Local Farmers and Food Processors to Benefit from Bean Value Chain Projects in Malawi and Zambia
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EmailFrom the May 2022 Newsletter
It is estimated that approximately 100,000 smallholder farmers in Malawi and Zambia will benefit from two projects recently launched seeking to improve the common bean value chain through increased production, processing and value addition and access to readily available markets.
The Alliance of Biodiversity International and the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (The Alliance) will implement the projects, namely, "Transforming Seed Systems to Respond to Bean Variety Demand Through Multistakeholder Platforms in Malawi" and "Improving Income and Nutrition Security Through Development and Commercialization of Consumer Preferred Processed Legume-based Products in Malawi and Zambia" in partnership with various stakeholders. The projects are managed by the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Legume Systems Research.
The project's joint launch ceremony, held April 20-21 in Lilongwe attracted researchers, scientists, scholars, and public and private sector officials working in the common bean sector in Malawi and Zambia. Of the 55 participants, 18 were female.
Speaking at the launch, Jean Claude Rubyogo, Bean Programme Leader & Director, Pan Africa Bean Research Alliance and Principal Investigator of the Multistakeholder Seed Platform project said, “These two projects have come to solve the problems affecting the common bean value chain in southern Africa especially from production to consumption — in order to increase job and business opportunities.”
He added that an investment in the improvement of the common bean value chain is important because beans are at the center of nutrition and food security for millions of people globally.
Working in partnership to promote nutritious diets
Globally, beans are the most affordable source of protein for millions of people. Bean varieties are micronutrient rich in iron and zinc, packed with fiber and vitamins, including vitamins D6 and 12. They mature early and are beneficial to the soil through nitrogen fixing.
Dr. Patrick Chikongwa, Director of Animal Health, and Livestock Development in the Malawi Ministry of Agriculture shared, "these two projects have the potential of improving food security and increasing income for women and youths in this country. We expect a lot of impacts, especially empowerment of rural farming communities through targeted income-generating activities in the value chain."
“The government of Malawi is excited that these projects will complement the existing national agricultural priorities and will help establish innovative and sustainable bean seed systems based on farmer seed demands while working with both public and private sectors.” He added.
To learn more about these projects, visit the Legume Systems Innovation Lab website.
