Taking charge of change: improved maize-legume systems boost food security

Improved maize–legume systems are boosting food security in eastern and southern Africa and helping lift small-scale farmers out of poverty

On a hot August day near the village of Kilima Tembo, Tanzania, and amid the sounds of barking dogs and clucking chickens, Felista Mateo stepped out of the house she built by hand, walked into her fields, and proudly admired her maize crop. The plants reached toward the sun, verdant and strong. Her plot stood in stark contrast to neighboring fields, which were pocked by brittle, knee-high plants.

A few years ago, things did not look so promising for Mateo. She had separated from her husband and was left alone to care for her four children. In Kilima Tembo women do not own land, but Mateo set out to acquire a plot from her father. The elders of the village council finally gave their approval, and Mateo became an independent farmer. Her strength of character made her the perfect candidate for a new pilot program in the area.

Frank Swai is an extension agent with the Ministry of Agriculture who works with farmers and the Selian Agricultural Research Institute. He convinced Mateo to plant a new kind of maize seed and advised her on better farming practices. Mateo listened. She planted both the high-yielding maize Frank suggested and a tasty, early-maturing variety of pigeon pea using recommended conservation agriculture practices. Neighbors were skeptical. Initially, Mateo was the only one in the community who participated in the project. Villagers watched closely as Mateo sowed a crop never before seen in the area. Months later, when it came time to harvest, it was clear Mateo’s hard work had paid off. She grew enough maize to feed her children and had a surplus to sell in the market. “My yields have increased so much that I’m going to have to build a larger granary to store my harvest,” she said. Mateo was also aware that pigeon peas were exported to India. She bargained with local middlemen by finding out actual market prices in India from Swai and by storing her harvest in her granary, waiting to sell until prices were high.

As for the successful farming innovations recommended by Swai, Mateo must also thank the project on sustainable intensification of maize–legume cropping systems for food security in eastern and southern Africa (SIMLESA). Launched in 2010 and supported by a grant from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), SIMLESA is a collaborative effort between the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT by its Spanish abbreviation), national agricultural research and extension systems in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania, and regional and international partners including the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA), the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), and Australian universities.

Initially, Mateo planted 0.3 of a hectare, as requested by the pilot program. Next year, she plans to plant more. She is now willing to try new seed, different crops, and alternative farming methods.

Others in the community have noticed. “My neighbors admire my crop since I planted the improved seed,” said Mateo, as she waved a hand over her field, “and are also interested in joining the project.”

This post is part of our series celebrating “40 years of CGIAR”

(Photo credit: CIMMYT)