Join DSAI for the next event in our Research Symposium on Irish-Funded Development Research, showcasing two projects funded through the SDG Challenge, a partnership between Research Ireland and Irish Aid. Focusing on SDG 2: Zero Hunger, the webinar will explore climate-resilient agriculture, sustainable food processing and food and nutrition security in Malawi and Zimbabwe.
Thursday, 17 September 2026
1.00–2.00 p.m (Irish Standard Time)
Online
Presentation 1
SANKOFA: ReSilient Climate smArt Agriculture, iNdigenous Knowledge and traditiOn For sustAinable Food Production
The impacts of climate change and variability pose significant challenges to food security in Malawi, a predominantly agrarian nation heavily reliant on rain-fed agriculture. A key issue is how rural smallholder farmers can adapt to these changes to safeguard their food security, improve agricultural productivity, promote sustainable food production, and build resilience in their farming practices. This project aims to address these challenges by integrating indigenous knowledge with climate-smart agricultural technologies through co-creation with rural smallholder farmers. What makes this project unique is its blend of traditional, indigenous practices – in essence SANKOFA, an African concept translated ‘go back and take it’; meaning ‘there is wisdom in learning from the past’ – with scientific approaches, helping farmers select the most effective combination of these methods to secure their food supply amid changing conditions. This approach has the potential to improve the lives and livelihoods of smallholder farmers, women, and rural communities by introducing innovative farming techniques that can boost yields (supporting SDG 2) and increase income (supporting SDGs 5 and 10). In the first six months, efforts will focus on engaging stakeholders and evaluating the proposed solutions, with the following twelve months dedicated to their practical implementation.
Project Lead: Dr Adwoa Serwaa Ofori, University College Dublin
Malawi Co-Lead: Associate Professor Miriam Kalanda-Joshua
Presentation 2
Solarains: Mechanization and Sustainable Processing of Climate-Resilient Cereal Grains in Zimbabwe’s Arid Areas to Ensure Food and Nutrition Security
The Challenge: Processing of climate-smart cereal grain (sorghum and millet) in Zimbabwe is dominated by manual, labour-intensive methods such as hand threshing and pounding. These outdated practices are time-consuming, inefficient, and place a heavy burden on women and girls, limiting their time for education and income-generating activities. Despite being climate resilient, the adoption of these cereal grains remains low due to the lack of affordable, off-grid mechanised technologies suited to rural smallholders. This results in high postharvest losses, poor grain quality, and reduced market value. Addressing this challenge through appropriate mechanisation can improve efficiency, reduce drudgery, and enhance food security, livelihoods, and gender equity in climate-vulnerable communities.
The Solution: This project proposes the design and local production of a solar-powered, integrated sorghum thresher and roaster tailored for rural Zimbabwe. The unit will combine threshing, dehulling, and roasting functions to streamline postharvest processing, reduce labour burden, and minimise losses. Powered by solar energy, the technology is off-grid, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective, ideal for remote, low-resource settings. The equipment will be gender-responsive, easy to operate, and built using locally available materials to ensure sustainability and scalability. By mechanising sorghum processing, the solution will unlock productivity, enhance grain quality, and promote inclusive, climate-resilient food systems in smallholder farming communities.
Project Lead: Dr Nilushni Sivapragasam, University College Cork