Agriculture and Development in Malawi

Thursday, 06/05/2008, 6:00–8:00pm
How will rising food prices effect the urban poor?
How can subsidence agriculture provide essential nutrients to low-income people living with HIV and AIDS?
What lessons can “developing” cities learn from the “developed” world as they consider the role of farming in their urban and sub-urban communities?

This study, funded by the Rhode Island School of Design, examines the influence of Malawi’s agrarian culture on urban sprawl and examines the role urban agriculture might play as its cities mature into a more static developmental state. Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, is in the midst of a massive population explosion. Without the capital for multi-storied buildings, the city is sprawling outward around an insufficient infrastructure system and complex land ownership practices. Malawi is a primarily agrarian country—95% of its workforce earns its incomes from the agricultural industry. Most of this agriculture is performed by hand. Malawi is also one of the hungriest countries in the world. Decades of unsustainable agricultural practices have deforested and desertified much of the landscape. The country now relies greatly on international aid for food production and aid.

Bryan Quinn worked in rural Malawi from 2002-2004 with the Peace Corps as an agriculture and forestry extension officer. In 2006, Bryan received a research grant through his graduate studies at the Rhode Island School of Design and spent several months living and researching in Lilongwe. Bryan currently works for NYC’s Department of Parks and Recreation as a Landscape Designer. He is also the founder and lead designer for One Nature, a small research and design practice based in Brooklyn, NY.

Organized by: AIA International Committee
Location: Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place (Directions)
Member Price: Free
Nonmember Price: $20
CES LUs: 1.5, CES HSW: 1.5

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