The Integrating Aquaculture-Agriculture to Combat Food Insecurity (IAAM) project is a four-year initiative (2024–2028) led by the Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada (CDF Canada) and funded by the Government of Norway through Norad. The project aims to improve food security and strengthen rural livelihoods by promoting integrated aquaculture-agriculture systems that combine fish farming, crop production, livestock, and agroforestry.
Targeting approximately 7,200 direct beneficiaries, with a particular focus on small-scale farmers, women, and youth, the initiative supports the adoption of climate-smart farming practices, enhances access to markets and financial services, and strengthens agricultural and aquaculture value chains. The project is being implemented in partnership with the Government of Malawi, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Community Agribusiness Partners (CAP), Malawi Federation of Co-operatives (MAFECO), Malawi Union of Savings and Credit Cooperatives (MUSCCO), the African Women Fish Processors and Traders Network (AWFISHNET) – Malawi Chapter, and the Women’s Legal Resources Centre (WOLREC).
Imani Consultants Ltd was commissioned by International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie) to conduct a baseline survey data collection for the project. This included conducting interviews with 3,050 fish farming households across 160 Extension Planning Area Sections (EPAS), randomly assigned to treatment and control groups, and focused on key outcomes such as food security, income, nutrition, employment, and gender transformation—particularly among women, youth, and persons with disabilities.