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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