Part of SVML's ESG Strategy
- Conservation Farming Program in Malawi:
- Training local farmers in sustainable techniques
- Supporting local communities to address their social priorities
Supporting Local Communities
- Includes techniques:
- Minimum soil disturbance, such as no-till farming
- Maintenance of a permanent soil cover, such as cover crops or crop residues
- Diversification of plant species, such as crop rotation
This initiative forms part of Sovereign's (SVML) ESG Strategy to develop its tier one Kasiya Rutile-Graphite Project while simultaneously restoring and improving the livelihoods of local communities.
The Program is being implemented by the Company's experienced team on the ground, which previously ran a very successful initiative for First Quantum Minerals Limited's Zambian operations where its conservation farming program has been effectively operating since 2010.
Between 2020 and 2022 harvest crops increased by 67% from 6,000 tonnes to 10,000 tonnes of maize, with over 7,000 farmers in the program at the end of 2022.