The Malawians braving climate shocks and red tape to make banana wine

Global warming has shrunk crop yields in farming communities. Turning bananas into wine The group began in 2012 as the Twitule Cooperative, a small group of farmers meeting in Muchenjeli, Karonga, with founding members like Mukandawire. “The project is a source of livelihood for this community and stands as a testimony of how communities in Malawi are fighting the effects of climate change,” said Mercy Chaluma, a representative for COMSIP. ‘We will keep pushing’ Environmental activists have bemoaned the continuing effects of climate change, saying even as the communities are adapting, the effects are still adversely affecting full-scale production of banana wine or use of the crop for other purposes. “Banana-growing farmers need to be introduced to drought-tolerant varieties to lessen the impact of extreme weather patterns on the crop,” Malata said.