The Impact of Indigenous Soil and Water Conservation Practices on Sustainability of Food Production and Security in Malawi: the Case of Tikondwe Freedom Gardens

摘要

The purpose of this paper is to describe innovations made by a smallholder farmer on his farm in central Malawi. The soil and water conservation innovations have transformed a once gully-ridden piece of land into a beehive for sustainable agricultural activities. Innovations made on the farm include water swells, water holding tanks, natural control of pests, drainage system, fallow irrigation, dykes, sunken plots and fish farming. Because of the innovations, the farmer is able to grow each crop three times a year compared to one harvest of every crop per year, which is normal for smallholder farmers in Malawi. As a result, the farmer is not only food secure but also uses some of his surplus production to feed food insecure households in his District.