Malawi

One Acre Fund operates in two distinct regions of Malawi: the Southern region, focused on staple crops, and the Central region, known as the breadbasket, with a rich history of legume and cash crop farming. 

Our vision is to serve all Malawian farmers so they can build farms for the future, or “munda wa makono” in Chichewa.  This means that farmers will have enough food and income for their daily needs, and, at the same time, are able to build security and resilience for the future.

How we serve Farmers

To reach as many farmers as possible, we serve farmers directly through our network of field officers and also operate a seasonal network of shops in certain areas. We focus on:

• Improving the harvests farmers get from staple crops, like maize, to help with food security. We do this by providing quality farm products and training.
• Encouraging farmers to diversify their crops to support income diversification, improve nutrition, extend their growing season, and improve the health of their soil. We do this by providing high-value and nutritious legume seeds and training.
• Providing farmers with access to tree seedlings to help protect their land from erosion, improve soil fertility, and provide wind-breaks for vulnerable crops.
• Providing insurance that gives farmers a safety net in the event of severe crop loss due to extreme weather or pests.
• Developing innovative trials of larger tree packages of trees to help secure the longer term future for Malawian farmers and exploring opportunities like carbon sequestration.

Our impact in action

When James Katungwe walks through his compound in central Malawi, he’s surrounded by quiet giants, rows of tall trees with branches swaying gently in the breeze. These trees are his children’s school fees, part of his son’s new house, a buffer against unpredictable weather patterns, and part of the legacy he will leave for his family.

Like many smallholder farmers in Malawi, James has experienced firsthand the growing threat of extreme weather—cyclones, strong winds, and floods that wash away crops and damage homes. He knew trees could help, but access to quality seedlings was hard to come by.

"Before we joined One Acre Fund, we struggled to find tree seedlings. With no trees, my soil was not that productive and my maize crops used to be washed away [from flooding], which affected my harvest” says James.

That changed in 2020 when James enrolled in One Acre Fund’s tree program. Funded by donor support, he received free seedlings of Albizia Lebbeck trees, locally known as the Mtangatanga tree, a fast-growing, nitrogen-fixing tree that improves soil health and produces strong timber.

Today, James has planted more than 400 trees.

James's trees now serve multiple purposes. They protect his crops from harsh weather, improve the quality of his soil, and produce and generate income.

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