Duration: 2017-2018
Budget: 500.000 euro
Flanders supports ICRAF to inform policymakers and farmers in Malawi about the health of the soil. To protect farmers against climate change, it is important that their activities (fertilization, applying agroforestry, choice of crops, ...) align as closely as possible to the local soil health, which modifies increasingly due to climate change. ICRAF is developing, in collaboration with the Malawi government, an online searchable map that documents the characteristics of the upper soil layer (50 cm) in Malawi. Farmers and policy makers will be able to see the characteristics of the soil for each location in Malawi. Moreover, the scientific institutions and government departments will be trained to update the maps as new satellite images are available.
The project fits within the focus of Flanders on agriculture and agricultural information in Malawi. Experience shows that it is important to use evidence-based facts while forming a policy. After the completion of this project, policy makers will be able to balance the benefits of agroforestry for humans and the environment. Some benefits include increased CO2 storage crops (mitigation), better infiltration and water absorption (less risk of flooding), promoting the fertility of the land, increased agricultural productivity in the context of climate change. Flanders will share the results of this project in ASWAp.