HarvestPlus Malawi commenced operations in 2016 with the aim of promoting the production, dissemination, and consumption of improved, climate smart, and nutritious biofortified staple crop varieties. HarvestPlus has helped developed strategic agricultural value chains to ensure a sustainable and profitable supply of biofortified foods to smallholder farming households and non-farm consumers. This transformative agricultural intervention aligns various market actors to sustainably and profitably produce more nutritious foods.
COUNTRY MANAGER
Dellings Phiri
c/o CIAT- Chitedze Research Station, P.O.Box 158, Lilongwe
Biofortified Crops in Malawi*
*Includes varieties shown to meet HarvestPlus standards. Other varieties may be available in the country.
Varieties Released Database
This searchable database provides information on all biofortified crops variety releases by country.
Areas of Expertise
- Crop Development
- Seed Multiplication
- Seed and Grain Distribution
- Consumer Engagement
- Market Development
- Policy Engagement
Crop Development
HarvestPlus supports the Department of Agriculture Research Service (DARS) to breed, test, and release hybrid varieties of vitamin A maize developed through our partnership with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT).
Seed Multiplication
The registered varieties of biofortified crops are licensed to private seed companies, some on exclusive basis, to produce seed for sale to farmers.
Seed and Grain Distribution
Seed is distributed through the agro-dealer networks, on retail cash sales and for uptake by smallholder farmers through the Affordable Input Program (AIP) sponsored by the Government, through Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. HarvestPlus supports commercial seed and grain sales, identify and link buyers and processors to grain suppliers.
Consumer Engagement
HarvestPlus creates awareness of vitamin A maize through consumer education, advertising, and the media. It also promotes consumption of vitamin A maize through utilisation campaigns which include cooking demonstrations.
Market Development
Through advocacy conducted with national partners, HarvestPlus strengthens national ownership of biofortification through effective integration into national nutrition and agricultural policies.
Policy Engagement
Apart from Vitamin A maize, which is the core value chain crop supported by HarvestPlus, orange sweet potato, iron beans and vitamin A cassava are also being promoted in Malawi through other international research institutions like CIP, CIAT and IITA. HarvestPlus moderately supports some delivery processes in these other crops value chains.
Nutritious School Meals in Malawi
The primary focus of this project, officially titled Biofortified Crops to Improve the Nutritional Content of School Meals in Malawi, is to supply 300 school children in each of 20 schools by 2023 with the nutrients they need by expanding access to biofortified crops and foods for healthy school meals, through school gardens and production by local farming families, or through procurement from local SMEs and aggregators. The project is funded by the Waterloo Foundation.
Learn MoreBiofortification news in Malawi
Malawi President Endorses biofortification at the launch of Scaling Up Nutrition 3.0
On Thursday, the 2nd of September, 2021 Malawi launched the Scaling Up Nutrition 3.0 (SUN 3.0) movement under the theme, ‘Together we can end all forms of malnutrition for sustainable wellbeing and economic development’. In his speech, the President of the Republic of Malawi, Dr Lazarus Chakwera said, “we need to have courage to have a […]
Rapid-Response Biofortified Food Project Delivers Urgent Support to Malawi Women and Girls
HarvestPlus is implementing a rapid-response biofortification project in six countries across Africa and Asia to help address the immediate malnutrition threats from the COVID-19 pandemic. In Malawi, the project’s beneficiaries include two particularly high-risk groups: women with HIV/AIDS, and pregnant teens. These two humanitarian interventions in Malawi, taking place in April and May 2021, are expected to meet […]
World Bank Notes HarvestPlus Malawi’s Role in Wins For Southern Africa Project
In a summary of results from the World Bank-funded Agriculture Productivity Project for Southern Africa (APPSA), the Bank highlights the importance of strategic collaborations—including with HarvestPlus in Malawi—to scaling up effective solutions for African farmers. The APPSA aimed at increasing the availability of improved agricultural technologies and seeds for farmers across the Southern Africa region—particularly […]
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Contact Our Malawi TeamHarvestPlus Partners
We have more than 35 partners in the public, private, NGO, and policy engagement sectors who share our mission to improve nutrition and lives of people in Malawi.
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