20/08/2026
Many districts in Malawi are currently facing serious challenges of food nutrition insecurity. This is mainly due to low agricultural production, resulting from land degradation, particularly soil fertility loss and massive deforestation.
In this story, I would like to focus on Misuku in Chitipa District, located in the northern part of Malawi. In the past, Misuku was known as a food basket, producing plenty of different types of food and supporting surrounding communities of Chitipa plain and Karonga district. However, today the area is experiencing increasing food insecurity and malnutrition. In response, local communities approached DeTAS to facilitate a process that would enable them to restore the food basket status of the area. With support and learning from SKI’s landscape-level agroecology work, DeTAS established an agroecological landscape transformation living hub in Misuku hills, later expanding the approach to Mzuzu. The living labs act as demonstration centres where farmers, the community members and agroecology practitioners come together to learn, experiment and demonstrate agroecology practices.
The Living learning labs have helped the communities and DeTAS members to deepen, understand and practice agroecology at landscape level. The Living Learning Labs are demonstrating that agroecology can rebuild ecosystems, improve food security, and empower communities to shape a more resilient and sustainable future. One of the most notable sites is the Ntchezgo Living Learning Lab, a five-hectare area that was once severely degraded. Today, the site hosts a regenerating indigenous forest, a multipurpose tree nursery, fish ponds, food forests, a herbal garden, an amphitheatre, and green spaces that are increasingly attracting interest as an agroecotourism destination.
In Mzuzu, the Kaboko Agroecological Living Learning Lab showcases what is possible on a smaller scale. Established on a half-hectare plot that was previously degraded, the site now supports a thriving food forest with a wide variety of fruit trees, bananas, cocoyams, turmeric, coffee, pastures, and integrated livestock systems. Soil erosion, once a major challenge, has been effectively controlled through the use of swales and other regenerative land management practices while the Shikalele Living Learning Lab in Walasa 1 Village Misuku, spans five hectares and combines regenerating indigenous forest with a developing three-hectare food forest. The site integrates fruit trees, bananas, coffee, vegetables, cocoyams, cassava, pigeon peas, ginger, yams, and livestock, demonstrating how diverse agroecology production systems strengthens food security.
“As a young person, I feel fortunate to work with DeTAS because it gives me practical experience and knowledge on how agroecology can transform landscapes, communities, restore the environment, and improve food security,” reflects Grace Mhango.
Grace Mhango is a member of SKI’s Youth Thematic Working Group and has participated in SKI’s Training for Transformation programme, where young agroecology practitioners from across Southern Africa strengthen their leadership, facilitation and movement-building skills while sharing practical experiences from their own communities.
Kasisi Agricultural Training CentreKnowledge Hub for Organic Agriculture in Southern Africa SCOPE Malawi-Schools Permaculture Community Technology Development Trust-zambia. Soils, Food and Healthy Communities Brot für die Welt SwedBio Agroecology Fund Embassy of Switzerland to Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe
