This article was originally written by Issac Mafuel and published in ISAN Magazine Issue 12 (page 9).
As the effects of climate change intensify, farmers across Malawi are searching for sustainable ways to safeguard their livelihoods and ensure food security. The 2023/2024 growing season, heavily impacted by the El Niño phenomenon, brought erratic rains and prolonged dry spells, posing significant challenges for agriculture. To explore the role that indigenous crops can play in the future of Malawian agriculture, I sat down with Kondwani Khonje, an Agroecology Consultant with extensive experience working with farmer-managed seed systems. His insights shed light on why these crops, often perceived as traditional or outdated, may hold the key to surviving and thriving in an unpredictable climate.
The importance of farmer managed seed systems
“Seventy percent of farmers in Malawi depend on farmer-managed seed systems,” Khonje explains, “This shows just how critical indigenous seeds are for ensuring food security.” Farmermanaged seed systems, which rely on the exchange, selection and conservation of locally adapted seeds, have been passed down through generations. These systems offer farmers a variety of crops that are well-suited to the local environmental conditions and more resilient to climate variability.
Khonje points to the 2023/2024 growing season as proof of this resilience. While many commercial hybrid seeds failed to thrive under the erratic weather conditions brought by El Niño, indigenous crops performed relatively well.
Farmers who grew a diversified selection of indigenous crops and crop varieties managed to harvest better yields, even though these yields were below the potential of a normal season.
The role of indigenous crops in Mzimba North, Malawi
In Mzimba North, where Khonje has worked closely with local farmers, several indigenous crops stood out for their adaptability. Small grains like millet (wathanga, mutuwila) and sorghum (viswesi, vituwa) fared particularly well, as did indigenous maize varieties such as bingo, kafula, and kamupalapate. Legumes like Bambara nut (masumbi ya holo, ziswesi and zifipa) and groundnuts (tchailosi) also showed remarkable resilience, yielding more than their hybrid counterparts. “These crops have been cultivated for generations, using local knowledge to select varieties that can endure harsh weather,” Khonje says. “They are deeply embedded in the community’s agricultural heritage.”
These crops have been cultivated for generations, using local knowledge to select varieties that can endure harsh weather. They are deeply embedded in the community’s agricultural heritage.
Shifting perceptions and challenges
Despite their proven benefits, indigenous crops are often seen in a negative light. “There’s a misconception that these crops are ‘backward’ or less productive than modern hybrids,” Khonje notes. “This perception has been reinforced by agricultural extension programmes that emphasise improved commercial crops, often to the detriment of local seed systems.” In fact, Khonje argues that reliance on hybrids can sometimes lead to disaster in seasons like this one, where unpredictable weather disturbs monocultures. In contrast, the diversity and adaptability of indigenous crops provide a buffer against crop failure. Yet, a lack of political will and policies recognising farmers’ rights to save, sell and exchange their own seeds threatens the survival of these indigenous seed varieties. “Many organizations in Malawi are working hard to conserve and multiply indigenous seeds, but there’s limited national coordination. Without greater collaboration and stronger policy support, we risk losing these vital resources”, he warns.
Many organizations in Malawi are working hard to conserve and multiply indigenous seeds, but there’s limited national coordination. Without greater collaboration and stronger policy support, we risk losing these vital resources.
A path forward: revitalizing indigenous crops
Organizations supporting farmer-managed seed systems are focusing on improving access to and the quality of indigenous seeds. They are training farmers in good seed production practices, advocating for policy reforms, and raising awareness of the importance of maintaining seed diversity in the face of climate change. Khonje is optimistic that, with the right support, indigenous crops can once again take centre stage in Malawian agriculture.
We need to shift the narrative and see these crops as the future, not the past. They are resilient, nutritious and adaptable—exactly what we need in a changing climate.
