Contextualizing agroecological transitions

A multidimensional study of diverse farm categories in Malawi

Bibliographic Data

ID17822646
AuthorsLimson Kaluzi (0000-0003-3148-811X, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, corresponding author), Daimon Kambewa (Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources), Isaac Mambo (Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources)
Year2026
Volume50
Issue9
Pages1-51
Publication date2026-03-31
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAgroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2168-3565 • E-ISSN: 2168-3573
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/21683565.2026.2649770
OpenAlexW7143799883
LanguageEN
References cited53

Much of the literature on agroecological transitions employs a reductionist framing that underrepresents farm-level complexity, interactions among multiple agroecological elements, and socioecological context, limiting understanding of how diverse farmers within and across scales and settings experience agroecological systems. In contrast, agroecological transitions are inherently complex and multidimensional, requiring research approaches that capture this complexity. This study examined agroecological transitions across diverse farm categories in three contextually distinct sites in Malawi: Misuku, Lisasadzi, and Mbewe Extension Planning Areas. It involved 366 small-scale farmers and 12 in-depth interviews with medium- to large-scale farmers. Among small-scale farmers, the mean agroecological transition level was 13.4% across ten elements, with significant variation by location (p = 0.000). Youth-owned farms (≤35 years) had lower transition scores than adult-owned farms (>35 years) (12.3% vs. 13.9%, p = 0.004), while female-headed households slightly outperformed male-headed ones (13.9% vs. 13.3%, p = 0.278). Among the agroecology elements, co-creation and knowledge sharing scored highest (19.8%), whereas synergy, recycling, and efficiency scored lowest (<9%), with recycling and efficiency more commonly practiced in female-headed households. Correlation analysis showed that co-creation and knowledge sharing had the strongest association with overall agroecological transition (AET) scores (r = 0.86**), while efficiency showed the weakest association (r = 0.21**) across aggregated sites. Notably, small-scale farmers exhibited more agroecological practices than medium- and large-scale farmers. Overall, agroecological transitions in Malawi remain low and highly uneven across farmer categories and contexts, shaped primarily by location, age, and institutionally mediated elements such as co-creation and knowledge sharing, responsible governance, and culture and food traditions. These findings highlight the need for policies and interventions that promote agroecological practices across all elements, tailored to specific socioecological contexts.

Agroecology · Diversity (politics) · Food security · Livelihood · Sustainability · Traditional knowledge · Agricultural Innovations and Practices · Agriculture, Land Use, Rural Development · Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management

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