Buoyed by government’s fertiliser subsidy, Zambia’s farmers produced 2.8 million tonnes of maize in the 2009/10 growing season.

Ninety percent of Malawi’s agriculture is rain-fed but government is now pushing for more diversification into irrigation farming which allows farmers to grow crops even in the dry season and allows for additional harvests.

The concept of virtual water means thinking of an agricultural product – or other commodity – in terms of the amount of water required to produce it.

The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme is a key platform for revitalising rural economies and food security.

Zambia created a new Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development in 2009 with a view to raising the profile and resources available to the livestock sector.

The Mtengoumodzi Agriculture Cooperative was formed in April 2008 after farmers on either side of the border realised that they could complement each other’s efforts to improve agricultural activities.

South Africa’s small-scale farmers may be paying a high price for the persisting idea of the country’s exceptionalism.

Now that farmers have food, they are no longer spending so much time looking for basic sustenance. Now they are now involved with other development activities.

 

 Studying the impacts of Malawi's agriculture subsidies [2:47m]: Play Now | Download (40)

I don’t have to wait for policy to change, but have a role to play in forming policy. I can now also help on a practical level and really change people’s lives.