Multidimensional poverty
Over half of Malawi’s population lives in multidimensional poverty. Tiyeni is working with smallholder farming communities across Malawi to change that.
What is multidimensional poverty?Poverty is a complex issue that encompasses multiple dimensions. In addition to low income, a more comprehensive understanding of poverty must also consider deprivations such as (but not restricted to) poor nutrition; insufficient access to food, water, housing, and basic infrastructure, and limited education levels. The concept of “multidimensional poverty” has come into use as a framework that considers all of these factors, and has been officially adopted by the United Nations as one of the indicators for Sustainable Development Goal 1: No Poverty. The multidimensional poverty framework recognises that poverty measures are relative. Individual countries therefore establish their own metrics for evaluating multidimensional poverty.
|
This year [we] have more than enough maize and will sell 1.5 tonnes for cash income. |
In Malawi: Food and water insecurity
Malawi’s 2021 national report on multidimensional poverty revealed that more than six out of every ten individuals in Malawi (61.7%) live in multidimensional poverty. As mentioned above, there are many factors that go into assessing multidimensional poverty, but because of the nature of the work we do, we’ll be focusing primarily on food and water security here. Addressing these two factors are the foundation to improving the others.
In rural areas, where the majority of smallholder farmers live, multidimensional poverty levels reach a high of 70%. Part of the reason for this stems from Malawi’s poor-quality degraded soil. The degraded soil leads to crops that produce very low yields and are unable to withstand adverse weather like droughts and flooding.
In rural areas, where the majority of smallholder farmers live, multidimensional poverty levels reach a high of 70%. Part of the reason for this stems from Malawi’s poor-quality degraded soil. The degraded soil leads to crops that produce very low yields and are unable to withstand adverse weather like droughts and flooding.
Low crop yields leave much of Malawi’s population farming at subsistence-levels. At subsistence-level farming, farmers only produce enough crops to feed themselves and their families (at best), with no excess crops to sell at profit for income. The inability for farmers’ to generate income from their crops contributes to an ongoing multigenerational poverty cycle that is very difficult to break. Furthermore, Malawi’s degraded soil is deficient in micro-nutrients, such as iron and zinc, which are vital to human health. People’s diets end up lacking these nutrients because the crops they eat cannot draw the nutrients from the soil. Unable to get the nutrients they need, much of Malawi’s population suffers from malnutrition.
Multidimensional poverty and climate change
The world’s least-developed countries are most vulnerable to climate change despite contributing the least to global greenhouse gas emissions. For example, natural disasters (e.g., extreme flooding, drought, landslides), intensified by climate change to never-before-seen levels, affected almost 200 times as many people in Malawi as in the UK between 2000 to 2022. Yet per capita carbon emissions averaged almost 100 times higher in the UK than in Malawi during this same time period. Less-developed countries, such as Malawi, have fewer resources to respond to effects of climate change, both acutely (when/right after they happen) and preventatively (taking steps to minimise damage from future events). The world’s least-developed countries are most vulnerable to climate change despite contributing the least to global greenhouse gas emissions. For example, natural disasters (e.g., extreme flooding, drought, landslides), intensified by climate change to never-before-seen levels, affected almost 200 times as many people in Malawi as in the UK between 2000 to 2022. Yet per capita carbon emissions averaged almost 100 times higher in the UK than in Malawi during this same time period. Less-developed countries, such as Malawi, have fewer resources to respond to effects of climate change, both acutely (when/right after they happen) and preventatively (taking steps to minimise damage from future events).
The effects of climate change often exacerbate multidimensional poverty. Climate change is contributing to the declining health of Malawi’s already-degraded soil and is causing catastrophic weather events and natural disasters to increase in frequency and severity. All of these consequences of climate change pose significant threats to crop yields, including complete crop failure. This is especially devastating in a country like Malawi, where the livelihoods of over 80% of the population are based around rainfed agriculture. Degraded soil is also ill-equipped to withstand floods, which has led to the widespread destruction of homes and basic infrastructure during crises like 2023’s Cyclone Freddy.
The role of climate-smart agriculture
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations reports that investments in agriculture have the greatest impact towards reducing poverty than investments in any other sector. People-powered efforts like Tiyeni’s provide communities with a “hand up” rather than a “hand out”. By empowering farmers will the skills to generate self-sustaining livelihoods, our work tackles root causes rather than offering temporary solutions such as handouts. This approach helps break entrenched cycles of multigenerational poverty.
FAO recommendation |
Tiyeni’s impact |
Heighten agricultural productivity |
Deep Bed Farming crop yields are more than double those of conventional crops. Farmers have reported a ninefold increase in their land’s profitability in the first year, rising to a twelvefold increase in the fifth year. |
Champion people-powered, participatory action |
All of Tiyeni’s work is informed by community members throughout project development and delivery. Our peer-to-peer farmer training builds social capital and ensures that knowledge is embedded in and owned by the communities we work with. |
Encourage sustainable land and resource management |
As a form of climate-smart agriculture, Deep Bed Farming regenerates the natural environment by improving soil health, promoting biodiversity, and recharging aquifers. |
Expand communities’ capacity to adapt to and to mitigate the effects of climate change |
By regenerating the natural environment, Deep Bed Farming enhances the ability of crops and the land to withstand effects of extreme weather events caused by climate change. Over 90% of rainwater is harvested through Deep Bed Farming, which recharges aquifers and improves communities’ access to reliable, self-sustaining water resources. |
Improve gender equality |
Over 65% of the farmers Tiyeni supports are women. Our project work includes gender sensitivity and mainstreaming training to amplify women’s voices and highlight their unique needs within their communities. |