ulimi.labs
A studio exploring how human-centred design, data and digital tools can support farmers and partners to build resilience in Malawi and beyond.
ulimi.labs looks at everyday decisions on and around the farm – when to plant, what to invest in, who to work with – and asks how design and data can make those choices a little more resilient, exploring together with farmers, cooperatives and organisations.
Farmers plan in weeks. Climate signals move in seasons.
Weather and climate information often remains abstract for people who need to decide field work day by day. We explore ways to turn scattered forecasts into simple overviews that help communities see when a season is shifting – without adding more dashboards or jargon.
Healthy soils quietly decide how much climate stress a field can carry.
In many places, the difference between a failed and a decent harvest is hidden underground. We look at ways to make soil condition more visible in everyday planning, so that choices about crops and practices naturally include questions of soil care.
Aerial images matter when they change where people walk and work.
Looking at a field or catchment from above can reveal lines of erosion, water paths and patterns that are hard to see on the ground. Our interest is less in high-tech images themselves and more in the discussions they trigger among farmers and local actors.
Small changes in landscape shape can shift how long water stays.
Fields along dambos, slopes and riverbanks often face very different conditions within short distances. We are interested in how communities read these micro-climates and which small landscape interventions they see as worth their time and labour.
Choosing what to plant is always a balancing act.
Farmers weigh yield, risk, taste, storage and habit when they decide on seed. ulimi.labs looks at how information on varieties can be shared in a way that respects local knowledge while still giving a clearer sense of what might fit a changing season.
Information flows feel fair when something useful comes back.
Surveys and monitoring are common, but farmers do not always see a direct benefit. We explore simple feedback loops where communities can work with patterns from their own observations rather than data disappearing into distant reports.
Many young people already bridge phones, cities and fields.
A growing group of young Malawians moves between rural and urban spaces, combining farming with other work. ulimi.labs is curious how their digital habits can support record-keeping, planning and collaboration around agriculture without adding yet another app.
Small experiments matter when they can be reused and adapted.
Malawi has seen many short projects that tested new ideas. We are interested in the pieces that quietly continued afterwards and what made them stick – be it a tool, a way of organising work or a simple routine that people adopted.
Climate resilience grows where relationships are clear and steady.
ulimi.labs collaborates with organisations that see farmers as long-term partners. Clear expectations, transparent communication and realistic promises are central to how we shape joint work, whether it is small-scale testing or a broader programme.
Over time, small notes can add up to a clearer picture of the field.
Step by step, ulimi.labs aims to build a living overview of where different climate-smart practices are being tried in Malawi and what people are learning from them – not as a final answer, but as a working map that can be updated as seasons and ideas change.