TREES, PEOPLE, FOOD AND SOIL - A CASE-STUDY OF PARTICIPATORY DEVELOPMENT IN MALAWI

In rural Malawi, rapid population growth has contributed to deforestat ion, land and other chronic resource scarcities. In 1995, a team of Ca nadian graduate students and Malawian extension workers investigated a nd attempted to find solutions to specific local resource scarcities. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) was used to assess total resource supply, evaluate food security and gender issues, facilitate village f uelwood action plan and inquire into the non-adoption of a tree nurser y scheme. This article relates the team's experiences and insights aga inst reviews of the history of forestry in Malawi, recent initiatives in forestry extension, and the current condition of Malawi's indigenou s woodlands, It is concluded that villagers are willing to plant trees provided their costs are minimized and maize production is not compro mised.