Malawian agriculture is turning to artificial intelligence to build resilience and boost output following climate disasters, with an innovative chatbot providing a crucial lifeline to smallholder farmers.
The case of farmer Alex Maere, whose corn harvest was decimated from 850 kilograms to a mere 8 kilograms by Cyclone Freddy in 2023, illustrates the technology’s potential. By adopting the advice of the AI tool, Ulangizi (“advisor” in Chichewa), Maere was guided toward diversified planting—combining potatoes with corn and cassava—which resulted in earnings exceeding $800 last year, allowing him to cover his children’s school fees.
The Ulangizi chatbot, developed by Opportunity International and supported by Malawi’s government, operates primarily via WhatsApp in both Chichewa and English. It offers farmers personalized text and audio farming advice, including diagnostics for crop diseases from submitted photos.
Overcoming Barriers to Scale
While the AI offers transformative potential for a country where over 80% of the population relies on agriculture, challenges remain. Support agents are deployed to assist farmers without smartphones, but poor internet connectivity and limited literacy in rural areas pose significant adoption barriers.
Furthermore, experts have flagged the delicate issue of trust. Inaccurate AI recommendations could be devastating to fragile livelihoods, underscoring the necessity of robust data and reliable advice.
Despite these hurdles, government officials are championing the technology as a key strategy to rapidly enhance food security and stabilize the agricultural sector against the increasing volatility of climate change. The successful pivot demonstrated by Maere offers compelling evidence that this fusion of technology and traditional farming can unlock new economic opportunity.
