Cisanetmw

28/11/2025

CISANET, through the Combating Corruption in the Affordable Input Program (AIP) (now Farm Input Subsidy Program FISP) project, organized special radio programs on Chanco and Bembeke community radio stations. These programs were primarily aimed at engaging audiences in Phalombe and Dedza districts, which fall within the project's catchment area.

The main objective of the project is to combat corruption within the FISP by promoting transparency and enhancing program integrity. It specifically focuses on improving the four components of the program's delivery framework, which include beneficiary selection, procurement of inputs, distribution, and utilization of inputs. In response to Malawi's President, Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika's announcement of adopting a bottom-up beneficiary selection process for this year's season, the program aimed to educate the residents of Phalombe and Dedza on the selection criteria to ensure the program reaches the deserving beneficiaries and encourages them to report any identified corrupt practices to the relevant authorities, including the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB)

Read the full article on our website using the following link: https://cisanetmalawi.org/public-sensitiza…-2026-fisp-cycle/

21/11/2025

Big congratulations to our very own Monitoring and Evaluation Manager, Mr. Edwin Thumbiko Munthali, on successfully graduating with an MSc in Agricultural and Applied Economics from the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Your dedication to academic excellence is truly inspiring, and we're thrilled to see you shine! Your expertise as a policy analyst will only get stronger with this new qualification. We're proud to have you on our team, Edwin! Keep reaching for the stars!

06/11/2025

From October 28 to 31, 2025, the Civil Society Agriculture Network (CISANET), in collaboration with the Anti‑Corruption Bureau (ACB) organized a media tour in the districts of Phalombe and Dedza, where the Combating Corruption in the Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP) project is being implemented. The tour included visits to the Group Village Headmen (GVHs) of Namalima, Nyezelera, Nambazo, Chafumbwa, and Lobi.

The primary aim of the media tour was to explore challenges and limitations, document, and expose corrupt practices arising from the AIP, thereby providing farmers and agricultural leaders with a platform to voice the challenges they encounter under the AIP and to share personal experiences to strengthen accountability and transparency in the programme’s implementation.

Key Issues Raised by Participants, including limited access to the selling deposits, being charged an extra amount to expedite the purchase process, late input delivery, one person having multiple national identification cards, and Unified Beneficiary Registry (UBR) selection process, noting that it sometimes includes individuals who lack the capacity to farm and who subsequently sell their identification cards to vendors therefore, emphasize the need to shift the beneficiary selection process from the UBR to a community‑based approach led by chiefs and Village Agriculture Committees (VACs) to ensure inputs reach those who can productively use them.

Read the full article on our website using the following link: https://cisanetmalawi.org/media-engagement…ut-programme-aip/ ‎

04/11/2025

CISANET together with the Ministry of Agriculture, joined other African countries at the Regional Training for Master Trainers on using and promoting the Regional Food Balance Sheet (RFBS) Mobile App and platform. The Annual regional Training Sessions were held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 27th to 31st October 2025, drawing participation from the COMESA RFBS implementing countries, including the six MVP countries (Kenya, Rwanda, Malawi, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia).

The RFBS Phase II (2024–2027) builds upon the success of Phase I to strengthen agricultural data systems, promote evidence-based policymaking, and enhance food security and trade within the COMESA region. A key feature of Phase II is the development of an RFBS Mobile Application to improve accessibility, particularly among youth and women entrepreneurs engaged in agricultural trade.

The RFBS Platform is a digital tool developed by the Common Market for Eastern Southern Africa (COMESA) in partnership with Alliance for a Green Revolution Africa (AGRA) and other stakeholders which uses data from various public and private sources to provide forward-looking food balance estimates aiming to enhance trade and food security by providing accurate and timely data on food production, consumption and prices which enables informed decision making for policy makers, businesses and humanitarian organizations.

CISANET therefore contributed to the development of the RFBS Application intended to enhance food security, trade, and investment in the East and Southern African Region.

22/10/2025

CISANET wishes to congratulate Honorable Roza Fatch Mbilizi for being appointed as the Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Water Development

15/10/2025

Celebrating love, care and dedication of mothers everywhere. We are where we are today because of their unconditional love.
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

08/10/2025

On September 3, 2025, CISANET, with support from the Development Aid from People to People (DAPP-CISANET Member) under the Poverty Reduction of Vulnerable Beneficiaries Through Sustainable Soybean, Sunflower, and Groundnuts Producer Private Partnership project, held a meeting on access to profitable markets among smallholder farmers. The meeting aimed to discuss issues related to contract farming between smallholder farmers and off-takers, identify key challenges farmers face in accessing reliable markets, and discuss possible solutions and policy issues to address the identified market inefficiencies.

Read the full article on our website using the following link: https://cisanetmalawi.org/access-to-profit…markets-dialogue

02/10/2025

You are all invited

The University of Leeds Global Food and Environment Institute (GFEI) invites you to join a World Food Day webinar:
'Negotiating Empowerment: Women's everyday experiences in Malawi agriculture, livelihoods and social relations'.

Wed, 15 Oct 2025
13:00 - 13:40 CEST
Online

Register:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/womens-everyday-experiences-in-malawi-agriculture-and-social-relations-tickets-1605259958749?aff=oddtdtcreator&_gl=1%2Av0hkma%2A_up%2AMQ..%2A_ga%2AMTgxMDc0MzMzOS4xNzU5MzMwNDEy%2A_ga_TQVES5V6SH%2AczE3NTkzMzA0MTIkbzEkZzAkdDE3NTkzMzA0MTIkajYwJGwwJGgw

The session will start with welcomes and introductions from the Chair, followed by a 20-minute presentation by Dr Mapenzie Tauzie. Afterwards, there will be 10 minutes for questions and answers managed by the Chair of this event Prof Stephen Whitfield.

Drawing on participatory, multi-stage research conducted in rural Malawi, Dr Tauzie explores how women navigate the intersections of women’s empowerment, agricultural livelihoods, household nutrition and everyday negotiations over resources, while sustaining social networks and family wellbeing.

The findings reveal a nuanced picture of empowerment as a dynamic, non-linear relational process. Women balance household expectations, negotiate gender norms, and creatively strategize to meet both immediate needs and long-term aspirations. A typology of empowerment experiences; transformative, transactional, and constrained, illustrates the diverse ways women exercise agency under social and structural constraints.

This perspective moves beyond conventional metrics of empowerment, emphasizing the subtle, everyday decisions that shape access to productive resources, household nutrition, crop diversity and intergenerational aspirations. It provides insights for understanding women’s strategies and priorities in rural agricultural life, highlighting the central role of social relations in shaping empowerment.

Uncovering the hidden strategies behind women’s daily decisions in rural Malawi. “Empowerment is not just what women have, it’s what they do every day.”

Dr Mapenzie Tauzie is a Research Fellow in Climate Change and Food Systems at the University of Leeds, working within the FoSTA-Health programme. Her research sits at the intersection of agrarian livelihoods, food systems transformation, climate change and social justice in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Dr Tauzie brings a compelling and critical lens to the political economy of agricultural development, with a particular emphasis on inclusivity, equity and the socio-technical implications of digitalisation in agriculture. She coordinates the Social and Political Dimensions of Food Systems Research Group and leads an international Zero Hunger research network connecting scholars across Africa and Europe.

Her work is grounded in critical development policy, with a focus on inclusive agricultural innovation, the socio-technical dimensions of digitalisation, and the governance of sustainable food systems.



About Dr Tauzie:
https://conferences.leeds.ac.uk/africaweek/profiles/dr-mapenzie-tauzie/

About Dr Stephen Whitfield:
https://environment.leeds.ac.uk/see/staff/1606/dr-stephen-whitfield

12/09/2025

CISANET is currently attending a meeting in Zambia, where we're learning about the Zambian food systems and supporting the food systems visioning process.

We're grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with various stakeholders, including government, civil society organizations, the private sector, and academia, to shape a more sustainable and equitable food system.

Exciting news! A movement has been created to advance the vision we co-created: "Happy Earth, Healthy Foods For Everyone, Today and Tomorrow." We're proud to be part of this journey towards a better food system for all!

A big thank you to the Food Systems Transformation Initiative and for making this possible. We're looking forward to sharing our experiences and insights to drive positive change in the region!

03/09/2025

From August 25 to August 29, 2025, CISANET, under the Combating Corruption in Affordable Inputs Program (COCOA) project, conducted training sessions aimed at establishing Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) Committees in the Phalombe and Dedza districts, where the project is being implemented. This initiative was designed to empower the District Agriculture Extension Coordinating Committee, members of the district civil society organization network, and community members on the processes for reporting and addressing grievances, complaints, and other corruption-related issues arising from the Affordable Input Program (AIP). The goal was to enhance transparency and accountability in the implementation of the program.

Read the full article on our website using the following link: https://cisanetmalawi.org/establishment-of…anism-committees/

03/09/2025

Exciting news! Our National Director is among the delegates at the 2025 Africa Food Forum in Senegal.

The Africa Food Systems Forum 2025 is a premier gathering of public and private sector leaders, policymakers, researchers, development partners, and youth champions dedicated to transforming food systems across the continent. This year’s summit is taking place under the theme: “Africa’s Youth Leading Collaboration, Innovation, and Implementation of Agri-Food Systems Transformation.” The 2025 AFS Forum commenced on 31st August and is expected to end on 5 September 2025.

This premier event brings together leaders and experts to shape the future of food systems in Africa.

10/08/2025

CISANET recently partnered with the Evangelical Lutheran Development Service (ELDS) for joint field visits to Mchinji and Lilongwe districts. The visits aimed to assess community and district-level activities, capacity-building efforts, and community-based programs in collaboration with local stakeholders. The focus areas included livelihoods, resilience, and market access. The bi-annual monitoring visit aimed to evaluate progress, highlight achievements, and document success stories from previous years.

The observed activities encompassed various components, including cooperative development, irrigation projects, Farmer Field Schools, Self-Help Groups, manure production, beekeeping, and piggery initiatives, demonstrating their impact on local communities.