Strategies steering intensification pathways of farmers in Central Malawi
Smallholder farmers face many challenges to improve their livelihoods and food security. Intensification of agricultural production can help to achieve these goals. Yet farmers are highly heterogenous in their strategies towards intensification, potentially following unsustainable intensification pathways. Using Q Methodology, we ascertain different strategies regarding farm improvement and intensification of smallholder farmers in the Dedza and Ntcheu Extension Planning Areas in Central Malawi. These strategies were associated to coherent sequential choices as expressed in “managerial intensification pathways” (MIPs). Three main strategies emerged: Seed Saving Peasants, Aspirant Modern Farmers and Entrepreneurial Business(wo)men. These were subsequently linked to four MIPs. Seed Saving Peasants focus strongly on local seed systems and post-harvest protection of grains, but also allocate more labour to improving crop residue use and manure quality, thus pointing to a labour-oriented MIP. Aspirant Modern Farmers willingly adopt hybrid seeds and inorganic fertilizers but require more extension support; these farmers follow a technology-oriented MIP. Entrepreneurial Business(wo)men are early adopters of new technologies and benefit from improved access to market information and suppliers of new technologies and follow a sustainable technology-based or techno-ecological intensification pathway. This study shows that strongly contrasting perspectives on intensification exist among smallholders and it is expected that their preferred intensification choices will have diverging impacts on the sustainability of their farms. A diversity of extension, advice and incentive instruments will be needed to support farmer decision making towards sustainably intensified farms.
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Subjects: | E90 - Structure agraire, F08 - Systèmes et modes de culture, agriculture familiale, diversification, intensification, petite exploitation agricole, exploitation agricole familiale, environnement socioéconomique, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_1422957329186, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_2344, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_33485, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_7113, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_2787, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_26824, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_4532, |
Online Access: | http://agritrop.cirad.fr/608544/ http://agritrop.cirad.fr/608544/1/ID608544.pdf |
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dig-cirad-fr-6085442024-03-04T16:57:55Z http://agritrop.cirad.fr/608544/ http://agritrop.cirad.fr/608544/ Strategies steering intensification pathways of farmers in Central Malawi. Timler Carl J., Groot Jeroen C. J., Snapp Sieglinde S., Tittonell Pablo. 2023. Human Ecology, 51 (3) : 455-469.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-023-00413-0 <https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-023-00413-0> Strategies steering intensification pathways of farmers in Central Malawi Timler, Carl J. Groot, Jeroen C. J. Snapp, Sieglinde S. Tittonell, Pablo eng 2023 Human Ecology E90 - Structure agraire F08 - Systèmes et modes de culture agriculture familiale diversification intensification petite exploitation agricole exploitation agricole familiale environnement socioéconomique http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_1422957329186 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_2344 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_33485 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_7113 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_2787 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_26824 Malawi http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_4532 Smallholder farmers face many challenges to improve their livelihoods and food security. Intensification of agricultural production can help to achieve these goals. Yet farmers are highly heterogenous in their strategies towards intensification, potentially following unsustainable intensification pathways. Using Q Methodology, we ascertain different strategies regarding farm improvement and intensification of smallholder farmers in the Dedza and Ntcheu Extension Planning Areas in Central Malawi. These strategies were associated to coherent sequential choices as expressed in “managerial intensification pathways” (MIPs). Three main strategies emerged: Seed Saving Peasants, Aspirant Modern Farmers and Entrepreneurial Business(wo)men. These were subsequently linked to four MIPs. Seed Saving Peasants focus strongly on local seed systems and post-harvest protection of grains, but also allocate more labour to improving crop residue use and manure quality, thus pointing to a labour-oriented MIP. Aspirant Modern Farmers willingly adopt hybrid seeds and inorganic fertilizers but require more extension support; these farmers follow a technology-oriented MIP. Entrepreneurial Business(wo)men are early adopters of new technologies and benefit from improved access to market information and suppliers of new technologies and follow a sustainable technology-based or techno-ecological intensification pathway. This study shows that strongly contrasting perspectives on intensification exist among smallholders and it is expected that their preferred intensification choices will have diverging impacts on the sustainability of their farms. A diversity of extension, advice and incentive instruments will be needed to support farmer decision making towards sustainably intensified farms. article info:eu-repo/semantics/article Journal Article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion http://agritrop.cirad.fr/608544/1/ID608544.pdf text Cirad license info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess https://agritrop.cirad.fr/mention_legale.html https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-023-00413-0 10.1007/s10745-023-00413-0 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1007/s10745-023-00413-0 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/purl/https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-023-00413-0 |
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E90 - Structure agraire F08 - Systèmes et modes de culture agriculture familiale diversification intensification petite exploitation agricole exploitation agricole familiale environnement socioéconomique http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_1422957329186 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_2344 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_33485 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_7113 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_2787 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_26824 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_4532 E90 - Structure agraire F08 - Systèmes et modes de culture agriculture familiale diversification intensification petite exploitation agricole exploitation agricole familiale environnement socioéconomique http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_1422957329186 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_2344 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_33485 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_7113 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_2787 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_26824 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_4532 |
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E90 - Structure agraire F08 - Systèmes et modes de culture agriculture familiale diversification intensification petite exploitation agricole exploitation agricole familiale environnement socioéconomique http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_1422957329186 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_2344 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_33485 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_7113 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_2787 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_26824 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_4532 E90 - Structure agraire F08 - Systèmes et modes de culture agriculture familiale diversification intensification petite exploitation agricole exploitation agricole familiale environnement socioéconomique http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_1422957329186 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_2344 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_33485 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_7113 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_2787 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_26824 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_4532 Timler, Carl J. Groot, Jeroen C. J. Snapp, Sieglinde S. Tittonell, Pablo Strategies steering intensification pathways of farmers in Central Malawi |
description |
Smallholder farmers face many challenges to improve their livelihoods and food security. Intensification of agricultural production can help to achieve these goals. Yet farmers are highly heterogenous in their strategies towards intensification, potentially following unsustainable intensification pathways. Using Q Methodology, we ascertain different strategies regarding farm improvement and intensification of smallholder farmers in the Dedza and Ntcheu Extension Planning Areas in Central Malawi. These strategies were associated to coherent sequential choices as expressed in “managerial intensification pathways” (MIPs). Three main strategies emerged: Seed Saving Peasants, Aspirant Modern Farmers and Entrepreneurial Business(wo)men. These were subsequently linked to four MIPs. Seed Saving Peasants focus strongly on local seed systems and post-harvest protection of grains, but also allocate more labour to improving crop residue use and manure quality, thus pointing to a labour-oriented MIP. Aspirant Modern Farmers willingly adopt hybrid seeds and inorganic fertilizers but require more extension support; these farmers follow a technology-oriented MIP. Entrepreneurial Business(wo)men are early adopters of new technologies and benefit from improved access to market information and suppliers of new technologies and follow a sustainable technology-based or techno-ecological intensification pathway. This study shows that strongly contrasting perspectives on intensification exist among smallholders and it is expected that their preferred intensification choices will have diverging impacts on the sustainability of their farms. A diversity of extension, advice and incentive instruments will be needed to support farmer decision making towards sustainably intensified farms. |
format |
article |
topic_facet |
E90 - Structure agraire F08 - Systèmes et modes de culture agriculture familiale diversification intensification petite exploitation agricole exploitation agricole familiale environnement socioéconomique http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_1422957329186 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_2344 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_33485 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_7113 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_2787 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_26824 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_4532 |
author |
Timler, Carl J. Groot, Jeroen C. J. Snapp, Sieglinde S. Tittonell, Pablo |
author_facet |
Timler, Carl J. Groot, Jeroen C. J. Snapp, Sieglinde S. Tittonell, Pablo |
author_sort |
Timler, Carl J. |
title |
Strategies steering intensification pathways of farmers in Central Malawi |
title_short |
Strategies steering intensification pathways of farmers in Central Malawi |
title_full |
Strategies steering intensification pathways of farmers in Central Malawi |
title_fullStr |
Strategies steering intensification pathways of farmers in Central Malawi |
title_full_unstemmed |
Strategies steering intensification pathways of farmers in Central Malawi |
title_sort |
strategies steering intensification pathways of farmers in central malawi |
url |
http://agritrop.cirad.fr/608544/ http://agritrop.cirad.fr/608544/1/ID608544.pdf |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT timlercarlj strategiessteeringintensificationpathwaysoffarmersincentralmalawi AT grootjeroencj strategiessteeringintensificationpathwaysoffarmersincentralmalawi AT snappsieglindes strategiessteeringintensificationpathwaysoffarmersincentralmalawi AT tittonellpablo strategiessteeringintensificationpathwaysoffarmersincentralmalawi |
_version_ |
1794797497173934080 |