Climate-Smart Agriculture Extension Program

The Climate-Smart Agriculture Extension Program is one of NASFAM's flagship initiatives, designed to address the growing impact of climate variability on smallholder farming households across Malawi. The programme combines field-level training, infrastructure support, and access to climate information services to help farmers adapt their practices to an increasingly unpredictable growing environment.

At the core of the programme is a farmer-to-farmer training model, where lead farmers selected by their communities receive intensive training from NASFAM field officers, then cascade the knowledge to surrounding households. This approach has proven highly cost-effective and culturally appropriate, generating strong peer trust and sustained uptake of recommended practices beyond the initial training period.

Water harvesting structures including small-scale earth dams, rock catchments, and sand dams have been constructed in partnership with district councils in water-stressed areas. These structures have created reliable dry-season water access for communities that previously relied entirely on seasonal rainfall, opening opportunities for irrigated vegetable production during the dry season.

The programme also integrates access to seasonal weather advisories, providing registered farmer groups with SMS-based forecasts and agronomic guidance timed to their specific planting windows. Monitoring data from the first three programme cycles shows measurable improvements in soil organic matter scores and crop yield stability among participating households compared to non-participating neighbours.