“The family farms together, the decisions, however are made by the man” —Matrilineal land tenure systems, welfare and decision making in rural Malawi

Djurfeldt, Agnes Andersson; Hillbom, Ellen; Mulwafu, Wapulumuka; Mvula, Peter; Djurfeldt, Göran

doi:10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.10.048

Cited by 44 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…The study sites (villages) represent three categories of smallholder farming communities in Malawi: those above average, intermediate and below average rural income. Intra-household qualitative data collection on gender and pro-poor agricultural growth had been carried out in the villages in late 2012 and these villages are revisited to provide a longitudinal perspective of the broader changes in the communities (see Andersson Djurfeldt, Hillbom, Mulwafu, Mvula, & Djurfeldt, 2018). Moreover, qualitative village level data was collected in August of 2017, mainly through focus group discussions and key informant interviews.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Generational dynamics of agricultural intensification in Malawi: challenges for the youth and elderly smallholder farmers

Lindsjö

Mulwafu

Djurfeldt

et al. 2020

International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability

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In the next 24 years, the Malawian population is expected to double, a development that will inevitably affect access to land and land holding sizes. As access to land is already limited, securing food for the growing population will require policy shifts including the promotion of agricultural intensification. Malawi's economy depends on the agricultural sector, and this paper addresses the generational perspective of agricultural intensification, with specific focus on youth and elderly in smallholder production systems. Despite wide recognition that an overwhelmingly large share of the Malawian population is young, our research finds that the younger generation have less access to land than the older generations. The elderly are limited in farming due to the physical labour required for agriculture, yet they withhold their pieces of land. Our research shows that maize yields have remained low between 2008 and 2017, and that the elderly have had the lowest yields. The potential for sustainable agricultural intensification therefore remains low until access to land and financial support for the youth receive special attention in all relevant circles including policy discourses. The paper situates the findings from this study within the broader scholarship on generational changes and perceptions in relation to access to resources for production.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Generational dynamics of agricultural intensification in Malawi: challenges for the youth and elderly smallholder farmers

Lindsjö

Mulwafu

Djurfeldt

et al. 2020

International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability

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“…However, targeting women alone does not challenge gender power relations such as household decision-making, that constrain women’s access to resources for improving productivity. For example, a case study by Djurfeldt et al [4] suggests that even when women have access to and control over land, men are still the primary decision makers in the home. While increased access to land could improve women’s productivity, policies rarely compliment women’s land rights with a genuine understanding of the gender relations that undermine women’s productivity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“The role of the man is to look for food”: Lessons from men’s involvement in maternal and child health programmes in rural Central Malawi

Mkandawire

Hendriks

2019

PLoS ONE

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Many studies purport that in low-income countries, women are often responsible for producing, preparing and purchasing food. Consequently, policies related to food and nutrition overemphasise the role of women, underestimating the potential for cooperation and complementarity between men and women. This focus on women does not account for socially constructed expectations of women that undermine their decision-making in resource allocation. Using desk reviews, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, our case study in Malawi sought to understand the complementary role of men in maternal and child nutrition. International agreements and Malawi’s policies were reviewed to understand how men’s involvement emerged on the nutrition policy agenda. Policymakers, stakeholders and men and women from rural Central Malawi were interviewed, sharing their experiences of men’s role in maternal and child health. The study found that men’s involvement in maternal and child health has been on the development agenda since as early as 1995. Malawi has made efforts to involve men in these areas through several policy actions and programmes. Contrary to literature suggesting that women are the main producers, procurers and preparers of food, this study found that men in rural Central Malawi are increasingly becoming responsible for providing and purchasing food. Men also play a supportive role in food preparation, helping women access diverse diets during and after pregnancy. They also take up a supportive role in household activities, providing women with assistance in housework and looking after children. The positive change in men’s roles presents an opportunity for exploring how men can contribute to food security and nutrition. Opportunities exist for designing inclusive food and agriculture policies that promote cooperation between men and women in food and nutrition. These policies can challenge misinterpretations of women’s role in food security and the underlying systems that reinforce gender inequalities.

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“…The HHHs dominance in decisions on land allocation is also reflected in a higher average satisfaction level at the actual area for HHHs (96%) as compared to sons (75%) and wives (55%), implying social trade-offs at household level. The generic statement 'the HHH decides' hence served as the most accurate predictor of the actual area, apparently supporting studies that refer to generic decision rules (Akudugu et al, 2012;Ayamga et al, 2016;Djurfeldt et al, 2018;Paresys et al, 2018). We discuss three possible explanations for the invisibility of power shares.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

On smallholder farm and farmer diversity

Michalscheck¹

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“The family farms together, the decisions, however are made by the man” —Matrilineal land tenure systems, welfare and decision making in rural Malawi

Cited by 44 publications

References 33 publications

Generational dynamics of agricultural intensification in Malawi: challenges for the youth and elderly smallholder farmers

Generational dynamics of agricultural intensification in Malawi: challenges for the youth and elderly smallholder farmers

“The role of the man is to look for food”: Lessons from men’s involvement in maternal and child health programmes in rural Central Malawi

On smallholder farm and farmer diversity

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