World Food Programme Fighting Hunger Worldwide

Conservation agriculture helps increase yields

Rabson Charlie, a subsistence farmer in the Chikhwawa district, started practicing conservation agriculture including techniques such as pit planting and manure application as part of WFP's Africa Adaptation Programme. Using these techniques, Rabson realized a 250% increase in maize yields. This will help sustain his family for the next nine months.

Fuel-efficient stoves to prevent deforestation The Mulanje Mountain Forest Reserve has suffered massive deforestation due to the demand of local communities for firewood. As part of the WFP Africa Adaptation Programme, WFP and partners introduced fuel-efficient stoves (pictured here) that use 30% less firewood than open fires (pictured to the side). The stoves have other benefits such as their mobility and faster cooking times. They also serve as an income generating project for participating communities.

Using alternative crops to promote resilience

Angela Simbi, a mother of four pictured with her sweet potato crop just before harvest. Angela received a hybrid variety of sweet potato seeds as part of the WFP Africa Adaptation Programme. This sweet potato variety is enhanced with vitamins, and Angela looks forward to the nutritional benefits that it will bring to her family.
 

Planting trees to prevent flooding Fanny Mwangala plants a tree along the Thuchila riverbank bordering Mulanje and Thyolo districts in southern Malawi. Her community planted 10,000 tree seedlings in an effort to maintain the riverbank, and prevent flooding.

Tripling yields through irrigation farming Noel Denja (34) increased his crop yield from 18 bags to 38 bags in 2012, thanks to the Namasalima Irrigation Project in Zomba, southern of Malawi. He expects to further increase his harvest to 56 bags in 2013. As part of African Adaptation Project activities, WFP initiated the irrigation project in 2012 to build the resilience of those affected by drought.

Domasi River: a wonderful resource

“We didn’t know that we could use this river to help us harvest more food for our families,” says Beauty Kapito, a widow and mother of five children. “With irrigation farming, hunger will now be a thing of the past.” Through a WFP-funded irrigation project that started in September 2012, Beauty harvested nine bags maize from winter cropping. This saved her and her children from hunger during the October-to-March lean season.