Datasets

× This dataset explores (1) labor supply and (2) perceptions and impacts of COVID-19 via 4 quarterly phone surveys in rural Malawi. The sample was chosen randomly from among those that reported cell phone numbers in a previous multi-topic, in person survey in several regions of rural Malawi.

× This dataset is generated from maize response trials (legume/maize rotation system) that were conducted in Linthipe EPA, Dedza district, and Ntubwi EPA in Machinga district in Malawi, 2019/2020 cropping season. In the previous season, certifies and recycled seed of different varieties of groundnut were grown. In the current season, maize was planted as a test crop.

× This dataset was generated from the study conducted to determine whether there is any significant difference in the uptake of sustainable intensification (SI) technologies by farmers because of their interaction with the research team during project implementation. Africa RISING project started interacting with farmers during the 2012/13 cropping season in three agro-ecologies in central Malawi. International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) started interacting with farmers who were using conservation agriculture-based SI technologies since the 2007/2008 cropping season in three agro-ecologies in central Malawi. In this study, both CIMMYT and Michigan State University (MSU) led trials were selected. Over time, some new farmers were engaged, creating an opportunity to also study exposure time as a factor to understand the intensity and use of SI technologies. We grouped farmers into two categories to assess the effect of exposure time: (1) farmers who were engaged at the onset of the project (2012/2013), and (2) farmers who were engaged starting 2016/2017 cropping season. Farmers were primarily engaged at different levels. I. Mother trial farmers ? these were farmers who hosted fully replicated trials with a range of technologies, often more than 8 treatments. They were a nucleus group of farmers, who anchored the learning process. They were visited more by researchers and often hosted field days. Farmer interaction with researchers and extension was rated as ?high?. Three mother trials per agroecology were selected for the determination of water-limited yield potential. II. Mother trial farmer experimenter ? these were the same host farmers who were applying SI technologies on their wider farms. Three fields were selected to capture yield data from these. III. Baby farmers: These were a selected group of farmers who were associated with a mother trial. These farmers usually participated in field days and engaged with extension staff. IV. Local controls: These farmers were located in the same village as the mother and baby trial farmers. They did not directly benefit from Africa RISING but were exposed to Africa RISING technologies through field days. They often did not directly relate to the project. At least 3 local controls per mother (3x3 = 9 farmers per agro-ecology) were chosen.

× This dataset is a result of a study that was carried out in nine on-farm sites of Central and Southern Malawi to understand and compare the effects of different cropping systems (conservation agriculture (CA) and conventional) on soil physical and chemical parameters and long-term maize productivity. Six experiments were established in each target community. Each experiment had three treatments at one farm and was treated as a replicate, plot sizes were 0.1 ha per treatment. The treatments were as follows: 1. Conventional control plot consisting of the traditional ridge and furrow land preparation planted with continuous monocrop maize (CPM). The residues were managed using methods commonly practiced in each extension planning area; i.e., the residues were incorporated into the ridges. Continuous monocrop maize was planted on the ridges. 2. CA plot with continuous monocrop maize (CAM) planted into the previous years? ridges (where they still existed) or directly into the plot without previous ridge formation. Crop residues from the previous years? harvests were retained as a surface mulch. Maize seeds were planted as sole crops in no-till methods using a pointed stick (dibble stick). 3. CA plot with maize intercropped with a legume [cowpea or pigeon pea or groundnut. Both crops were planted with the dibble stick into the previous years? ridges (where they still existed) or directly into the plot without further ridging. Crop residues were retained as surface mulch as in treatment 2.

× This study contains data that were collected to assess the demand and supply of extension services in Malawi. The survey covers 3001 households and 299 sections in all 29 districts in Malawi (excluding Likoma). These surveys were complemented by follow-up visits and in-depth interviews with farmers in four communities and interviews with more than 30 key informants at national, district, EPA, and section levels The data collected include information about the household and head; agricultural practices and production by plot; sales and utilization by crops, tree crops, livestock and fisheries; technology adoption; extension services; access to inputs and credit; social networks; food security and dietary diversity; non-food expenditure; and other measures of economic and social welfare.

× This study contains data that were collected to assess the demand and supply of extension services in Malawi. The survey covers 2,888 households and 299 sections in all 29 districts in Malawi (excluding Likoma) and was conducted from July-September 2018. These surveys were complemented by follow-up visits and in-depth interviews with farmers in four communities and interviews with more than 30 key informants at national, district, EPA, and section levels The data collected include information about the household and head; agricultural practices and production by plot; sales and utilization by crops, tree crops, livestock and fisheries; technology adoption; extension services; access to inputs and credit; social networks; food security and dietary diversity; non-food expenditure; and other measures of economic and social welfare.

× The qualitative research protocols were designed by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in collaboration with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to identify issues that most constrain women’s access to employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in Malawi and to understand how benefit streams for economic growth due to low participation of women in employment and entrepreneurship can be unlocked through removing constraints. More broadly, the protocols are part of an effort to improve the integration of gender into growth constraints diagnostics, an analytic approach commonly used by development organizations, such as MCC, to identify ‘binding’ constraints to economic growth within a particular economy and prioritize policy reforms to ease those constraints.

× This survey was conducted to collect baseline data for a randomized control trial preceding the introduction of improved energy cookstoves in the Dedza District in the Central Region of Malawi. A similar baseline study was also conducted in Mozambique in the district of Angonia. Dedza district in Malawi was selected because it shares a transboundary with Angonia district in Mozambique and has similar biophysical and socioeconomic conditions. This selection was intended because the project was set out to examine how differences in policies in the two countries contributed to the adoption and use of improved cookstoves under a randomized control trial experiment. The data also includes a section on discrete choice experiments that test several price subsidy policy options and their impact on the possible uptake of improved cookstoves. The data also includes another section again on discrete choice experiments testing fertilizer subsidy policy options and how they could impact on the uptake of agroforestry.

× This survey was conducted to collect endline data for a randomized control trial study. The endline survey was conducted two years after the introduction of improved energy cookstoves in the Dedza District in the Central Region of Malawi. A similar endline study was also conducted in Mozambique in the district of Angonia. Dedza district in Malawi was selected because it shares a transboundary with Angonia district in Mozambique and have similar biophysical and socioeconomic conditions. This selection was intended because the project was set out to examine how differences in policies in the two countries contributed to adoption and use of improved cookstoves under a randomized control trial experiment.

× The Land Resources Evaluation Project (LREP), which ran from 1988 to 1992, was a joint government of Malawi, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) project that involved a close reconnaissance of the agro-ecological resources of Malawi. Extensive fieldwork was done to map the soils across the country at the moderately detailed scale of 1:250,000 (1 cm = 2.5 km). Weather data were analyzed to generate averages for various indicators for use in mapping the agro-climatological zones of Malawi at the same geographic scale.
The soils and agroclimatic maps developed were then overlaid to develop a ‘land unit’ map for Malawi. Each land unit is defined by a unique combination of relatively homogeneous soil and climate properties within its boundaries. These land units were then used with information on the optimal soil and climate conditions for growing a range of rainfed agricultural crops, as well as irrigated rice and tree species, to undertake a spatial suitability analysis for the production of each in each land unit.
The soil survey mapping involved examining soil profiles from several thousand locations across the country between November 1987 and September 1991. The soil surveyors recorded information on the soil profiles and on individual horizons within the soil profiles on standard forms while they were in the field. The data collection forms in paper format were then archived by the Land Husbandry Branch (later renamed Land Resources and Conservation Branch). Soil samples were also collected for chemical analysis. Key professional personnel involved in the collection of the soil profile data included J.A. Eschweiler, S.J. Nanthambwe, S. Paris, J.H. Venema, A.J.M. Lorkeers, R.I. Green, A.E. Kandodo, P. Banda, Mr. Chikowi
Digital records of the soil profile data were not created under the LREP-Malawi project. In 1999, members of the Maize Commodity Team at Chitedze Agricultural Research Station, led by Todd Benson, created digital files of the LREP soil profile and horizon data from the paper field data forms. The majority of the data entry was done by Sophie C. Nambuzi, with assistance from Ivy Ligowe and Maction Komwa. The efforts of the team were generously assisted by Mr. Stephen J. Nanthambwe of the Land Resources and Conservation Branch, who was a participant in the original soil sampling exercise.

× The survey questionnaires were designed by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in collaboration with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to collect information on the experiences of and constraints to employment and entrepreneurship among men and women of working age (18-54 years old) in Malawi, and more broadly, to improve the integration of gender into growth constraints diagnostics, an analytic approach commonly used by development organizations, such as MCC, to identify ‘binding’ constraints to economic growth within a particular economy and prioritize policy reforms to ease those constraints.

× This is a value-added secondary dataset, derived from the third (2010/11) and fourth (2016/17) Malawi Integrated Household Survey (MIHS) datasets compiled by the National Statistical Office of Malawi with technical assistance from the World Bank. The dataset combines nutrient composition and retention data with cleaned and improved dietary recall data included in the MIHS survey. This information can be used for various other analyses in which dietary intake or nutrients from specific foods or food groups are of interest.

× This dataset is a result of a study that was carried out in nine on-farm sites of Central and Southern Malawi to understand and compare the effects of different cropping systems (conservation agriculture (CA) and conventional) on soil physical and chemical parameters and long-term maize productivity. Six experiments were established in each target community. Each experiment had three treatments at one farm and was treated as a replicate, plot sizes were 0.1 ha per treatment. The treatments were as follows: 1. Conventional control plot consisting of the traditional ridge and furrow land preparation planted with continuous monocrop maize (CPM). The residues were managed using methods commonly practiced in each extension planning area; i.e., the residues were incorporated into the ridges. Continuous monocrop maize was planted on the ridges. 2. CA plot with continuous monocrop maize (CAM) planted into the previous years? ridges (where they still existed) or directly into the plot without previous ridge formation. Crop residues from the previous years? harvests were retained as a surface mulch. Maize seeds were planted as sole crops in no-till methods using a pointed stick (dibble stick). 3. CA plot with maize intercropped with a legume [cowpea or pigeon pea or groundnut. Both crops were planted with the dibble stick into the previous years? ridges (where they still existed) or directly into the plot without further ridging. Crop residues were retained as surface mulch as in treatment 2.

× Several initiatives in Malawi have sought to strengthen the processes through which the design and content of policies, strategies, and programs in the agriculture sector that affect the nation’s food security are established. A two-part study was done under the New Alliance Policy Acceleration Support: Malawi Project (NAPAS: Malawi) to assess the quality of these policy processes and the institutional framework through which they are conducted and how perceptions of their quality have changed over time. The study is based on a two-round survey of national stakeholders in Malawi on issues centered on agriculture or food security that was conducted in 2015 and 2017/18.

This study contains data from the endline survey. The endline survey was conducted in late 2017 and early 2018. The 86 individuals who made up the analytical sample for the baseline survey were contacted again and asked to complete an online questionnaire that replicated three of the five modules from the baseline survey. In total 55 respondents, while the other 12 endline survey respondents were replacements for baseline survey respondents who no longer participate in agriculture and food security policy processes in Malawi. These replacements generally were the current holders of the institutional positions held by the earlier baseline survey respondents.

The endline survey consists of three modules.

Respondent details; influence of institution within policy processes
Opinion on quality of agriculture and food security policy processes in Malawi
Opinion on quality of institutional architecture for agriculture and food security policy processes in Malawi

× Several initiatives in Malawi have sought to strengthen the processes through which the design and content of policies, strategies, and programs in the agriculture sector that affect the nation’s food security are established. A two-part study was done under the New Alliance Policy Acceleration Support: Malawi Project (NAPAS: Malawi) to assess the quality of these policy processes and the institutional framework through which they are conducted and how perceptions of their quality have changed over time. The study is based on a two-round survey of national stakeholders in Malawi on issues centered on agriculture or food security that was conducted in 2015 and 2017/18.

This study contains data from the baseline survey. The baseline survey was administered between June and August 2015 to a purposively selected survey sample made of about 100 national level stakeholders in these policy processes. These individuals were asked to complete an online questionnaire that captured their opinions on a range of questions related to the quality of agriculture and food security policy processes at the national level in Malawi. At the end of the baseline survey administration period, responses had been obtained from 86 individuals.

The baseline survey consists of five modules: 1)Respondent details; influence of institution within policy processes; 2)Opinion on quality of agriculture and food security policy processes in Malawi; 3) Opinion on quality of institutional architecture for agriculture and food security policy processes in Malawi; 4) Factors that affect agenda-setting within policy processes on agriculture and food security issues and the design of the policies or programs considered; 5)Participation by respondent in agriculture and food security policy process events.

× This dataset includes a baseline and endline survey from a cluster-randomized sample of households within villages covering the five uppermost Extension Planning Areas (EPAs) in the Shire River Basin in southern Malawi, spanning the districts of Balaka, Machinga, and Zomba. These EPAs were identified by the Malawian Department of Land Resources Conservation (DLRC) as the key riparian areas to the Shire River. Additionally, it includes registration and monitoring data from two years of the experimental intervention, with the intervention consisting of varying incentive structures and visual monitoring of land management practices. Finally, the data include an accounting of what, if anything, recipients purchased with the voucher they received. In sum, these data include detailed assessments of farm and household characteristics; detailed crop-level measurements of inputs and production for all plots (baseline and endline surveys) or the main plot (intervention registrations; summaries at plot-level for all other plots); assessments of access to services, coupons, and markets; an economic experiment designed to assess marginal willingness-to-accept a conservation agriculture (CA) incentive (baseline), and the perceived risks associated with CA (year 2 intervention and endline).

× As part of an IFPRI-led study, raw and partially processed secondary data have been harmonized and analyzed to examine the ex-ante effects of different legume and fertilizer practices on cropping systems indicators for maize-based smallholder farmers in the Golomoti Extension Planning Area of central Malawi. The current dataset contains the data files and code needed to replicate the results presented in the publication "Trade-Offs and Synergies Between Yield, Labor, Profit, and Risk in Malawian Maize-Based Cropping Systems."

Household survey data collected as part of the Africa Research In Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation (Africa RISING) program, along with secondary data from journal articles and the Malawian Agricultural Market Information System, as well as other biophysical and economic data have been harmonized and analyzed using Stata. Stata do files have been created for data processing and analysis as noted in the "Documentation" file included in this study.

× This data study includes social accounting matrix (SAM) for Malawi for the year 2014. The SAM is an extension of the Standard Nexus structure. It consists of 63 activity sectors, 65 commodity sectors, three types of factors of production: labor (rural and urban disaggregated by level of education), land, and capital (disaggregated by crops, livestock, mining and other sectors). The household sector is divided spatially into urban and rural households. Rural households are further disaggregated into households that earn crop and/or livestock incomes (i.e., farm households) and those that do no earn incomes from either source (i.e., nonfarm households). Households are further disaggregated into per capita expenditure quintiles. This SAM allows analyzing issues at the detailed level and to better understand the potential impacts of policy changes for both better off and more vulnerable households.

× This study contains data from the survey conducted to assess gender roles in household legume utilization for complementary feeding in Dedza and Ntcheu districts of Malawi.

× This study contains data based on investigations on technologies being used by farmers in Malawi as part of sustainable intensification. Project title: Africa Rising Malawi-Nutrition. Project abstract: The project focuses on profiling farmer innovations around legume technologies

× This data contains data produced from cross-sectional survey and lab experiment on shelf life of processed legume.

× This data study contains data on milk yields from livestock. Project title: Africa RISING: Malawi Dairy Production. Project abstract: The Malawi project has local theme 'Agro-ecological intensification in Malawi through action research with smallholder farmers' with a lot of emphasis on co-learning with farmers and other stakeholders.The purpose of the Africa RISING Malawi component is to enhance farmer knowledge and support sustainable intensification (SI) pathways for productivity gains in maize-legume diversified systems, that also integrates livestock-related enterprises such as improved fodder for intensified dairy production. The project is setting up a research approach that systematically assesses SI best-bet options that appropriately respond to the needs of resource-poor farmers - particularly female headed households. Building on successful examples of participatory action research and experiences from biophysical research on smallholder farms in Malawi over the past 2 decades, the research team has begun taping into these products of agricultural research to move toward more sustainable smallholder production systems. We envisage that farm-scale production strategies employed by different farm/farmer typologies will be further distilled through scenario analyses using farming systems simulation modeling approaches. The project works with an alliance of actors, (agro-dealers, extension services, NGOs, local government structures, etc) as R4D platforms for the two districts. Project web site: http://africa-rising.net

× This data study contains data on the intensification of production of soyabean, groundnut, cowpea and maize. Project title: Malawi: Grain Legumes Productivity in Different Crop Arrangements Project abstract: The Malawi project has local theme 'Agro-ecological intensification in Malawi through action research with smallholder farmers' with a lot of emphasis on co-learning with farmers and other stakeholders.The purpose of the Africa RISING Malawi component is to enhance farmer knowledge and support sustainable intensification (SI) pathways for productivity gains in maize-legume diversified systems, that also integrates livestock-related enterprises such as improved fodder for intensified dairy production. The project is setting up a research approach that systematically assesses SI best-bet options that appropriately respond to the needs of resource-poor farmers - particularly female headed households. Building on successful examples of participatory action research and experiences from biophysical research on smallholder farms in Malawi over the past 2 decades, the research team has begun taping into these products of agricultural research to move towards more sustainable smallholder production systems. We envisage that farm-scale production strategies employed by different farm/farmer typologies will be further distilled through scenario analyses using farming systems simulation modeling approaches. The project works with an alliance of actors, (agro-dealers, extension services, NGOs, local government structures, etc) as R4D platforms for the two districts. Project website: http://africa-rising.net

× As part of the US government's Feed the Future initiative that aims to address global hunger and food security issues in sub-Saharan Africa, the US Agency for International Development is supporting three multi-stakeholder agricultural research projects under Africa Research In Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation (Africa RISING - AR) program. The overall aim of the program is to transform agricultural systems through sustainable intensification projects in Ghana, Tanzania, Malawi, Ethiopia and (potentially) Zambia. In Malawi, the project (led by IITA) will be supporting cereal-based Farming Systems. The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) leads the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) activities of the AR program. As part of the M&E activities in Malawi, IFPRI contracted Invest in Knowledge Initiative (IKI) to conduct baseline household and community surveys in Ntcheu and Dedza districts. Ntcheu and Dedza are the two districts in which participatory action r

× This data study contains data on the intensification of common bean varieties at different altitudes in Malawi. Project title: Malawi: Dwarf and Climbing Bean Integration. Project abstract: The Malawi project has local theme 'Agro-ecological intensification in Malawi through action research with smallholder farmers' with a lot of emphasis on co-learning with farmers and other stakeholders.The purpose of the Africa RISING Malawi component is to enhance farmer knowledge and support sustainable intensification (SI) pathways for productivity gains in maize-legume diversified systems, that also integrates livestock-related enterprises such as improved fodder for intensified dairy production. The project is setting up a research approach that systematically assesses SI best-bet options that appropriately respond to the needs of resource-poor farmers - particularly female headed households. Building on successful examples of participatory action research and experiences from biophysical research on smallholder farms in Malawi over the past 2 decades, the research team has begun taping into these products of agricultural research to move towards more sustainable smallholder production systems. We envisage that farm-scale production strategies employed by different farm/farmer typologies will be further distilled through scenario analyses using farming systems simulation modeling approaches. The project works with an alliance of actors, (agro-dealers, extension services, NGOs, local government structures, etc) as R4D platforms for the two districts. Project website: http://africa-rising.net

× The purpose of the Africa RISING Malawi component is to enhance farmer knowledge and support sustainable intensification (SI) pathways for productivity gains in maize-legume diversified systems, that also integrates livestock-related enterprises such as improved fodder for intensified dairy production. Project title: AfricaRISING - Sustainable intensification of maize-legume-livestock integrated farming systems in East and Southern Africa. Project abstract: The Malawi project has local theme 'Agro-ecological intensification in Malawi through action research with smallholder farmers' with a lot of emphasis on co-learning with farmers and other stakeholders.The purpose of the Africa RISING Malawi component is to enhance farmer knowledge and support sustainable intensification (SI) pathways for productivity gains in maize-legume diversified systems, that also integrates livestock-related enterprises such as improved fodder for intensified dairy production. The project is setting up a research approach that systematically assesses SI best-bet options that appropriately respond to the needs of resource-poor farmers - particularly female headed households. Building on successful examples of participatory action research and experiences from biophysical research on smallholder farms in Malawi over the past 2 decades, the research team has begun taping into these products of agricultural research to move towards more sustainable smallholder production systems. We envisage that farm-scale production strategies employed by different farm/farmer typologies will be further distilled through scenario analyses using farming systems simulation modeling approaches. The project works with an alliance of actors, (agro-dealers, extension services, NGOs, local government structures, etc) as R4D platforms for the two districts. Project website: http://africa-rising.net

× This study contains data from a survey about yield cuts in Malawi. Project title: Malawi: Yield Cuts Survey. Project abstract: The Malawi project has local theme 'Agro-ecological intensification in Malawi through action research with smallholder farmers' with a lot of emphasis on co-learning with farmers and other stakeholders.The purpose of the Africa RISING Malawi component is to enhance farmer knowledge and support sustainable intensification (SI) pathways for productivity gains in maize-legume diversified systems, that also integrates livestock-related enterprises such as improved fodder for intensified dairy production. The project is setting up a research approach that systematically assesses SI best-bet options that appropriately respond to the needs of resource-poor farmers - particularly female headed households. Building on successful examples of participatory action research and experiences from biophysical research on smallholder farms in Malawi over the past 2 decades, the research team has begun taping into these products of agricultural research to move towards more sustainable smallholder production systems. We envisage that farm-scale production strategies employed by different farm/farmer typologies will be further distilled through scenario analyses using farming systems simulation modeling approaches. The project works with an alliance of actors, (agro-dealers, extension services, NGOs, local government structures, etc) as R4D platforms for the two districts. Project website: http://africa-rising.net

× This data study contains legume maize sequencing yield data. Project title: Africa RISING - Malawi Productivity of Maize after Legumes Project abstract: The Malawi project has local theme 'Agro-ecological intensification in Malawi through action research with smallholder farmers' with a lot of emphasis on co-learning with farmers and other stakeholders.The purpose of the Africa RISING Malawi component is to enhance farmer knowledge and support sustainable intensification (SI) pathways for productivity gains in maize-legume diversified systems, that also integrates livestock-related enterprises such as improved fodder for intensified dairy production. The project is setting up a research approach that systematically assesses SI best-bet options that appropriately respond to the needs of resource-poor farmers - particularly female headed households. Building on successful examples of participatory action research and experiences from biophysical research on smallholder farms in Malawi over the past 2 decades, the research team has begun taping into these products of agricultural research to move towards more sustainable smallholder production systems. We envisage that farm-scale production strategies employed by different farm/farmer typologies will be further distilled through scenario analyses using farming systems simulation modeling approaches. The project works with an alliance of actors, (agro-dealers, extension services, NGOs, local government structures, etc) as R4D platforms for the two districts. Project website: http://africa-rising.net http://africa-rising.net/where-we-work/west-africa

× This data study contains data on pigeonpea and soybean intensification through phosphorous fertilization. It contains data on cropping system, phosphorous level, treatments and variety of pigeonpea, and yields among many others. Project title: AfricaRISING - Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume-Livestock Integrated Farming Systems in East and Southern Africa Project abstract: The Malawi project has local theme 'Agro-ecological intensification in Malawi through action research with smallholder farmers' with a lot of emphasis on co-learning with farmers and other stakeholders.The purpose of the Africa RISING Malawi component is to enhance farmer knowledge and support sustainable intensification (SI) pathways for productivity gains in maize-legume diversified systems, that also integrates livestock-related enterprises such as improved fodder for intensified dairy production. The project is setting up a research approach that systematically assesses SI best-bet options that appropriately respond to the needs of resource-poor farmers - particularly female headed households. Building on successful examples of participatory action research and experiences from biophysical research on smallholder farms in Malawi over the past two decades, the research team has begun taping into these products of agricultural research to move towards more sustainable smallholder production systems. We envisage that farm-scale production strategies employed by different farm/farmer typologies will be further distilled through scenario analyses using farming systems simulation modeling approaches. The project works with an alliance of actors (agro-dealers, extension services, NGOs, local government structures, etc) as R4D platforms for the two districts. Project website: http://africa-rising.net

× This dataset includes national-level time series data on researcher capacity by qualification level, age bracket, discipline mix, and commodity, as well as a detailed breakdown of agricultural research investment across government, higher education, nonprofit, and (where possible) private for-profit agricultural research agencies. These data were derived through a series of primary survey rounds conducted by IFPRI’s Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators (ASTI) and in close collaboration with a large network of national collaborators. The ASTI data constitute a powerful resource for national and regional research managers, policymakers, donor organizations, and other stakeholders. ASTI’s key indicators provide both a diagnostic tool for assessing the allocation and use of existing resources and an advocacy tool for increasing resources and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of resource use. The ASTI website offers interactive pages that allow users to access country-level time series data, make cross-country comparisons, create graphs, and download country datasets and publications as well as detailed institutional information on agencies involved in agricultural research. The interactive benchmarking tool on the ASTI website is a convenient map-based instrument allowing users to make cross-country comparisons and rankings based on a wide set of financial and human resource indicators. The detailed ASTI datasets are available in an easy-to-use data download tool. Detailed information on definitions, methodology, and calculation procedures are available at www.asti.cgiar.org

× This data study contains data on the integration of pigeonpea in farming system for system resilience. Project title: Malawi: Pigeonpea Above and Below Ground Biomass Inputs. Project abstract: The Malawi project has local theme 'Agro-ecological intensification in Malawi through action research with smallholder farmers' with a lot of emphasis on co-learning with farmers and other stakeholders.The purpose of the Africa RISING Malawi component is to enhance farmer knowledge and support sustainable intensification (SI) pathways for productivity gains in maize-legume diversified systems, that also integrates livestock-related enterprises such as improved fodder for intensified dairy production. The project is setting up a research approach that systematically assesses SI best-bet options that appropriately respond to the needs of resource-poor farmers - particularly female headed households. Building on successful examples of participatory action research and experiences from biophysical research on smallholder farms in Malawi over the past 2 decades, the research team has begun taping into these products of agricultural research to move towards more sustainable smallholder production systems. We envisage that farm-scale production strategies employed by different farm/farmer typologies will be further distilled through scenario analyses using farming systems simulation modeling approaches. The project works with an alliance of actors, (agro-dealers, extension services, NGOs, local government structures, etc) as R4D platforms for the two districts. Project website: http://africa-rising.net

× This data study contains data from a household and community survey in support of Africa RISING farming systems analysis. Project title: AfricaRISING-Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume-Livestock Integrated Farming Systems in East and Southern Africa Project abstract: Sustainable intensification of mixed crop livestock systems is a key pathway towards better food security, improved livelihoods and a healthy environment. As part of the US government?s Feed the Future initiative to address hunger and food security issues in sub-Saharan Africa, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) is supporting three multi-stakeholder agricultural research projects to sustainably intensify key African farming systems. In East and Southern Africa, the project is being implemented in Tanzania, Malawi, and Zambia. In Tanzania, the project is being implemented in Babati and Kongwa districts in Manyara region of northern Tanzania and Kiteto district in Dodoma region, central Tanzania. The action sites were selected to acknowledge agroecological differences, allow appropriate targeting of technologies and strategies, and complement the development efforts of another USAID-supported program, the Tanzania Staples Value Chain (NAFAKA) project. In Malawi, the project is being implemented in Ntechu and Dedza districts in central Malawi where maize-based productions systems are dominant. Agroecological considerations guided the identification of research action sites. The pilot site for the study will be Eastern and Lusaka Provinces in Zambia. Project website: http://africa-rising.net

× The motivation to measure food policy research capacity stems from a pressing need to understand what a country's primary constraints are in undertaking food policy research and using it effectively in the policy process. With such understanding, capacity-development interventions can become easier to design and capacity building programs can be more effective. Food policy research is defined here as any socioeconomic or policy-related research in the food, agriculture, and natural-resource sectors. In this database, two country-level food policy research capacity indicators are presented. The first indicator is the number of full-time equivalent analysts or researchers with PhDs or their equivalent analysts or researchers with PhDs or their equivalent per one million rural citizens. This number is indicative of a country's investment in policy research activities. Although financial and physical resources are not explicitly included in this measure, it is assumed that the number of researchers acts as a proxy for these other food policy research inputs. This indicator includes staff at government ministries, higher education institutes, and research organizations that undertake food policy research as defined above. Staff members with a master's degree are valued at half of a PhD, and those with a bachelor's degree are valued at a quarter of a PhD. The number of staff is also scaled by the proportion of time spent on food policy research which is dependent on the type of institution.

The second indicator is the number of food policy relevant journal articles published internationally within the last five years per full-time PhD-equivalent researcher. This input-output ratio measure is indicative of the efficiency of the policy research environment. The number of publications was determined from searches in the EconLit and Web of Science databases for journal articles related to food policy and authored by experts who were counted in the assessment of the first indicator. Earlier attempts to quantify and collect comparable data on other policy research outputs, such as policy briefs, interactions with government ministries, or conference contributions presented numerous challenges. For this reason, and because international publications guarantee a minimum and comparable level of quality, this indicator was chosen.

× The Malawian Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) is based on newly estimated supply-use tables, national accounts, government budgets, and balance of payments. The SAM reconciles these data using cross-entropy estimation techniques. The final SAM is a detailed representation of Malawi’s economy. It separates 37 activities and commodities; 5 types of factors of production; and 10 representative household groups. Labor and household information is drawn from a nationally representative household survey. The SAM also identifies government, investment and foreign accounts. It provides an ideal tool for economy-wide impact assessments, including SAM-based multiplier analysis and computable general equilibrium (CGE) modeling.

The 2007 SAM for Malawi was developed by the Development Strategy and Governance Division (DSGD) at IFPRI. It was partly funded by USAID as part of their support to DSGD’s Malawi Country Strategy Support Program (Ma SSP). A 2005 version of the Malawi SAM was first used to evaluate options for agricultural growth and poverty reduction.

The results of the Malawi case study is published in Diao, Xinshen; Thurlow, James; Benin, Samuel; and Fan, Shenggen. 2012. Strategies and priorities for African agriculture: Economywide perspectives from country studies. Washington, D.C.: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). http://ebrary.ifpri.org/cdm/ref/collection/p15738coll2/id/127049

× The Complementary Panel Survey (CPS) is a continuation of the work undertaken by the Malawi Poverty Monitoring System (PMS) since 1997. Four rounds of the CPS were conducted between January 2000 and September 2002. The PMS itself was conceived as part of the Government of Malawi's Poverty Alleviation Programme (PAP) launched in 1994. The Policy Framework for PAP articulated the overall objective of the PMS as being to assist the government monitor poverty by collecting and analyzing data relevant to track progress in poverty reduction and to help guide the formulation of poverty alleviation policies and programs. The Malawi National Statistical Office, the National Economic Council (NEC) and the Center for Social Research of the University of Malawi along with the technical assistance of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), a program encompassing the implementation of a regular detailed Integrated Household Survey (IHS) was designed. The resulting Complementary Panel Survey is based on the IHS sample and complementary to the IHS, and the poverty analysis of the data collected by the two survey programs. The IHS was to be conducted every three to five years, while the panel survey twice a year. The final sample size of the CPS in the first round was 758 households. The CPS dataset includes information on education; morbidity; food security and coping strategies; labour and employment; income, expenditures, and transfers. The questionnaire for the fourth round of the CPS was developed explicitly to allow a welfare indicator to be constructed that would be comparable to the welfare indicator developed in the poverty analysis of the 1997-98 Integrated Household Survey. This was necessary to allow the IHS data and poverty analysis to be linked to the CPS data in order to undertake an analysis of the dynamics of household welfare in the CPS sample between the IHS and the fourth round.

× The 1998 Malawi SAM includes 38 productive activities and three distribution activities (trade and transport margins). Of the 38 productive activities, the SAM includes 11 agricultural activities, 18 manufacturing activities and 9 service activities. The SAM also distinguishes between small-scale and large-scale activities in three of the agricultural sectors: tea, coffee, and other crops. There are 8 labor categories distinguished by type of occupation and level of education; two land factors (small-scale and large-scale); and three capital factors. Finally, the SAM distinguishes 14 household types, three enterprises accounts, two government accounts, an investment/saving account, and a rest-of-the-world account. For a description of the construction and use of this dataset, download the Trade and Macroeconomics Division Discussion Paper Number 69: (PDF 137K)

× The questionnaire was administered in three rounds between February and December, 1995, to 404 households in 45 villages in five districts: Dowa, Nkhotakota, Rumphi, Mangochi, and Dedza. About half of the sample participated in credit groups by the Malawi Rural Finance Company, Malawi Mudzi Fund, MOWCACDSW's credit program 'Promotion of Micro-Enterprises for Rural Women', and Malawi Union of Savings and Credit Cooperatives; the other half of the sample either previously participated in the former credit program of the Smallholder Agricultural Credit Administration or never participated in a formal credit program. Topics include household demographics; land tenure, agricultural production, and livestock ownership; asset ownership and transactions; food and non-food consumption; credit, savings, and gift transactions; wage and self-employment income and time allocation; anthropometric status of preschoolers and their mothers. The agricultural data cover the 1993/94 and 1994/95 seasons.