NASFAM is involved in a wide variety of developmental work, covering such cross-cutting issues as food security, credit, gender, HIV/AIDS, and rural infrastructure.

HIV/AIDS has a huge impact on the household economy of smallholder farmers in Malawi. It is estimated that more than half of all households in rural Malawi are affected by HIV/AIDs, and that over 70% of households affected by chronic sickness experience loss of labour.

NASFAM’s involvement does not derive simply from philanthropic motives, but because fundamentally interventions in these areas make good business sense. A community empowered to cope with HIV/AIDS issues is able to be more productive; bridges and other infrastructure which allow access to remote areas by large trucks provide improved market access for farmers, and resulting better prices.

“Doing good makes good business sense”

Ultimately, NASFAM believes that doing good makes good business sense, and the choices it makes in regard to areas of intervention are driven by this linkage

Food Security
NASFAM has always believed that the sale of cash crops for a fair price will increase household income and so improve food security. Research has proven that NASFAM's members are more food secure than the average smallholder farmer; more than 55% of rural Malawian Households suffer from chronic food shortages in a normal production season as against 21% of NASFAM farmers.

Gender

'I work with my husband at the farm, we plant together, we weed together and we harvest the crop as one. In the fields we are the same; but when the money comes, I am like a child again. He never gives me more than a few Tambala, when the maize is finished my children are hungry all the time, and my husband drinks beer.’

For example, a bridge which provides improved market access would be repaired in priority to one which offered only additional convenience.  

Lack of infrastructure can profoundly affect the marketing of crops. NASFAM's 'Self-Help Fund' for rural infrastructure improvement is a central fund of money which associations can bid for with proposals to improve rural infrastructure in their area.