Integrating Agriculture and Nutrition in Public Sector Agricultural Extension Services

The system is housed in the Department of Agricultural Extension Services (DAES) within the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MoAFS). DAES is the largest provider of agricultural extension services in Malawi, and its extension agents are the primary interface between the government and rural populations. The agricultural sector in Malawi is characterized by low productivity, limited value addition, and erosion of agricultural services, particularly extension services. Despite these challenges, the Government of Malawi recognizes agriculture as the driver of economic growth and wealth creation, and has formalized this recognition in the Malawi Agricultural Sector Wide Approach (ASWAp) and the National Nutrition Education and Communication Strategy (NECS). These instruments promote cross-sectoral linkages to harness all available resources to meet nutrition challenges, and underpin efforts to integrate nutrition in agricultural extension programming. The assessment examined numerous aspects of agriculture-nutrition integration, and identified several key issues that must be addressed in order to effectively integrate the two. One of the primary issues is the existing conditions of service for public agricultural extension workers, which limit their job performance. These conditions include lack of operational funding, limited communication tools, limited means of or access to transport, narrow opportunities for professional development and career advancement, and generally low wages. Adding nutrition-related responsibilities without addressing these conditions is unlikely to be met with enthusiasm. Another key issue is the coverage of extension services, which is limited due to a high vacancy rate among extension posts. In the 1990s, a cadre of Farm Home Assistants complemented the work of agricultural extension agents, but this group is no longer part of the extension structure. To address this issue, actions such as training volunteer lead farmers and volunteer nutrition promoters, applying mass media and ICT solutions, and providing front-line credit facilities are being considered. The pluralistic extension and advisory system in Malawi is comprised of the public extension service, numerous local and international NGOs, and private sector entities. DAES spearheads the initiative to develop a demand-driven, decentralized, participatory, and pluralistic extension system, which promotes a framework for organizing farmer demand and service provider response, as well as coordinating related activities of all stakeholders. The integration of agriculture and nutrition in public sector extension services is critical to addressing the complex and interrelated issues that affect nutrition outcomes in Malawi. By addressing the key issues identified in this assessment, including conditions of service and coverage, the public sector extension system can play a more effective role in delivering nutrition-sensitive agriculture interventions and improving nutritional outcomes for the population with whom extension agents work.