The Case of NASFAM & its influence on Value Chain Policy Making in Malawi, by Alexander Chikapula (NASFAM)

1. 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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2. National Smallholder Farmers’
Association of Malawi
About NASFAM
Functions Governance structure
• 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
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3. 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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4. National Smallholder Farmers’
Association of Malawi
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5. 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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6. National Smallholder Farmers’
Association of Malawi
NASFAM Policy Influencing Processes
Policy Network building, advocacy
Influencing target, dialogue
Packaging Position papers, Press
evidence statement/ releases
Evidence Commissioning research/ use
building of secondary data
Farmer consultations, use of
Issue extension Network; AGMs;
identification consultative meetings
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7. 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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8. National Smallholder Farmers’
Association of Malawi
Approach 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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9. 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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10. 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 10

11. 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 monitoring
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12. 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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