Drought tolerant (DT) maize varieties have received massive support in sub‐Saharan Africa because of their potential to protect smallholder farmers against drought‐related maize yield losses. Using four waves of household farm panel data from six districts in Malawi, we examine the impact heterogeneity of this technology on maize productivity using a continuous treatment approach. We find strong evidence of positive correlation between maize yield and adoption of DT maize varieties. On average, an increase by one hectare in the area allocated to DT varieties increases maize yield by 547 Kg/ha representing a 44% increase from the average maize yield of 1,254 Kg/ha for our sample. Our findings give evidence that DT maize technology has potential to protect smallholder farmers against drought‐related production losses. Policies that promote increased allocation of maize area to DT maize hold potential to enhance food security. Smallholder farmers especially in drought‐prone areas should be encouraged to allocate at least one‐third of the maize plot to DT varieties while breeders continue with the efforts of breeding a DT variety that is not only drought tolerant but also adapted to all weather conditions. More importantly, the government should ensure provision of timely ex ante weather information to guide farmers on decision‐making with respect to maize varietal choices.

Hermetic grain storage bags are an airtight technology that protects stored grain from environmental factors, pests, and pathogens, with proven feasibility for smallholder farmer use. We examined the determinants and barriers to the use of these bags by smallholder farmers in Malawi and found that 83% of farmers were aware of hermetic bags for grain storage, but only 11–20% had ever used them, with half of the farmers who used the bags receiving them through donations. Furthermore, only 7.2% of farmers used the bags more than once. There was no association between their receipt of donated bags and their continued use and purchase of additional bags. There were, however, strong correlations between use of hermetic bags and the age of the head of household, distance to farmer groups’ meeting points, household size, and participation in a CIP-sponsored project. Focus group discussions identified key barriers to adopting hermetic bags, including local unavailability, perceived high cost, limited knowledge of the technology, low yields, and misconceptions about the utility of the bags. Thus, while donations play a central role in introducing hermetic bags, donations alone are insufficient in ensuring their long-term adoption. Addressing the identified barriers through improved availability, reduced costs, local manufacturing, and policy interventions such as microfinancing options and better distribution networks are essential to increasing the uptake of hermetic bags by smallholder farmers in Malawi and elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa.

Vitamin A dense Orange fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) has the potential to build resilient livelihoods against Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD), food insecurity, and climate change. However, the adoption of OFSP among smallholder farmers in Malawi remains low. Although many scholars across the globe have reviewed the seed systems of OFSP, no empirical study, in Malawi or elsewhere, has modelled how the use of the various sources of vines affect farmers’ seed security and eventual decisions to adopt biofortified OFSP varieties. The study employed a mixed methods approach and used a Triple Hurdle model to analyze the effect of the existing sources of vines on the adoption of OFSP among 721 randomly sampled households in central and northern Malawi. The study also developed a seed security experience score (SSES) in order to assess the capacity of the existing sources of vines to ensure farmers’ seed security. By defining adoption as a three-stage process, and by shifting the seed systems focus to capacity of the existing sources of vines, the study departs from the conventional approaches that most scholars have used to model adoption of OFSP. The study found that the existing sources of vines influenced all the three stages of adoption. The SSES results indicated that the capacity of the existing sources subjected the majority of the farmers to a highly seed insecurity status. Interventions therefore must be designed to address the seed security challenges associated with the existing sources in order to enhance the capacity of the sources for widespread and sustained adoption of OFSP.

This study assessed the chemical composition of amaranth leaves from six different accessions (MN-BH-01, PE-UP-BH-01, PE-LO-BH-01, CK-BH-01, NU-BH-01, and LL-BH-04) grown in various locations in Malawi. Key nutritional traits, including crude protein, calcium, zinc, iron, and potassium content, were analyzed, revealing significant variability influenced by genotype–environment interactions. MN-BH-01 exhibited the highest protein, calcium, zinc, and potassium levels, making it a promising candidate for nutritional enhancement. PE-UP-BH-01 had elevated iron content, while LL-BH-04 showed superior crude protein in certain locations. Nutrient composition varied significantly across different environmental conditions, emphasizing the impact of these interactions on nutrient accumulation. Cluster analysis and AMMI analysis identified consistent accessions (MN-BH-01 and NU-BH-01) valuable for breeding nutrient-rich varieties. Farmers preferred NU-BH-01 for its flavor, yield, and marketability, while MN-BH-01 was less favored due to its bitterness. These findings offer valuable insights for developing climate-resilient and biofortified amaranth varieties, contributing to food security and nutrition in Malawi and similar regions.

Use of digital tools is rapidly transforming the world, and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) integration in fisheries presents great opportunities for enhancing fishing‐dependent livelihoods. This article employed latent class analysis and a multinomial logistic regression to explore preferred digital tools for fish traders to address the problem of lack of access to market information. Results from a sample of 548 participants show heterogeneous preferences among fish traders who can be classified into three subgroups: digital‐wise (70%), phone‐wise (24%) and digital‐local (6%) across different platforms and prefer the use of all platforms (USSD, calls, apps, radio and television [TV] programmes). On the basis of platform ranking, traders prefer calls more, followed by app, USSD, radio and TV, respectively. Results further show that social demographic characteristics, including marital status, gender, age and trust among players, influence class membership in different subgroups. To address the diverse needs of traders, there is a need for a free, cross‐platform digital system, call centre/USSD service for convenience, data quality checks, endorsements, the provision of digital credit and stakeholder collaboration to exploit digital fish trade opportunities for Malawi to benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Agreement and not to be left behind in the fourth industrial revolution.