AWSAMe initiative: kickoff in Malawi

Malawi - From 13 to 16 May 2024, hosted a mission of the ‘Addressing Water Scarcity in Agriculture’ (AWSAMe) initiative, focusing on its component on indigenous, drought-resilient, and nutritious crop components. This mission follows the consultative workshop held in February 2024 in Ben Guerir, Morocco, during which four Member Nations, namely Cabo Verde, Malawi, Morocco, and South Sudan were brought together to discuss and identify indigenous crops with the potential to be promoted in their respective countries.   

Mr Zhijun Chen, the FAO representative for Malawi, confirmed the pertinence of the initiative for Malawi and emphasized the value of an integrated approach combining agronomic practices, policy considerations, and irrigation and engineering practices. 

During meetings with the Malawi Plant Genetic Resource Centre (MPGRC) and the stakeholder workshop, participants agreed that in addition to the two varieties of crops agreed upon for experience sharing among the four pilot countries (millets and vigna), Malawi would also focus on sweet potatoes and Mucuna pruriens. Participants committed to further unpack the next steps of the inception phase during a follow-up workshop with a task force that took place in the following week.