Presentation to the Malawi Agriculture Technical Clearing Committee which, after discussion, resulted in Endorsement of the revised Sustainable Nutrition Manual. Coming your way soon! Publishing process now underway. Follow www.NeverEndingFood.org for updates

1. Sustainable Nutrition Manual
2005 Low Input Food and Nutrition Security Manual
2012 reviewed and revised
2015 Sustainable Nutrition

2. Presentation Overview
1. 2012 Review, Survey Findings
– 2005 to 2012 people & organizers utilizing manual
– Impacts from using the manual
2. 2015 Sustainable Nutrition manual
– Key principles
– Key highlights of changes / improvements
– Plans on way forward
3. Discussion, Questions

3. (1) 2012 Review, Survey Findings
1. 2005 Manual
• About 10,000 manuals printed by different JEFAP partners
• Homes, Farmers groups, Schools and Hospitals were the main users
• See List in Appendix by Region and District – there are even more now.
1. 2012 electronic Survey
• 75 responses out of 600 emails sent
• Compiled into 4 page summary & 40 pages of details
2. 2012 task force met twice at NRC
• 21 people, 16 organizations at National, District, Community levels
• MoA, MoE MoH, OPC, Bunda, NRC student
• Anglican Church, EI, Goal, Kusamala, LOL, Landirani, Rescope, TLC, WFP
1. Impacts from using the 2005 manual
• Little data collected, mostly photos and stories
• A few promising small scale studies
• Many promising global studies on Agro-ecology, Biodiversity and Permaculture

4. MoEST School Health and Nutrition
Productive School Environment
• PSE role models sustainable & productive land use by applying
the school curriculum topics at school
– Pre School, Primary, Secondary
– Tertiary – especially Education Colleges
4
• Emphasize using school’s own resources
through:
– Teaching And Learning Using Locally Available
Resources (TALULAR)
– Permaculture
• Challenges:
– Dependency Syndrome
– Keeping it neat!

5. Nutrition: Productive School Environment
Schools as Role Models for the Curriculum
SHN HIV Strategies, updated 2011.07 5
Before
Chilala, Nkhata Bay, 2007 Jan

6. SHN HIV Strategies, updated 2011.07 6
6 months: Establishing Gardens, Orchards & Woodlots
Chilala, Nkhata Bay, 2007 Jun

7. SHN HIV Strategies, updated 2011.07 7
10 Months: Growth during rainy season
Chilala, Nkhata Bay, 2008 Feb

8. SHN HIV Strategies, updated 2011.07 8
4 years of growth – dry season photo
Chilala, Nkhata Bay, 2011 June

9. Parts of Sustainable Nutrition Manual
used for DODMA DNHA
Standard of Practice 1: General population

10. 65 local food pictures
15 photos of porridges
and family meals with
recipes on the back
250 ml cup
1 recipe book
(in 3 languages)
Wrapper cloth
used by all partners
Harmonized
nutrition
counseling
cards
(4 topics)
Integrated Homestead
Farming Manual
Malawi Food
Guide with added
indigenous species
Malawi Food
availability
Calendar for
community
food mapping
Nutrition
Education Bag
for all teaching
aids, used by all
partners
2015
Malawi Ministry of
Agriculture
Nutrition Education
Materials

11. (2) 2015 Sustainable Nutrition manual
1. Key Points about the manual
– For extension staff (agriculture, education, health, gender primarily)
– Agriculture sector key lead with DNHA oversight on nutrition policy
2. Key Principles, highlights of improvements
– Flow of content & Artwork improved
– More specifics on Agro-ecology, Local bio-diversity & Permaculture
Design

12. “Agro-ecology and the right to food” (March 2011)
Based on an extensive review of recent scientific literature, the
report demonstrates that agroecology, if sufficiently supported, can
double food production in entire regions within 10 years while
mitigating climate change and alleviating rural poverty.

13.  3 Ethics on CARE: Earth, People, Fair
 Design - thoughtful plans - LCRO, architects, scientists, innovators, engineers.
All the sustainable technologies, but put together in a system wisely.
 Natural - climate smart, resilience, conservation, natural systems give lessons
and ideas. High biodiversity – herbarium
 Zero Waste - efficiency zones
 Connections working together guilds
Malawi Permaculture timeline – in brief!
• 1994 first 12-day International Permaculture Design Certificat
• 2009 Malawi International Permaculture Conference 300+ particpants from Globe
• 2012 USAID Brief on Permaculture for Orphans and other Vulnerable children
• 2015-16 USAID permaculture designers held two trainings in Liwonde on Resilience
• 2015 World Bank SRBM – videos utilizing Permaculture design (Swales, Zone 3)
• Now - Permaculture network in Malawi - 6 Hubs, Kusamala Training Centre Lilongwe
• Now - Savory institute livestock
• Now - Large scale China, Middle East, USA, and many areas in the world have
What is permaculture?

14. Agroecology & Permaculture Studies
1. Permaculture Adoption Among Malawian Farmers:
A Positive Deviance Inquiry, H. Thornton, MSc Thesis
with School for International Training in Vermont,
USA, 2010
2. The Potential of Permaculture: Addressing
Subsistence Farming and Food Security in Malawi,
Dr. Abigail Conrad, 2012
3. Building a New Agricultural Future: Supporting agro-
ecology for people and the planet, 2014 Oxfam
Report
4. From the Roots Up: How Agro-ecology can feed
Africa , Global Justice, February 2015
5. International Symposium Agroecology for Food
Security and Nutrition, FAO Rome on September 18
and 19, 2014.

15. Good
Nutrition
Health
Body & living conditions:
care, water, sanitation, hygiene
Food & Water Security
All food groups & water:
available, accessible, utilized, all the time
Human Systems
For food, water, health, education, policies, etc.
Natural Resources & Systems
Soil, water, air, vegetation, animals (including insects & humans)
1st
4th
3rd
2nd
Environment + Agriculture =
the foundation of Nutrition,
the source of our nutrients
Nutrition Security =
Nutrient needs met for growth, health & energy
Medication
Soil, Food, Water & People
can be avoided
with a healthy foundation
Agriculture – the Basis of Sustainable Nutrition
15

16. High levels of
Poor Nutrition
Food & Water Insecurity
Calories, but lacking nutrients
Water becoming serious threat
Systems are currently out of balance
Requires higher inputs
Higher Medications
for
People
Food & Water
Plants, Animals, Soil

17. 1.2 ha average smallholder farmer landholding is small
85 % of land used to grow subsistence maize
75 % of calories consumed is from maize
2015 November 17-19 17
Malawians eat more corn (maize) per capita
than ANY other country on earth!
Over half of calories!
Maize brought to Southern Africa from Central America
about 250 years ago

18. Food Insecurity & Malnutrition
Unbalanced Meal Balanced Meal
Same Amount – Balanced Groups with More Variety
75% of Agriculture & Diets are Maize
48% of Malawi’s children are nutritionally “stunted”

19. Unbalanced production
All Seasons (rains vs. dry)
Agriculture – the Basis of Nutrition
Balanced Production
All Seasons (rains vs. dry)

20. Food Security = ALL food groups
Recommended adult needs based on 2,200 kcal/day
1 day 1 year
1 Adult
Calories
%
Calories
1 adult
(Kg)
16 Million
Adults (kg)
1. Staples
½ Grains 838 38% 90 1,460,000
½ Tubers 240 11% 90 1,460,000
2. Fruits 150 7% 108 1,752,000
3. Vegetables 96 4% 108 1,752,000
4. Legumes & Nuts 588 26% 54 584,000
5. Animal Foods 58 3% 36 584,000
6. Fats 235 11% 18 116,800
TOTAL food needed: 2,205 100% 504 7,708,800
Diversity not just maize Not 270 kg of maize

21. Production
Processing
Marketing
Buying
Preparing
Eating
30,000 = edible plants ID’d
7,000 = human food
3 crops = 50 % plant energy
30 crops = 95 % calories & protein
FAO 1997

22. Staples Fats Fruits
Vegetables Legumes & Nuts
Animal Foods
What can we do?
Produce & Eat all food groups

23. Do we have the foods? YES! Hundreds!

24. Asiatic Dayflower
Commelina communis
Chichewa: Kasungwi
Leaves contain 184%
of RNI for Vitamin A
Wild Custard Apple
Annona dipsacens
Chichewa: Mposa
Fruit has 103%
of RNI for Vitamin A
Marc Barany
Non-Timber Forest
Products
in the Food Security
and Nutrition
of Smallholders
Afflicted by HIV
in Sub-Saharan Africa

25. Baobab
Adansonia digitata
Chichewa: Mlambe

26. Tamarind
Tamarinindus indica
Chechewa: Bwemba
The leaves have more than 100% of RNI for Iron
(Marc Barany, Non-Timber Forest Products in the Food Security and Nutrition of Smallholders Afflicted by HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa

27. Mopane Worm
Gonimbrasia belina
Chichewa: Mphalabungu
Twice the protein of beef!
(Marc Barany, Non-Timber Forest Products in the Food Security and Nutrition of Smallholders Afflicted by HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa)

28. Adansonia digitata
Baobab
Nutrition
Diarrhoea

29. Aloe vera
(Aloe barbadensis)
Skin problems –
externally and internally
Burns
Wounds
Immuno-modulator
(strengthens a weak immune
system, helps with rheumatism,
allergies and cancer)

30. Cymbopogon citratus
lemon grass
Fever
Detoxifies the
blood
High blood
pressure
Colds and flu
A pleasant,
healthy drink!

31. Tagetes erecta
African / Aztec marigold
Coughs
Eye
infections
Whooping
cough
Abscesses

32. Tithonia diversifloia
Mexican sunflower
Soil
improver
Hedges
Dermatitis

33. Soil Health
Compost
LegumesWorm Farms Mulching
Agro-Forestry
The soil
needs protein
(nitrogen)
and a diverse
diet,
just like we do!

34. Composting
Toilets

35. Water
Harvesting
from the roof
into the earth or
into tanks
Into
orchards
Into
tanks

36. Energy
Fire wood efficiency with
tree planting, wind, solar,
water, biogas...and more

37. Integrated animal systems
Land O’Lakes Food for Progress Nutrition 37
Combinations of: ponds – animals – plants – trees – live fencing – etc.

38. Integrated Pest Management
Strong smelling plants, beneficial creatures, thorns, etc.

39. Use every space!
Different
Food Groups
supported on:
Trees,
Houses,
Fences,
Trellises etc.

40. Luwayo Biswick
Past NeverEndingFood Intern
Now Kusamala www.Kusamala.org
Lead Permaculture Trainer & Consultant
Permaculture Design
Putting it all together
2015 Field at NeverEndingFood
Come visit!
www.NeverEndingFood.org

41. Both pictures on the same day
(20 Jan 2016) near Chitedze, Malawi
within 200 meters of each other.
The TOP is a typical monocropped
maize field in the area, suffering from
soil infertility and drought stress.
The BOTTOM a diversified,
100% organic, mulched field,
using free open-pollinated seeds.

42. 2016 January 4
Crops at a neighbor’s plot
Malnourished soil
Malnourished plants
2016 January 4
www.NeverEndingFood.org
Well nourished soil
supported with diversity

43. The Difference
7 Months can make!
(1) Before Wife sweeping 1 hour+ each day
(2) Month 1 Reduced sweeping and beds
(3) Month 7 Area flourishing with foods
(1) 2005 July, before design
(2) 2005 Aug, 2 weeks (3) 2006 Feb, 7 months

44. Teacher
Development
Centre
SHN Strategy 0verview, updated 2010.10
1.5 years - 2008 Feb
Before Permaculture 2006 Oct
The Difference
1.5 years
can make

45. The Difference 3 years can make
Before (2003) Later (2006)
Stacia, Kristof & Khalidwe Nordin www.NeverEndingFood.org

46. Malawi is RICH!
PROPOSED WAY FORWARD
Next 3-5 years WFP work with MoAIWD to build evidence on the cost,
feasibility to run at scale impacts on health soil, water, air, plants and animals;
and changes in household financial status, food group availability and diet.
• FNOs and LRCOs, but each SMS has a role to play: Water/Irrigation,
Livestock, Crops and Extension Methods.
• DAESS (DAECC, DSP, ASP, VACs), and link with the District Nutrition
Coordinating Committee and Ministries of Health, Education and Natural
Resources, at a minimum.
• Marry with other resources from DAES Integrated Homestead Farming
manual, Scaling Up Nutrition food and nutrition education bag