Legumes Platform

Platform Overview

The Legumes Platform aims at promoting sustainable legume production, processing, value addition, and marketing. Legumes are an important component of the agriculture sector in Malawi, being included in the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS) II (2011–2016) and the ASWAp for crop food security diversification, nutrition, and export potential.

The Legumes Platform emerged through a series of stakeholder meetings and consultations initially initiated by Irish Aid and thereafter facilitated by AICC. The need for the platform arose from the realisation that small individual impacts achieved by different stakeholders could be significantly up-scaled if coordination among actors was improved.

Since November 2011, AICC through MAP with support from other interested donors/partners such as Irish Aid and the Rural Livelihood Economic Enhancement Program (RLEEP) has been working with key stakeholders in the legumes sector to develop strategies for harnessing opportunities and overcoming key challenges facing the sub-sector.

Platform Objectives

• Promote sustainable legume production among smallholder farmers in Malawi
• Facilitate improved processing, value addition and marketing of legumes
• Improve coordination of activities across legume value chain stakeholders
• Identify constraints and opportunities and provide workable solutions for the sub-sector
• Make the legumes sector more efficient, viable and competitive

Approach

Using a value chain approach, the platform improves coordination of activities among legume value chain actors. It brings together farmers, processors, traders, input suppliers, researchers, government agencies, and development partners to align efforts and reduce duplication.

The Legumes Development Trust also provides additional information and resources related to the AICC Legumes platform activities.