Abstract
In the context of increasing NGO interest in the capacity of conservation agriculture methods to support sustainable agriculture across sub-Saharan Africa, this paper explores the experiences of farmers (n = 111) adopting the Tiyeni NGO’s deep-bed farming (DBF) system in northern Malawi. The results of a field survey suggest that whilst DBF delivers significant livelihood benefits for farmers relative to traditional techniques (a factor arguably driving its rapid spontaneous adoption throughout the area), some asset-poor farmers are unable to sustain DBF due to its labor demands. We argue that to widen its beneficial impacts in a manner that can be sustained, there is a need for Tiyeni’s DBF to be less prescriptive and more adaptive to specific social-ecological contexts.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 175-196 |
Number of pages | 22 |
Journal | Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems |
Volume | 45 |
Issue number | 2 |
Early online date | 10 Sept 2020 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2021 |