Tiyeni
Location
Malawi
Sector
Agriculture
Type of Investment
Grant
Project Stage
Test & Transition
Length of Investment
2024 +
Website
https://tiyeni.org/
Investment Overview
Tiyeni is pioneering Deep Bed Farming (DBF), an innovative form of climate-smart agriculture which reduces soil erosion, improves soil quality and increases crop yields. DBF is being used to foster the food security and climate resilience of smallholder farmers in Malawi.
The Development Challenge
Over 80% of the economically active population in Malawi are employed in agriculture, most of them as smallholder farmers. They are blighted by severe land degradation as a result of rapid deforestation and unsustainable farming practices. Intensive tillage and use of hand hoe for cultivation have created a hard pan of compacted soil which reduces yields since crops struggle to take root. Critical watersheds are also degrading, threatening water availability and quality, which is critical for productive farming. Climate change is worsening the effects of Malawi’s already highly variable and unpredictable climate by increasing the frequency of droughts and floods.
The Innovation
DBF facilitates water retention, reduces soil erosion and improves yields. It works by first breaking the soil hardpan using pickaxes and other tools to ensure a looser soil structure to encourage deeper crop rooting, healthy soil microbiological activity, and deep water infiltration. Once broken, this process only needs to be repeated every five years, and eliminates the need for yearly tilling.
The second step involves the construction of raised deep-beds for planting and closed furrows for rainwater storage, following the natural contour lines of slopes in parallel so as to prevent downhill water run-off.
The final step involves training farmers in the adoption of climate-smart agriculture techniques, such as intercropping, mulching, use of organic manure and crop rotation. Tiyeni trains farmers to practise DBF in groups of around 20, so they can demonstrate the techniques to new adopters.
Our Investment
GIF has provided Tiyeni with a grant of $750,000 to support Tiyeni to train 17,000 farmers around the Lunyangwa River watershed near Mzuzu to practise DBF. Tiyeni will rigorously analyse adaption dynamics, barriers and enablers, and the profitability for farmers, creating a stronger evidence base on the net benefits for farmers and potential water management outcomes.
Tiyeni in numbers
of Malawi’s working population active in agriculture
farmers to be trained to practise DBF
GIF grant
Innovating for Climate Resilience
This investment is part of GIF’s Innovating for Climate Resilience sub-fund.