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2 Methodology
2.1 Study Area
The study was conducted in the three districts of Phalombe, Nkhotakota and Dowa.
Two of the districts, Phalombe and Nkhotakota, were identified based on vulnerability assessment by the Climate Adaptation for Rural Livelihoods and Agriculture
(CARLA). The third district, Dowa, was identified from the districts where
Development Fund of Norway is implementing a sustainable agriculture project
using the lead farmer model. The choice of the districts was also based on the cultural and marriage beliefs that may have an influence in the access to resources,
decision-making processes and adoption of CSA technologies.
Phalombe district is one of the districts that is vulnerable to climate change
effects, especially floods, prolonged dry spells and stormy winds. The study was
conducted in two extension planning areas (EPAs), Naminjiwa and Kasongo. The
main staple crops grown are maize, rice and sweet potatoes. In addition, cash crops
like tobacco, groundnuts, soybeans, sunflower, sesame and pepper are also grown.
The communities follow the matrilineal type of marriage where women are given
preferences in the ownership of assets such as land, and they remain in the villages
while men migrate to other places to marry. In their culture, a woman has control
over children and in the case of divorce, the children stay with their mother. Men in
matrilineal districts have ownership rights to agricultural land they cultivate but may
not possess user rights to land. It is difficult to be conclusive on whether the marriage system is entirely empowering women in controlling all agricultural inputs
and outputs, as men in most rural Africa have a significant influence on land ownership, irrespective of the type of marriage system that was being practised within the
community (Whitehead and Tsikata 2003).
Nkhotakota district is vulnerable to climate change effects such as dry spells and
strong winds. Being located along the Lake Malawi lakeshore, the communities also
depend on fishing for their livelihood. The study was conducted in Linga EPA. The
main staple crops grown here are rice, cassava and maize. Groundnuts and rice are
grown as cash crops. The communities are composed of Christians and Muslims,
and they follow a patrilineal system of marriage where men are given preference in
ownership of resources. Polygamy was also common among the Muslims in the
area. Most of the participants in the female focus group were Muslims, because
Islam is the most popular religion in Choto and surrounding villages where the
study was conducted. The marriage system and religion may have an influence on
the uptake of technologies and access to technologies between men and women.
Dowa is a patrilineal society and the dominating religion is Christianity. The
study was conducted in Chibvala EPA, where projects on sustainable agriculture by
Development Fund of Norway were being implemented. The EPA is accessible by
most of the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) because of its proximity to
Lilongwe, the capital city of Malawi. This being the case, Chibvala is one of the
EPAs where trials of new technologies and practices in agriculture are implemented.
T. K. Chibowa et al.
2 Methodology
2.1 Study Area
The study was conducted in the three districts of Phalombe, Nkhotakota and Dowa.
Two of the districts, Phalombe and Nkhotakota, were identified based on vulnerability assessment by the Climate Adaptation for Rural Livelihoods and Agriculture
(CARLA). The third district, Dowa, was identified from the districts where
Development Fund of Norway is implementing a sustainable agriculture project
using the lead farmer model. The choice of the districts was also based on the cultural and marriage beliefs that may have an influence in the access to resources,
decision-making processes and adoption of CSA technologies.
Phalombe district is one of the districts that is vulnerable to climate change
effects, especially floods, prolonged dry spells and stormy winds. The study was
conducted in two extension planning areas (EPAs), Naminjiwa and Kasongo. The
main staple crops grown are maize, rice and sweet potatoes. In addition, cash crops
like tobacco, groundnuts, soybeans, sunflower, sesame and pepper are also grown.
The communities follow the matrilineal type of marriage where women are given
preferences in the ownership of assets such as land, and they remain in the villages
while men migrate to other places to marry. In their culture, a woman has control
over children and in the case of divorce, the children stay with their mother. Men in
matrilineal districts have ownership rights to agricultural land they cultivate but may
not possess user rights to land. It is difficult to be conclusive on whether the marriage system is entirely empowering women in controlling all agricultural inputs
and outputs, as men in most rural Africa have a significant influence on land ownership, irrespective of the type of marriage system that was being practised within the
community (Whitehead and Tsikata 2003).
Nkhotakota district is vulnerable to climate change effects such as dry spells and
strong winds. Being located along the Lake Malawi lakeshore, the communities also
depend on fishing for their livelihood. The study was conducted in Linga EPA. The
main staple crops grown here are rice, cassava and maize. Groundnuts and rice are
grown as cash crops. The communities are composed of Christians and Muslims,
and they follow a patrilineal system of marriage where men are given preference in
ownership of resources. Polygamy was also common among the Muslims in the
area. Most of the participants in the female focus group were Muslims, because
Islam is the most popular religion in Choto and surrounding villages where the
study was conducted. The marriage system and religion may have an influence on
the uptake of technologies and access to technologies between men and women.
Dowa is a patrilineal society and the dominating religion is Christianity. The
study was conducted in Chibvala EPA, where projects on sustainable agriculture by
Development Fund of Norway were being implemented. The EPA is accessible by
most of the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) because of its proximity to
Lilongwe, the capital city of Malawi. This being the case, Chibvala is one of the
EPAs where trials of new technologies and practices in agriculture are implemented.
T. K. Chibowa et al.