Background: This paper concerns the role of crop diversification in improving household food security in central Malawi. In this country, the agricultural sector is dominated by smallholder farming and rain-fed food production systems that are facing increasing challenges from land degradation and declining soil fertility. Maize is the staple food crop, and as such, the majority of farmers grow it regardless of land suitability. This has led to what scientists have labeled as "maize poverty trap. " In the event of prolonged drought, maize fails thus leaving farmers food insecure. However, research in Sub-Saharan Africa has shown that crop diversification provides smallholder farmers with a diversity of diet, improves their income, and nutrition security. Due to increased cases of malnutrition and food insecurity, in the wake of climate change, government of Malawi has in the past few years intensified extension efforts for crop diversification. Methods:The study is based on a sample of 271 randomly selected smallholder farming households from central Malawi. It investigates the influence of crop diversification and other household socioeconomic characteristics on the household Food Consumption Score and Household Food Insecurity Access Score. In our analysis, we rely heavily on a combination of ordinary least squares techniques and some descriptive statistics. Results:Our results show that crop diversification, cattle ownership, access to credit and attaining of education have a positive and significant effect on the household Food Consumption Score. Precisely, crop diversification, cattle ownership and access to credit are all significant at 5% level, while education is significant at 10%. In addition, crop diversification and attaining of formal education by household head were found to have a negative and significant effect on Household Food Insecurity Access Score and were all significant at 1% level. Conclusion and policy recommendation:Based on our study findings, we conclude that crop diversification is one viable option in smallholder farming that can ensure establishment of resilient agricultural systems that can contribute significantly to household food security. In terms of policy, the results imply that the current efforts by government of Malawi to intensify promotion of crop diversification should remain a priority policy direction due to the continued malnutrition and food insecurity threat. This is particularly so in this era of climate variability that poses an extra burden to farmers.

Agriculture is vital to Zambia's economic development and is a mainstay for the livelihoods of a large proportion of the population. Agricultural production is mainly dependent on rain-fed hoe cultivation with maize as the principal staple food crop. About 18 percent of national maize production comes from Zambia's Southern province. In order to improve food security and minimize risks associated with heavy dependence on maize, the government of Zambia has been promoting crop diversification. This study analyzed the determinants of crop diversification as well as the factors influencing the extent of crop diversification by smallholder farmers in Southern province. The study used secondary data from the Central Statistical Office of Zambia. Results from a double-hurdle model analysis indicates that landholding size, fertilizer quantity, distance to market, and the type of tillage mechanism adopted have a strong influence on whether a farmer practices crop diversification. Our findings have important implications for policies that are designed to enhance crop diversification. In particular, our results suggest the need for government to consider undertaking policies that will enhance farmers' access to and control over land, that will provide farmers with improved access to agricultural implements like ploughs, and that will bring trading markets closer to farmers.

Technology that would enable use of lignocellulosic biomass for biorefinery feedstock is under development. The 2002 Farm Bill permitted managed harvesting of biomass from Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land. This study was conducted to determine the cost to procure, harvest, store, and transport to a biorefinery a flow of lignocellulosic biomass feedstock produced on CRP grasslands in the southern Great Plains and to determine how policies that restrict harvest frequency and days influence cost. Policies that restrict harvest days per year and the frequency of harvest would increase the cost to deliver biomass feedstock.

<p>This study was designed to analyze drivers of dry common beans trade in Lusaka, Zambia. Specifically, the study analyzed the effect of common bean grain characteristics on bean market price. Data was collected using structured questionnaires from 225 traders stationed in three markets namely: Soweto, Chilenje and Mtendere.</p>Using hedonic pricing, the findings reveal that medium sized grain was an important characteristic which significantly affected the pricing of common bean. For instance, it was observed that medium grain size fetched ZMW1.266 per kilogram (kg) and ZMW 1.042 per kg more than grains of smaller size in the pooled and Soweto market sample, respectively. It was further revealed that yellow, yellow and white color significantly affected the bean price received by traders. Other factors which significantly affected the pricing of beans included age of the trader, being a retail trader and trading at Chilenje market. Given these findings, common bean breeders need to include traders and consumers as important actors whose knowledge can make resourceful impact in varietal development. Furthermore, interventions by policy makers that respond to the social economic needs of traders is recommended to improve bean trade.

Journal articleIFPRI3; CRP2; ISIEPTD; PIMPRCGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM

No abstract

Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) support livelihoods in rural communities through provision of food, fuel, materials, medicines and income from sales. We estimated the contribution of NTFPs to rural household income in Zambia, and used a two-stage tobit alternative model to identify the factors associated with participation in NTFP markets. NTFPs accounted for 35 per cent of household income for participating households, second only to trading. Human capital variables and the value of assets were found to be significant determinants of both participation in business activities related to NTFPs and the associated household income, and the poor were more dependent on NTFPs than wealthier households. The effect of average rainfall underscores the role that NTFPs play in providing a safety net during periods of low crop yields. Rural development policies should recognize the role played by NTFPs in rural livelihoods and the need to balance welfare improvement and sustainable forest management.The authors would like to acknowledge the role of the Zambia Central Statistics Office in data collection and entry. Margaret Beaver provided substantial contributions to the training of enumerators and data entry personnel. The authors acknowledge financial support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) missions in Lusaka. The paper benefitted from the comments of two anonymous reviewers. Any views expressed or remaining errors are solely the responsibility of the authors. 488 Brian P. Mulenga et al.

1.1 Conceptual framework of the FEW nexus 2.1 Per capita production in Malawi, Mozambique, and SSA regions 2.2 Daily protein supply in Malawi, Mozambique, and Southern Africa 2.3 Energy supply in Malawi, Mozambique, and Southern Africa 2.4 Types of cooking stoves: clay, rocket, and three-stone traditional 2.5 Comparison of fuelwood consumption and cooking time for cooking stoves 2.6 Distribution of cookstove programs in Africa south of the Sahara, 1984-2010 3.1 Circular flow of income in an economy 3.2 Ex ante analysis scoring 3.3 No market constraints 3.4 Full parameterization (includes all constraints) 3.5 No market constraints, no groundwater, and surface runoff included 3.6 No market constraints, no runoff, and groundwater available to 7 m below ground only 3.7 Sensitivity analysis as a function of linear shifts in the scoring function of each variable for the fully parameterized motor-pump model for all of SSA 4.1 Adoption of soil fertility management and irrigation in Mozambique v ABSTRACT This study summarizes the concept of the food-energy-water security nexus (FEW nexus). The aim is to create awareness about the importance of the nexus and to enable stakeholders to consider interconnections between the sectors in their work. The FEW nexus is discussed in the context of Africa south of the Sahara (SSA)-using Malawi and Mozambique as case studies. Even though analyzing food, energy, and water security issues simultaneously is critical given the interconnections, summarizing interventions with the FEW nexus approach in Malawi and Mozambique, we found that there are only a limited number of interventions in place. Additionally, this study reviews macro-and microeconomic models that are able to analyze the FEW nexus. On the macrolevel, especially general equilibrium models are discussed, because they show trade-offs and synergies of nexus interventions at all economic levels. These models can help guide policymakers' understanding of nexus effects ex ante and convince them to think beyond their respective political departments. On the microlevel, the impact of nexus interventions can be assessed with qualitative and quantitative approaches. There are specific challenges for nexus interventions when it comes to aggregation and planning of the targeting. A secondary data analysis of nexus interventions shows that existing data is not sufficient to conduct research specifically related to the FEW nexus. The results of this study will help research programs to reflect the key questions required to enhance adoption of FEW technologies and inform policymakers as they formulate policies that will exploit the strong synergies of food security, energy, and water investments.