Strategies Steering Intensification Pathways of Farmers in Central Malawi

Autores
Timler, Carl J.; Groot, Jeroen C.J.; Snapp, Sieglinde S.; Tittonell, Pablo Adrian
Año de publicación
2023
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
Smallholder farmers face many challenges to improve their livelihoods and food security. Intensification of agricultural production can help to achieve these goals. Yet farmers are highly heterogenous in their strategies towards intensification, potentially following unsustainable intensification pathways. Using Q Methodology, we ascertain different strategies regarding farm improvement and intensification of smallholder farmers in the Dedza and Ntcheu Extension Planning Areas in Central Malawi. These strategies were associated to coherent sequential choices as expressed in “managerial intensification pathways” (MIPs). Three main strategies emerged: Seed Saving Peasants, Aspirant Modern Farmers and Entrepreneurial Business(wo)men. These were subsequently linked to four MIPs. Seed Saving Peasants focus strongly on local seed systems and post-harvest protection of grains, but also allocate more labour to improving crop residue use and manure quality, thus pointing to a labour-oriented MIP. Aspirant Modern Farmers willingly adopt hybrid seeds and inorganic fertilizers but require more extension support; these farmers follow a technology-oriented MIP. Entrepreneurial Business(wo)men are early adopters of new technologies and benefit from improved access to market information and suppliers of new technologies and follow a sustainable technology-based or techno-ecological intensification pathway. This study shows that strongly contrasting perspectives on intensification exist among smallholders and it is expected that their preferred intensification choices will have diverging impacts on the sustainability of their farms. A diversity of extension, advice and incentive instruments will be needed to support farmer decision making towards sustainably intensified farms.
EEA Bariloche
Fil: Timler, Carl J. Wageningen University. Farming Systems Ecology, Plant Sciences Group; Países Bajos
Fil: Groot, Jeroen C. J. Wageningen University. Farming Systems Ecology, Plant Sciences Group; Países Bajos
Fil: Groot, Jeroen C.J. Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT, Development Impact Unit; Italia
Fil: Groot, Jeroen C.J. International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center; Mexico
Fil: Snapp, Sieglinde S. International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center; Mexico
Fil: Snapp, Sieglinde S. Michigan State University. Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences; Estados Unidos
Fil: Tittonell, Pablo Adrian. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; Argentina
Fil: Tittonell, Pablo Adrian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; Argentina
Fil: Tittonell, Pablo Adrian. Université de Montpellier-Centre de coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement. Agroécologie et Intensification Durable (AïDA); Francia
Fil: Tittonell, Pablo Adrian. Groningen University. Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Sciences; Países Bajos
Fuente
Human Ecology (Published: 30 June 2023)
Materia
Pequeños Agricultores
Intensificación
Malawi
Sostenibilidad
Smallholders
Steering Systems
Intensification
Sustainability
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso abierto
Condiciones de uso
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Repositorio
INTA Digital (INTA)
Institución
Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
OAI Identificador
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spelling Strategies Steering Intensification Pathways of Farmers in Central MalawiTimler, Carl J.Groot, Jeroen C.J.Snapp, Sieglinde S.Tittonell, Pablo AdrianPequeños AgricultoresIntensificaciónMalawiSostenibilidadSmallholdersSteering SystemsIntensificationSustainabilitySmallholder farmers face many challenges to improve their livelihoods and food security. Intensification of agricultural production can help to achieve these goals. Yet farmers are highly heterogenous in their strategies towards intensification, potentially following unsustainable intensification pathways. Using Q Methodology, we ascertain different strategies regarding farm improvement and intensification of smallholder farmers in the Dedza and Ntcheu Extension Planning Areas in Central Malawi. These strategies were associated to coherent sequential choices as expressed in “managerial intensification pathways” (MIPs). Three main strategies emerged: Seed Saving Peasants, Aspirant Modern Farmers and Entrepreneurial Business(wo)men. These were subsequently linked to four MIPs. Seed Saving Peasants focus strongly on local seed systems and post-harvest protection of grains, but also allocate more labour to improving crop residue use and manure quality, thus pointing to a labour-oriented MIP. Aspirant Modern Farmers willingly adopt hybrid seeds and inorganic fertilizers but require more extension support; these farmers follow a technology-oriented MIP. Entrepreneurial Business(wo)men are early adopters of new technologies and benefit from improved access to market information and suppliers of new technologies and follow a sustainable technology-based or techno-ecological intensification pathway. This study shows that strongly contrasting perspectives on intensification exist among smallholders and it is expected that their preferred intensification choices will have diverging impacts on the sustainability of their farms. A diversity of extension, advice and incentive instruments will be needed to support farmer decision making towards sustainably intensified farms.EEA BarilocheFil: Timler, Carl J. Wageningen University. Farming Systems Ecology, Plant Sciences Group; Países BajosFil: Groot, Jeroen C. J. Wageningen University. Farming Systems Ecology, Plant Sciences Group; Países BajosFil: Groot, Jeroen C.J. Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT, Development Impact Unit; ItaliaFil: Groot, Jeroen C.J. International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center; MexicoFil: Snapp, Sieglinde S. International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center; MexicoFil: Snapp, Sieglinde S. Michigan State University. Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences; Estados UnidosFil: Tittonell, Pablo Adrian. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Tittonell, Pablo Adrian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Tittonell, Pablo Adrian. Université de Montpellier-Centre de coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement. Agroécologie et Intensification Durable (AïDA); FranciaFil: Tittonell, Pablo Adrian. Groningen University. Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Sciences; Países BajosSpringer2023-07-17T12:04:13Z2023-07-17T12:04:13Z2023-06info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/14757https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10745-023-00413-00300-78391572-9915https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-023-00413-0Human Ecology (Published: 30 June 2023)reponame:INTA Digital (INTA)instname:Instituto Nacional de Tecnología AgropecuariaengMalawi .......... (nation) (World, Africa)7000726info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)2025-10-16T09:31:12Zoai:localhost:20.500.12123/14757instacron:INTAInstitucionalhttp://repositorio.inta.gob.ar/Organismo científico-tecnológicoNo correspondehttp://repositorio.inta.gob.ar/oai/requesttripaldi.nicolas@inta.gob.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:l2025-10-16 09:31:12.519INTA Digital (INTA) - Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuariafalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Strategies Steering Intensification Pathways of Farmers in Central Malawi
title Strategies Steering Intensification Pathways of Farmers in Central Malawi
spellingShingle Strategies Steering Intensification Pathways of Farmers in Central Malawi
Timler, Carl J.
Pequeños Agricultores
Intensificación
Malawi
Sostenibilidad
Smallholders
Steering Systems
Intensification
Sustainability
title_short Strategies Steering Intensification Pathways of Farmers in Central Malawi
title_full Strategies Steering Intensification Pathways of Farmers in Central Malawi
title_fullStr Strategies Steering Intensification Pathways of Farmers in Central Malawi
title_full_unstemmed Strategies Steering Intensification Pathways of Farmers in Central Malawi
title_sort Strategies Steering Intensification Pathways of Farmers in Central Malawi
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Timler, Carl J.
Groot, Jeroen C.J.
Snapp, Sieglinde S.
Tittonell, Pablo Adrian
author Timler, Carl J.
author_facet Timler, Carl J.
Groot, Jeroen C.J.
Snapp, Sieglinde S.
Tittonell, Pablo Adrian
author_role author
author2 Groot, Jeroen C.J.
Snapp, Sieglinde S.
Tittonell, Pablo Adrian
author2_role author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Pequeños Agricultores
Intensificación
Malawi
Sostenibilidad
Smallholders
Steering Systems
Intensification
Sustainability
topic Pequeños Agricultores
Intensificación
Malawi
Sostenibilidad
Smallholders
Steering Systems
Intensification
Sustainability
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv Smallholder farmers face many challenges to improve their livelihoods and food security. Intensification of agricultural production can help to achieve these goals. Yet farmers are highly heterogenous in their strategies towards intensification, potentially following unsustainable intensification pathways. Using Q Methodology, we ascertain different strategies regarding farm improvement and intensification of smallholder farmers in the Dedza and Ntcheu Extension Planning Areas in Central Malawi. These strategies were associated to coherent sequential choices as expressed in “managerial intensification pathways” (MIPs). Three main strategies emerged: Seed Saving Peasants, Aspirant Modern Farmers and Entrepreneurial Business(wo)men. These were subsequently linked to four MIPs. Seed Saving Peasants focus strongly on local seed systems and post-harvest protection of grains, but also allocate more labour to improving crop residue use and manure quality, thus pointing to a labour-oriented MIP. Aspirant Modern Farmers willingly adopt hybrid seeds and inorganic fertilizers but require more extension support; these farmers follow a technology-oriented MIP. Entrepreneurial Business(wo)men are early adopters of new technologies and benefit from improved access to market information and suppliers of new technologies and follow a sustainable technology-based or techno-ecological intensification pathway. This study shows that strongly contrasting perspectives on intensification exist among smallholders and it is expected that their preferred intensification choices will have diverging impacts on the sustainability of their farms. A diversity of extension, advice and incentive instruments will be needed to support farmer decision making towards sustainably intensified farms.
EEA Bariloche
Fil: Timler, Carl J. Wageningen University. Farming Systems Ecology, Plant Sciences Group; Países Bajos
Fil: Groot, Jeroen C. J. Wageningen University. Farming Systems Ecology, Plant Sciences Group; Países Bajos
Fil: Groot, Jeroen C.J. Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT, Development Impact Unit; Italia
Fil: Groot, Jeroen C.J. International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center; Mexico
Fil: Snapp, Sieglinde S. International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center; Mexico
Fil: Snapp, Sieglinde S. Michigan State University. Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences; Estados Unidos
Fil: Tittonell, Pablo Adrian. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; Argentina
Fil: Tittonell, Pablo Adrian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; Argentina
Fil: Tittonell, Pablo Adrian. Université de Montpellier-Centre de coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement. Agroécologie et Intensification Durable (AïDA); Francia
Fil: Tittonell, Pablo Adrian. Groningen University. Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Sciences; Países Bajos
description Smallholder farmers face many challenges to improve their livelihoods and food security. Intensification of agricultural production can help to achieve these goals. Yet farmers are highly heterogenous in their strategies towards intensification, potentially following unsustainable intensification pathways. Using Q Methodology, we ascertain different strategies regarding farm improvement and intensification of smallholder farmers in the Dedza and Ntcheu Extension Planning Areas in Central Malawi. These strategies were associated to coherent sequential choices as expressed in “managerial intensification pathways” (MIPs). Three main strategies emerged: Seed Saving Peasants, Aspirant Modern Farmers and Entrepreneurial Business(wo)men. These were subsequently linked to four MIPs. Seed Saving Peasants focus strongly on local seed systems and post-harvest protection of grains, but also allocate more labour to improving crop residue use and manure quality, thus pointing to a labour-oriented MIP. Aspirant Modern Farmers willingly adopt hybrid seeds and inorganic fertilizers but require more extension support; these farmers follow a technology-oriented MIP. Entrepreneurial Business(wo)men are early adopters of new technologies and benefit from improved access to market information and suppliers of new technologies and follow a sustainable technology-based or techno-ecological intensification pathway. This study shows that strongly contrasting perspectives on intensification exist among smallholders and it is expected that their preferred intensification choices will have diverging impacts on the sustainability of their farms. A diversity of extension, advice and incentive instruments will be needed to support farmer decision making towards sustainably intensified farms.
publishDate 2023
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2023-07-17T12:04:13Z
2023-07-17T12:04:13Z
2023-06
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/14757
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10745-023-00413-0
0300-7839
1572-9915
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-023-00413-0
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/14757
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10745-023-00413-0
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-023-00413-0
identifier_str_mv 0300-7839
1572-9915
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.coverage.none.fl_str_mv Malawi .......... (nation) (World, Africa)
7000726
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Springer
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Springer
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Human Ecology (Published: 30 June 2023)
reponame:INTA Digital (INTA)
instname:Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
reponame_str INTA Digital (INTA)
collection INTA Digital (INTA)
instname_str Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
repository.name.fl_str_mv INTA Digital (INTA) - Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
repository.mail.fl_str_mv tripaldi.nicolas@inta.gob.ar
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score 12.712165

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