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DETAILED CROP SUITABILITY MAPS AND AN AGRICULTURAL ZONATION SCHEME FOR MALAWI Spatial information for agricultural planning purposes

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  • Benson, Todd
  • Mabiso, Athur
  • Nankhuni, Flora

Abstract

Although relatively small, Malawi is a country with significant agro-ecological diversity reflecting the diverse landforms associated with the Great Rift Valley that runs the length of the country. The effects of those landforms on soil formation processes, local climates, the distribution of water resources, and vegetation patterns results in a variety of quite complex farming systems across Malawi that farmers have developed to exploit distinct combinations of local agricultural resources. One important implication of this variety of farming systems is that the comparative advantage of different areas of Malawi for the production of different crops, livestock, and other agricultural products, whether for commercial purposes or for household food security, will differ significantly from place to place. In consequence, any agriculture plans that assume that a single technical approach to improving agricultural productivity and increasing the economic returns that households receive from their agricultural livelihoods will fail in many places. In designing agricultural development policies for the country, the geographic diversity of Malawian agriculture needs to be considered.

Suggested Citation

  • Benson, Todd & Mabiso, Athur & Nankhuni, Flora, 2016. "DETAILED CROP SUITABILITY MAPS AND AN AGRICULTURAL ZONATION SCHEME FOR MALAWI Spatial information for agricultural planning purposes," Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research Papers 259052, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security (FSP).
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:miffrp:259052
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.259052
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Chamberlin, Jordan & Pender, John & Yu, Bingxin, 2006. "Development domains for Ethiopia: capturing the geographical context of smallholder development options," DSGD discussion papers 43, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    2. Ricker-Gilbert, Jacob & Jumbe, Charles & Chamberlin, Jordan, 2014. "How does population density influence agricultural intensification and productivity? Evidence from Malawi," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 114-128.
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    1. Adane Tufa & Arega Alene & Hambulo Ngoma & Paswel Marenya & Julius Manda & Md Abdul Matin & Christian Thierfelder & David Chikoye, 2024. "Willingness to pay for agricultural mechanization services by smallholder farmers in Malawi," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 40(1), pages 248-276, January.
    2. Johnson, Michael E. & Edelman, Brent & Kazembe, Cynthia, 2016. "A farm-level perspective of the policy challenges for export diversification in Malawi: Example of the oilseeds and maize sectors:," IFPRI discussion papers 1549, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    3. Maxwell Mkondiwa & Jeffrey Apland, 2022. "Inter-district food flows in Malawi," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 14(6), pages 1553-1568, December.
    4. Zulu, Leo Charles & Adams, Ellis Adjei & Chikowo, Regis & Snapp, Sieglinde, 2018. "The role of community-based livestock management institutions in the adoption and scaling up of pigeon peas in Malawi," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 141-155.

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