Research
The interlink of social and ecological factors in Deep Bed Farming
Dr Albert Mvula did his PhD research on how social and ecological factors influence the effectiveness of Deep Bed Farming, how these factors interact with each other, and the outcomes of these interactions. This holistic approach evaluates how Deep Bed Farming impacts both physical factors (e.g., soil health, crop yields) and social factors (e.g., farmers’ livelihoods, social capital, knowledge exchange) in the communities where it is practiced.
Results demonstrated that Deep Bed Farming leads to immediate improvement of physical factors such as soil health and crop yields, although the extent to which this translates to improved livelihoods may be restricted by the small plot sizes that farmers use for Deep Bed Farming. However, knowledge exchange through farmer collaboration and communication were found to increase the more they engaged in Deep Bed Farming activities, which in turn improved their adaptive capacities.
Dr Mvula’s work highlighted the importance of considering social factors in the delivery and implementation of Deep Bed Farming projects. You can find the full dissertation here. You can also read a brief summary of the work and its results written by Dr Mvula’s Director of Studies, Professor Alan Dixon, here.
Reference: Mvula, A. (2021) The social-ecological sustainability of the Tiyeni deep-bed conservation agriculture system in Malawi. PhD thesis. University of Worcester.
Results demonstrated that Deep Bed Farming leads to immediate improvement of physical factors such as soil health and crop yields, although the extent to which this translates to improved livelihoods may be restricted by the small plot sizes that farmers use for Deep Bed Farming. However, knowledge exchange through farmer collaboration and communication were found to increase the more they engaged in Deep Bed Farming activities, which in turn improved their adaptive capacities.
Dr Mvula’s work highlighted the importance of considering social factors in the delivery and implementation of Deep Bed Farming projects. You can find the full dissertation here. You can also read a brief summary of the work and its results written by Dr Mvula’s Director of Studies, Professor Alan Dixon, here.
Reference: Mvula, A. (2021) The social-ecological sustainability of the Tiyeni deep-bed conservation agriculture system in Malawi. PhD thesis. University of Worcester.