Our staple field demonstrates how crop diversification and continuous coppicing of trees allow for a more productive system without the need for expensive inputs.
The staple field is rainfed, not irrigated, but will still produce year-round yields.
A Typical Malawian “Munda” (Rain Fed Garden)
Maize is the main source of sustenance in Malawi. It is ground into flour and made into nsima, the staple food of Malawi. Typical Malawian agricultural systems mono-crop their land with maize year after year, and are heavily dependant on synthetic fertilizers to remain productive. Synthetic nitrogen fertilizers break down soil and inhibit its ability to sequester carbon. These fertilizers account for sixty percent of all N2O emissions globally (N2O is 300 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than CO2) and have been linked to other serious environmental degradation. A mono-cropped, seasonally plowed field releases carbon dioxide and loses nutrients, resulting in degraded soil that requires further inputs, an economic and environmental burden.
Alley Cropping
In alley-cropping, a variety of crops are inter-planted with nutrient-rich trees, and water is managed through swales on contour. Shade from the trees prevents water loss through evaporation and protects soil from erosion, rendering it less susceptible to drought. Our staple field demonstrates how crop diversification and continuous coppicing of trees allow for a more productive system without the need for expensive and harmful inputs.
Water management through contour planting and swales helps to slow, sink, store, and spread the flow of water evenly, reducing runoff and erosion, and extending the growing season. This system replenishes the aquifer, instead of depleting it, and keeps the hydrological system in balance.
We plant a variety of local grains like millet and sorghum that are better adapted to the local climate. At the end of the rains the Centre will harvest maize, sorghum and millet but we will continue to see yields throughout the year of legumes, nuts, fuelwood and building supplies because of the integrated planting system.
Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction
Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the most vulnerable regions to be impacted by climate change. Resulting declines in agricultural yields from disasters like droughts and flooding will produce shocks for the population, which relies heavily on conventional farming for livelihoods.
Ecological organic food systems are a viable disaster risk reduction and adaptation strategy in the face of climate chaos. They reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide a sustainable livelihood with the potential to produce yields up to 80 percent greater than those of industrial agriculture systems.
