Soils, Food and Healthy Communities

Lizzie Shumba joined SFHC in 2003 and since then has contributed much to our efforts and to the success of SFHC. The Agroecology and Livelihood Collaborative (ALC) from the University of Vermont conducted an interview with Lizzie to tell her story in helping promote agroecology within Malawi to support communities. Her work has contributed to supporting nutrition, climate adaptation, gender equity, and leadership. You can read more about this in ALC’s website, where the interview can be found in English, French, and Spanish.

Meet Lizzie Shumba: Advancing Nutrition, climate Adaptation, and gender justice in Malawi.

Blume, S., & Bucini, G. (2022). Meet Lizzie Shumba: Advancing nutrition, climate adaptation, and gender justice in Malawi. Perspectives on Agroecology Transitions – No. 4. Agroecology and Livelihoods Collaborative (ALC), University of Vermont.

The SFHC team and the communities we work with play a crucial role in helping us reach our goals of promoting sustainability, health, and equity, so we love to share the voices of the wonderful people that make all of this possible! We met with Lizzie Shumba, the SFHC Agriculture and Nutrition Manager, and with Maria Mayuma, an SFHC Farmer, for them to talk about our agroecological works to address climate change and gender equity. SFHC is engaged in training and supporting our communities, and you can learn more about us through the videos with Lizzie and Maria below!

Exciting news: new research from our SFHC team has just been published! This research is centered around examining crop diversity and its effect on food security and women’s diet quality through an intervention in Malawi. As always, we are very proud of our team and of their work! The abstract can be found on the  Recent Publications page. You can also reach out to our research collaborator, Rachel Bezner Kerr (rbeznerkerr@cornell.edu), for a PDF copy of these papers!

Does Crop Diversity Influence Household Food Security and Women’s Individual Dietary Diversity? A Cross-Sectional Study of Malawian Farmers in a Participatory Agroecology and Nutrition Project.

Ibukun Owoputi, Nola Booth, Isaac Luginaah, Hanson Nyantakyi-Frimpong, Lizzie Shumba, Laifolo Dakishoni, Esther Lupafya, Catherine Hickey, and Rachel BeznerKerr

We are proud to share new research from our team within the last year! Both works come from our FARMS for Biodiversity Project, and they include a research approach to transdisciplinary agroecology and an assessment of local views on forest reforestation. The abstracts can be found in the  Recent Publications page. You can also reach out to our research collaborator, Rachel Bezner Kerr (rbeznerkerr@cornell.edu), for a PDF copy of these papers!

Chapter One – Transdisciplinary agroecological research on biodiversity and ecosystem services for sustainable and climate resilient farming systems in Malawi

Kpienbaareh, D., Bezner Kerr, R., D. Amoak, T. Chunga, Laifolo Dakishoni, S. Enloe, T. Gondwe, A. Iverson, P. Kanyimbo, G. Küstner, E. Lupafya, I. Luginaah, T. Mehreteab,V. Mayer, I. Mhoni, M. Mkandawire, T. Mkandawire, P. Moyo, P. Munthali, U. S. Nagothu, H. Nyantakyi-Frimpong, K. Poveda, L. Shumba, I. Steffan-Dewenter, Y. Tembo, C. Vogel, J. Wang.

Assessing local perceptions of deforestation, forest restoration, and the role of agroecology for agroecosystem restoration in northern Malawi

Kpienbaareh, D., I. Luginaah, R. Bezner Kerr, J. Wang, K. Poveda, I. Steffan-Dewenter, E. Lupafya and L. Dakishoni.

Over one week, the SFHC team traveled to village areas Luzi, Kamwe, Kavula, and Mlimo to conduct recipe demonstrations. Farmers learned new and different recipes using locally grown crops. The training provided aimed to promote household nutrition and food security. In the villages, a common sentiment is that a nutritious diet incorporating all six food groups would require individuals to spend too much money and time. The SFHC team demonstrated the possibility of a more diverse diet using accessible ingredients. With the village members, we prepared soy milk, bean sausages, cakes, pumpkin leaves, donuts made from sweet potato, cassava, and pumpkin and other dishes. After the dishes were prepared, adults and children gathered to present the dishes they had helped make providing instructions for how the food was prepared. Lunch was also served, and the many dishes were enjoyed with relish and good cheer!

In July, the seed fair at SFHC gathered farmers from many village areas to showcase their different seed varieties and discuss agricultural practices and methods. Farmers presented their assortment of indigenous, local, and hybrid seeds and shared their expertise about their seeds. Many discussed their understanding of cultural and traditional practices associated with certain seeds, along with the history of seeds within their village. Within group discussion, individual farmers elaborated on their observations with scarce seed varieties including mambamba, yam, watermelon, and bean varieties, and emphasized the need for farmers to cooperate and unite in their vision for the future. During the recession, selling seeds has become more difficult, so many agreed that farmers must preserve and share scarce varieties. Many expressed their desire for more farmers to work as a collective forming groups to set better prices and provide better quality products.

What is agroecology? How is it related to biodiversity and conservation? What is participatory research, and what does it mean to share different types of knowledge? How can you map knowledge sharing across a landscape?

If you’ve ever wondered about any of these questions, we have good news for you! SFHC is launching a podcast this year. We’re calling it “From the Ground Up”

This first episode delves deep into one of our major current projects, FARMS 4 Biodiversity, to explore how all of these topics come together in our work. From pollination and pest control, to politics and participatory research, this episode introduces it all.

Our first episode features three of SFHC’s research collaborators: Daniel Kpienbaareh (Ghana, Canada), Stephanie Enloe (USA), and Cassandra Vogel (Germany), hosted by student Sammi Landsman (Cornell University). Episode 2 (coming soon!) features SFHC’s Deputy Director Laifolo Dakishoni in conversation with Rodgers Msachi, Head of Community Promoters.

Listen to From the Ground Up on Descript or on Soundcloud!

Sharman Apt Russell, renowned scholar and author, visited SFHC some years ago and captured her exchange with our community and her insights into the world of global nutrition in her new book, “Within Our Grasp: Childhood Malnutrition Worldwide and the Revolution Taking Place to End It”. With this publication comes a chance to gain insights from our stories (as well as broader Malawian nutrition discussions), as well as engage with perspectives from scientists and nutrition experts from around the world. It is an immense pleasure to read her thoughtful and multi-faceted work!

To learn more about the author and gain access to this exciting new publication, visit: https://sharmanaptrussell.com