• CARP-E Projects

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    About CARP-E

    Community Action Research Projects for Enterprise Development (CARP-E) is APA’s programme for turning research into practical solutions with farming communities. CARP-E supports community-driven projects that tackle problems along agricultural value chains and encourage entrepreneurship and business development. Its focus is the soybean and groundnut value chains in Malawi. CARP-E builds on the Community Action Research Projects model introduced by RUFORUM in 2009.

    The model helps universities play a bigger role in research and technology transfer by working with communities, not only studying them. Under the World Bank-funded African Centres of Excellence (ACE II) programme, APA runs CARP-E as an innovation platform that brings together farmers, local entrepreneurs, government, the private sector, NGOs, development agencies and the university. In CARP-E, communities help define the problem, and researchers work alongside them to test and improve solutions. Innovations that show promise are prepared as prototypes for incubation and possible commercialisation, and are reviewed through LUANAR’s Technology Transfer Office.

    CARP-E Priority Areas

    The consultations led APA to focus CARP-E on three areas:

    • Production: Raising soybean and groundnut yields with smart tools, such as AI for pest and disease monitoring and data analytics for soil management.
    • Post-harvest, storage and value addition: Cutting losses from pests, poor drying and contamination, and adding value through processing.
    • Marketing and enterprise development: Improving farmers’ incomes through digital market information, structured linkages and cooperatives.

    CARP-E projects

    Six community action projects have been funded under CARP-E. Each one responds to a problem identified by farmers and local enterprises.


    Project Priority Area Location Current Status
    IoT-Based Soil Fertility Monitoring and Soil Fixing System Production Lilongwe Prototype completed Farmer pilot to follow.
    AI Plant Doctor: Groundnut Disease Prediction Production Kasungu Prototype developed Farmer training and pilot being rolled out.
    Warehouse Real-Time Monitoring and Control System (SmartWare) Post-harvest and Storage Mchinji and Lilongwe System developed Installation in cooperative warehouses planned.
    Processing Hub for Soy and Groundnut Nutrient-Dense Products Post-harvest and Value Addition Lilongwe Equipped Production starting.
    Market Connect (USSD/SMS Market Access Platform) Marketing and Enterprise Lilongwe and Kasungu In Development Farmers and extension staff consulted.
    Click and Trade (E-commerce Platform) Marketing and Enterprise Lilongwe Developed Entering stakeholder testing.
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