Reclaiming Indigenous Foodways: Developing Urban Agroecological Markets in Northern Malawi

Agroecological transitions include moving beyond production, to build connections with urban consumers through territorial markets. This study examines a participatory action research initiative to establish 4 urban and peri-urban agroecological markets in northern Malawi, which is being implemented by a consortium of three organizations. By mobilizing the ‘territorial markets’ methodology, we first ascertained the farmers’ needs in terms of consumer information and we conducted a consumption survey in order to understand the construction of agroecological quality in the market. A total of 317 consumers, traders and producers were interviewed in the 4 market sites (Mzuzu, Rumphi, Ekwendeni and Enukweni). The most common agroecological products purchased were vegetables (59%), pulses and cereals (44%), fruits (41%), root crops (39%), and animal products (35%). The most common reasons consumers cited for buying agroecological products were health benefits (74%), taste (62%), social and environmental impact (39%), and freshness (27%). Barriers preventing consumers from consuming agroecological products included limited knowledge (35%), low trust in vendors (23%), and product appearance (18%). We also explored consumers' perception of agroecology and their willingness to pay more for agroecological products, with 57% expressing a willingness to pay more for them, although only one-third reported being willing to pay more if prices were less than 10% higher than conventional products. After holding producer-consumer roundtables, the consortium supported farmers to open ‘agroecological’ labelled stands in the four marketplaces. Observations in the newly established markets suggest that the sale of prepared meals with culturally-significant ingredients (e.g., millet or local orange maize) enhanced the visibility and interest in agroecological markets. Processed foods such as flour and peanut butter also helped increase sales. Challenges include maintaining affordable prices and trust about food quality and pesticide use. We draw on concepts of cultural foodways and ‘nested markets’ to assess the potential of reclaiming indigenous foodways.