Diversifying crops can help improve food security

Growing hardy cassava can help families survive times of drought

© Patrick Zgambo

Edward, a family man from northern Malawi, is rich by village standards. Yet even he has swallowed the bitter pill from Malawi's food crises' in the past 2 years. Now he is determined to make fundamental changes to his dinner menu, thanks to a program being implemented by Plan.

Like most Malawians, he reserved all his 1 hectare of land for production of maize, a staple in Malawi. Unfortunately, the last two years saw conditions that did not favour maize production.

“I have learned my lessons. I believe some of the complications brought about by the crisis could have been avoided if our food production was diversified,” says Edward.

Plan is involved in an extensive program that is encouraging production and consumption of drought resistant but nutritious foods like pigeon peas, beans, peanuts, soya and cassava.

Edward's village was part of one such cassava production initiative. His family received cassava seed, and technical information on how to grow it.

Says Edward, who thinks cassava has multiple advantages: “There is nothing you can throw away from the cassava crop, the roots are used as a staple, a substitute to bread and as a snack for the children. The leaves are relish while the stem is seed and fuel. I can harvest several times in my cassava field. Above all, I don’t need fertilizer”.

Some 700 villagers like Edward are already acquainted with new diversification technologies, helping to ensure food availability for their children.

Households are then expected to share seed with one more family after harvest, to encourage expanding production. So far, communities are keen to try out the new crops.