| Summary: | The establishment of a Forages Technical Working Group (TWG) responds to a clear need for coordinated leadership to address persistent feed constraints undermining livestock productivity, resilience, and sustainability in Malawi. Despite the central role of livestock in rural livelihoods, nutrition, soil fertility, and income, productivity per animal remains low due to chronic seasonal feed shortages, land fragmentation, land degradation, weak pasture management, underdeveloped pasture seed systems, and low adoption of cultivated forages. Fragmented institutional efforts and the absence of a national coordination mechanism have further limited integrated responses. This need was collectively articulated during a national virtual seminar on multipurpose forages held in May 2024, convened by LUANAR in collaboration with the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT and DARS. Building on this consensus, a multi-institutional core team developed and subsequently revised the Concept Note and Terms of Reference for the TWG through a consultative process concluded in December 2025. The revised Concept Note positions the TWG as a national coordination and advisory platform to align stakeholders, strengthen pasture seed systems, and guide the scaling of forage–livestock–crop integration, contributing to improved livestock productivity, land restoration, and climate-resilient agricultural systems.
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