Agriculture must deliver more than just food

As Agra marks two decades in Malawi, country director DR ELUPHY NYIRENDA reflects on the organisation’s journey from seeds and productivity to whole food systems, and why the next phase must create jobs, unlock investment and make farming more resilient. Nyirenda: It is a celebration, but it is also a challenge. | Nation Agra is celebrating 20 years. What exactly are you celebrating? We are celebrating 20 years of partnership, learning and investment in agricultural transformation. It is an opportunity to ask what has worked, what has not worked well enough and what the next 20 years must deliver. When Agra was founded in 2006, the vision was to help build an African Green Revolution that would enable smallholder farmers to move beyond chronic poverty. Twenty years later, that ambition remains relevant, but the challenges have changed. Agra began with a strong focus on seeds, technology and productivity. Why has that agenda changed? Because we have learnt that productivity alone is not enough. A farmer can have improved seed, but without knowledge, finance, fertiliser, irrigation and a reliable market, that seed will not transform their livelihood. Agra’s first phase was, therefore, about building foundations; agricultural science, locally adapted varieties, early-generation seed, local seed companies and stronger institutions. In Malawi, we supported nine Malawians to complete PhDs and 28 master’s degrees, supported the release of 31 improved crop varieties, produced more than 16 000 metric tonnes of certified seed and established or strengthened eight local seed companies.

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Published

19 Sep 2026

Languages

English