commitment 41 akzente 3/16 i n a darkened room, young men and wom- en are busy grading tobacco leaves by qual- ity. they wear breathing masks and rubber gloves. barnet magombo finds the protective clothing annoying, but he knows that with- out it the work is dangerous. the equipment protects them from toxic nicotine, pesticides and dust. although it is by no means stand- ard in malawi, here at the mwimba college of agriculture it is mandatory. magombo is currently undergoing training at the agricultural college in kasungu district in the country’s central region. the 18-year-old has already learned how to harvest and dry the tobacco cor- rectly. just now, he’s putting processed leaves onto five separate piles and preparing them for delivery. graded tobacco from all over malawi is transported to the country’s four auction halls, where it is bought by interna- tional tobacco companies, the three largest being universal corporation, alliance one and japan tobacco international. tobacco from malawi is used worldwide to make cig- arettes. but demand for country’s principal export has been in decline for years – and so has its value. the 2016 sales season started with low prices. and despite excellent qual- ity, much of the tobacco failed to find a buyer. magombo’s elder sister grows tobacco, and he is following developments with con- cern: ‘the small farmers are increasingly left with goods on their hands.’ previously to- bacco was a crop that would guarantee a better income than any other product. for generations, therefore, many families pre- dominantly grew tobacco and used it as a source of income. now their earnings often do not even cover the costs of labour, seed and pesticides. to compound matters, the country is also battling a food crisis. aside from the impact the el niño phenomenon is having on cli- mate, much of the blame for this must be placed on an agricultural system that has failed to diversify. according to statistics published by the united nations, around 8.5 million people in malawi – around half the population – are facing starvation as a result of crop failures. the prospects are not good, as magombo explains. ‘most farmers are not aware of the risks of monocultures,’ says the prospective farmer. he would advise them to plant other crops along with tobacco, such as peanuts. ‘that way they are less dependent and have a source of food if necessary.’ edible crops in place of tobacco alarmed at the crisis, the malawian govern- ment has introduced measures to make the country less dependent on tobacco sales. by planting other edible food crops, farmers can generate additional sources of income. so in years when tobacco prices are low, they can still feed their families, and at the same time contribute to improved food supplies across the country. fallow tobacco plantations pre- sent a perfect opportunity to farm edible crops – and regular crop rotation means that soils also remain more fertile. giz is advising the malawian govern- ment on how to implement its strategy and boost both production and revenues in the country. ‘a network of agricultural advisors, small producers and local food manufactur- ers will make this possible,’ explains project manager florian bernhardt, outlining the ap- proach of the green innovation centres. these are part of the one world – no hun- ger special initiative launched by the german federal ministry for economic cooperation and development. two agricultural colleges in malawi col- laborate with german experts to train young, motivated farmers like barnet magombo to serve as multipliers. at magombo’s college, an institution funded by malawi’s agricul- tural research and extension trust (aret), 200 students have already graduated as agri- cultural extension officers. as such, they sup- port small farmers across the country with growing not only tobacco and corn, but also sunflowers, peanuts, soya and manioc. the focus is on oil seeds, since these are ideal for further processing within the country’s bor- ders into other goods such as vegetable oil, a product in demand all over the world. the agricultural economist john w. ji- yani walks through the college campus with a look of satisfaction. after the first year of co- operation with german experts, a great deal is already happening. ‘the library has been equipped with technical books and one building has been refurbished,’ says jiyani, outlining the new developments. ‘we also have the use of a laboratory and two oil presses, and the campus is supplied with wa- ter by a solar-powered irrigation unit.’ but most importantly, the college has broadened the focus of its narrow tobacco-based curric- ulum to include the cultivation of oil seeds and manioc – both in theory and in practice. students can now gain extensive experience of both crops out in the training fields. from now on, 120 students will complete the ex- tension training course each year. magombo wants to continue his stud- ies on completing the one-year basic train- ing. in three years he would then be an agri- cultural extension officer. in this role, he wants to pass on his knowledge about alter- native crops and good farming practices to tobacco farmers. and in turn, magombo wants to learn from them. his dream is one day to buy a piece of land of his own, to em- ploy workers and to manage a sustainable farming business. the natural resources college (nrc) at the university of lilongwe in the malawi capital also trains agricultural extension of- ficers. although tobacco farming still fea- tures on the college curriculum, it is no longer found out on the training areas. in- stead, these are now thriving with magnifi- cent sunflowers and manioc. in the irrigated garden which forms part of the campus, the lush, green plants stand in neat rows. the college is trialling a drip irrigation tech- past and future: agriculture student barnet magombo is learning how to farm tobacco. but one day as an advisor he intends to show farmers how to successfully cultivate other crops.