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
Nutritious Home-Grown School Meals for Malawian Children
Six thousand school children in Kasungu and Lilongwe districts will soon—starting September 2023—eat nutrient-dense biofortified school meals thanks to the Nutritious School Meals for Malawi project. HarvestPlus and Nascent Solutions are collaborating to overcome the ongoing challenge of poor diets in the country, especially in rural areas where parents find it challenging to secure enough […]
Saving for Seed: Advancing Financial Inclusion of Women
Women in Malawi are opening their first bank accounts so they can save to buy nutrient-enriched seed for their families, through a new “Save for Seed” HarvestPlus initiative. Save for Seed is helping farmers and women’s savings groups enroll in formal digital bank accounts and save on flexible terms to purchase high quality farming inputs, […]
Improving Nutrition of School Children and Surrounding Communities in Malawi
Fifty-year-old Victoria Nkhambule is a grandmother of four, from Thupa in Kasungu District. Like most Malawians, she is a regular consumer of Malawi’s top staple food, corn meal, locally known as nsima – a thick porridge made from maize flour and water. According to her, the nsima made from orange maize, tastes differently. “Nsima prepared […]
Partner With Us
Join a growing movement to expand the reach and impact of nutrient-enriched staple crops in Malawi.
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.
View Partners List