field experiments, both within communities and on experimental field trials, ensuring the collection of robust scientific evidence to guide the selection of crop varieties with desired traits.

The first set of field trials was conducted under rainfed conditions at the Chitala, Chitedze, and Kasinthula Research Stations in the Central and Southern Regions of Malawi. These activities led to the selection of cowpea and sorghum varieties, which were subsequently retained for seed multiplication and later disseminated within local communities. Field experiments under irrigated conditions are currently underway at the Kasinthula Research Station, including drought assessments for both sorghum and cowpeas.

The AWSAMe project in Malawi also recently facilitated a Crop and Food Diversity Fair held on 13 November 2025 in the Chikwawa District. The event marked the culmination of collaborative efforts between government officials and local communities to build resilient agrifood systems through the promotion of indigenous, drought-resilient crops and their associated value chains. During the fair, farmers showcased their cowpeas and sorghum products, demonstrating the full processes of the crops from production to processing - even including a variety of recipes.

Beyond promoting crop resilience, the fair highlighted the many ways in which AWSAMe provides support to income generation, job creation, and improved livelihoods, including through the development of local value chains and new products, with a particular focus on empowering women and youth. In addition to providing technical support, governments are encouraged to develop policies to promote the adoption of the selected cowpeas and sorghum varieties, while exploring the potential of other opportunity, including legumes, millets, tubers and roots.