OXFAM Malawi says the country remains highly vulnerable to climatic shocks and continues to struggle with nutrition and food insecurity due to its heavy dependence on maize.
Programme Manager for Livelihood Resilience at OXFAM, Steve Kuliyazi, made the remarks in Lilongwe during the 15th Ndizotheka Eminent Speaker Series.
Kuliyazi said Malawi’s failure to embrace nutritious and climate-resilient crops such as sorghum, millet and cowpeas is undermining efforts to build a resilient food system.
He added that there is a need for policy reforms to promote neglected food crops so that the country can recognise their value, scale up production and prioritise them in the national budget.
Executive Director for the MwAPATA Institute, William Chadza, also stressed the need to increase awareness on the utilisation of neglected and under-utilised food crops to strengthen food systems.
Chadza said most of these crops are climate-resilient and can significantly support crop diversification.
Reports indicate that maize occupies 70 per cent of Malawi’s cultivated land and is grown by 97 per cent of smallholder farming households.
