Fit to national policy

RIU Malawi works closely with the Ministry of Agriculture & Food Security (MOA&FS) so it can add value to the Malawi Agriculture Sector Wide Approach (ASWAP). It does this by offering an innovation systems perspective that goes beyond the conventional research and extension systems. The patron of Malawi RIU is the Head of the Agricultural Extension and Technical Services in the Ministry of Agriculture & Food Security.

RIU Malawi has been involved in policy discussions related to: legumes 'best bets' promotion, consultations on aquaculture development and private sector involvement in seed supply systems. It also contributed to the annual review of the Agricultural Research & Development Programme (ARDEP).

In 2006, the Malawi Government launched the Presidential Initiative for Aquaculture Development (PIAD) in order to boost fish farming in Malawi;the Fish Farming Innovation Platform is assisting in operationalising this strategy.

RIU Malawi is exploring how it can work with Fairtrade Malawi to increase market access for produce.

In June 2009, Malawi's newly re-elected president, Bingu wa Mutharika, proposed investment in science as part of a plan to transform the country into a net exporter of goods and services. Specific priorities included agriculture and food security; irrigation and water development; and environmental degradation.

In March 2010, RIU Malawi made a presentation at the Ministry of Agriculture & Food Security Half Year Review. This is a meeting which brings together all the senior department directors in the Ministry of Agriculture & Food Security, all coordinators of agricultural related projects and NGOs to review progress and share lessons. This accorded an opportunity for RIU Malawi to showcase its objectives, activities and establish more linkages and recognition.

RIU in Malawi has recently established linkages with two regional networks: SARNISSA and REINA (Regional Agricultural & Environment Initiatives Network - Africa).

SARNISSA (Sustainable Aquaculture Research Networks in Sub -Saharan Africa: This year's annual stakeholders' workshop for SARNISSA was held in Malawi and RIU Malawi participated. Other participants were from Uganda, Cameroon, UK, Thailand, Netherlands, Kenya, Ghana and South Africa (NEPAD). SARNISSA aims to bring together a wide range of like-minded individuals involved in African aquaculture, across borders and between languages. The coordinating institution for southern Africa is Bunda College, University of Malawi.

The work plan for RIU Malawi to June 2011 will include:

• organizing and facilitating regular platform meetings
• coordinating activities within and between platforms
• facilitating linkages of platforms with other institutions and potential funding agencies to facilitate secure investment to unblock challenges indentified by the platforms
• providing financial and technical support to platforms to trigger the uptake of the research outputs by unblocking the identified priority bottlenecks
• producing video documentaries for all the platforms to showcase progress, impact and lessons learned
• facilitating lesson learning and documentation of success stories
• planning and delivering capacity building interventions for platforms
• planning and delivering capacity building interventions for farmers organizations within the platforms such as Innovative Fish Farmers Network (IFFN), ASSMAG, Cotton Farmers Association
• facilitating policy linkages of RIU and platform work with national policy actors

Detailed work programmes for each platform (fish farming, legumes, cotton and livestock can be found on the platform pages can be found in the relevant section of the website.)