chikapula nasfam malawi
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National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi
Making the Connection: Value Chains For Transforming Smallholder Agriculture
The Case of NASFAM & its influence on Value Chain Policy Making in Malawi
November 6 - 9, 2012. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Presentation by: Alexander Chikapula
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National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi
About NASFAM
Functions
• Development functions
-Capacity building of farmers- Provision of member
community support for food security etc
- Policy influencing• Commercial functions- Marketing of smallholder crops- Facilitate member access to
affordable farming inputs
Governance structure
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National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi
NASFAM Membership
• farms on less than 1 ha of land
• support an average family size of 6 people
• grow 60% cash crops, 40% food crops
• Members are both sexes• Current membership
over 100,000
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National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi
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National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi
Smallholder farmers development challenges
• Limited access to credit and high interest rates
• Unaffordable prices for agricultural inputs
• Limited access to inputs, particularly certified quality seed
• Weak bargaining power and low product prices
• Lack of access to markets, market information
• Insufficient access to technology, equipment and knowledge
• Weak institutional linkages and extension structures
• Lack of voice to defend smallholder economic interests
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National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi
NASFAM Policy Influencing Processes
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Policy Influencing
Issue identification
Evidence building
Packaging evidence
Network building, advocacy target, dialogue
Position papers, Press statement/ releases
Commissioning research/ use of secondary data
Farmer consultations, use of extension Network; AGMs;
consultative meetings
National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi
The NASFAM Policy Platform• Roadmap to NASFAM policy influencing• Outlines policy issues, lobby targets and strategies,
recommendations• Has four thematic areas – Policy Pillars
- Access to production inputs and financial services
- Marketing Systems
- Agricultural commercialization
- Rural Infrastructure
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National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi
Approach to Policy InfluencingApproach to Policy Influencing
• NASFAM values ‘contact and dialogue’ as opposed to ‘confrontational approaches
• It was observed that policy makers respect constructive criticism more than confrontation
• Dialogue enabled NASFAM recognition by public and private sectors as a constructive partner
• Media engagement
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National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi
Case 1: Taxation on agricultural equipment
• Issue: reduced farmer incomes/ limited agric diversification/ market development
• Action: Developed position paper, dialogued with government; presentations at pre-budget meetings
• Outcome: removal of VAT on agric. equipment- allowed for import of Aflatoxin machines- int. markets
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National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi
Case 2: Limited access to certified seed
• Impact: low productivity, poverty• Action: ESFIM commissioned research
provided evidence- • - position paper on access to certified seed
esp. legumes• - recommendation for legume inclusion in FISP• - SHF farmer engagement in seed
multiplication
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National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi
FO challenges in policy influencing
• Capacity to undertake research
• Weak linkages with research/academia institutions
• Human and financial resources
• Reactive nature of policy issues
• Uncoordinated networks- different voices
• Policy implementation monitoring11
National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi
Recommendations• Defined FO constituency for credibility, • Formal FO-Research- Academia linkages for
continuous flow of evidence• FO should influence research agenda• Proactiveness• Farmer capacity building• Network building incl. media
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