Project
Market Transitions to Enable New Growth Opportunities (MTENGO)
Funder: USDA
Project Timeline: September 19, 2022 - September 30, 2027
Country: Malawi
Program Areas: Agriculture, Resilience and Water , Agriculture, Access to Finance, Market Systems, Clean Energy & Circular Economy, Water and Climate Change
Contact: Lilia Tverdun, Lilia.Tverdun@winrock.org
The USDA-funded Market Transitions to Enable New Growth Opportunities (MTENGO) project uses a farmer-first approach grounded in market incentives to increase resource-efficient, reliable agricultural production in Malawi in the face of climate unpredictability. MTENGO, which means both “value” and “foundation” in Chichewa, a language spoken in Malawi, enables farmers to adopt climate smart agriculture and supports medium-sized farms whose market orientation offers a strong incentive for adoption of CSA activities. MTENGO operates in Malawi’s northern and central regions, where reduced food insecurity and slightly larger farm size enables diversification and investment in climate smart practices without sacrificing staple crops. The project works with market-ready farmer organizations, agro-enterprises, entrepreneurs and traders in both regions. Major goals include supporting sustainable and scalable climate smart practices and technologies to address food security, including the expansion of tree crop production and drought-tolerant crops, as well as improving water management based on end-market opportunities.
