Agro-biodiversity and Dietary Diversity Assessment in Chinyanja Triangle-Ntcheu District-Malawi BIOVERSITY INTERNATIONAL , CIAT, CIP, DARS & LUANAR 1

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR AGROBIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENTS Dietary diversity On-farm diversity Market diversity Self-consumption Sale Purchase Income Food security & dietary quality Ecosystem & Evolutionary Services Influencing factors Information flow Nutrition & Health status Household & community individual Household & individual

Aims of the assessment To identify and quantify all the useful plants, animals, and aquatic species utilized by rural households and communities Information covering consumption (cultivated crops and perennial plants, livestock, plant species collected from the wild; species purchased from markets or exchanged; key socioeconomic characteristics of Households). Data and information collected will be used in characterizing available resources, identify constraints, opportunities and drivers of change in status of agricultural biodiversity: In production systems In nutrition and dietary diversity Income and markets 3

Study Area-Ntcheu District Ntcheu district has a population of 471589 according to the 2008 Census. This means the population currently is at 557,433 (NSO Projections). The district has 7 extension planning areas namely, Njolomole, Kandeu, Bilira, Nsipe Sharpvale, Tsangano and Manjawira; and The Agriculture Extension Development Coordinator (AEDC) oversees the EPA, which is also divided into Sections. The Agriculture Extension Development Officer (AEDO) oversees the section

Sampling Methodology Reconnaisance survey –(sought to understand farming and livelihoods systems) Visiting Ntcheu District Agricultural Office, District Survey Office plus other relevant offices- gather district and EPAs crop production statistics, spatial maps/variables and seek survey clearances. Visit and characterize all the EPAs and decide on selections capturing ecological variability and farming systems applying stratified random block sampling approach. Select the sections and villages within EPAs for actual survey. 5

Reconnaissance Survey Findings- COMPLEXITY!! There are sub-ecosystems within the proposed system (Dry vs wetlands; Highlands vs Lowlands) 6

Two Sub-systems within the system Very Dry Wet

Reconnaissance Survey Findings- COMPLEXITY!! Interactions between agriculture management , local and national governance….EPAs which are production and management blocks straddles across TA which are local governance and administrative units 8

agriculture National governance structure Local Administration

Selected EPAs- Stratified Random Design Assumption-In randomized experiments, treatment and control groups should be roughly the same--balanced--in their distributions of pretreatment variables……Informed Choice of EPAs. EPA Agro-ecology Status Tsangano Upper - high altitude XX Njolomole High altitude   Nsipe Mid –altitude –Irrigation scheme Kandeu Mid- altitude Manjawira Low altitude and drier Sharpvale/Bilira Low altitude/lakeshore

Survey Methods Household Surveys Focused Group Discussions (Separated Men and Women) Four cell Analysis tool Community timelines-capture trends in crops and varieties Crop calendars (Information on food availability & security) Seed networks (Social and Markets) Household Surveys Interview questionnaires gathered information on ABD role at household level (Household head=male/female) Food systems characterization, diets and contributions of ABD at household level (Woman) Individual dietary diversity scores (women & Children) Food calendars 11

FGD-Four Cell Analysis Assessing Useful biological diversity in the production system Used to assess domesticated and wild spp; diets, markets; It is very important to draw the group’s attention to squares (3) and (4). Because species on those squares they are usually ignored, but they can be important and particularly have potential!

Men-FGD

Women - FGD

Selected EPAs- Stratified Random Design 13 FGDs 340 hh sampled Sections=10 Farming hh=31,112 HH Interviewed=85 Fgd=3 Sections=12 Farming hh=30,102 HH Interviewed=90 Fgd=3 Assumption-In randomized experiments, treatment and control groups should be roughly the same--balanced--in their distributions of pretreatment variables……Informed Choice of EPAs. Sections=10 Farming hh=22,702 HH Interviewed=83 Fgd=4 Sections=8 Farming hh=18,422 HH Interviewed=80 Fgd=4

Survey preliminary findings/observations A great diversity of ABD available for consumption and income—in some cases not appropriately utilized Constraints exist in diversifying crops to mitigate shortages during lean seasons---case of using residual moisture in dambos Challenges in accessing inputs—seeds and fertilizer—from FGDs feedbacks Need to links of on farm conservation- market and food and nutritional security to identify options and entry points- Alot of opportunities exist Next Steps Data entry, decoding and cleaning—On-going Data Analysis to identify the entry points Statistics GIS/Remote Sensing—models Gather more bioclimatic data for FIGS like analysis 16

A LOT OF OPPORTINITIES EXIST A LOT OF OPPORTINITIES EXIST!!-implications for options by context in systems research

Markets and value chains Potato—no transport to market Markets and value chains Goats for sale—no buyer

Conservation Agriculture Maize Granary

Crop Diversification On-farm Variety Monocrops Monocrops

Natural resource management Tree cutting Woodlot Charcoal—alternative fuel!?

Innovations Irrigated farm River course Water diversion

Infrastructure Water Provision

Breakfast Lunch Out-door office Residence

SIKOMO!!!!