Sustainability

The organization has the following objectives:

• Promoting food security: through agro-ecology, climate smart farming and permaculture.
• Entrepreneurship and self-reliance: Encouraging recycling, use of locally available resources, saving culture and innovation
• Environmental governance: conservation agriculture, composting, use of locally made organic fertilizers, water harvesting technologies and practical agro-forestry initiatives.
• In 2024/25 Growing rain-fed Season: ISD has enabled the community to produce maize and rice using organic manure achieving a rate of 6 tones/ hectare against a district average of 2 tones/hectare and national average of 1.2 tones per hectare

• Natural resources governance and corporate accountability: Promoting business and human rights in the natural resources sector by making corporates accountable for a better society.
• Promoting Irrigation Farming: Sustainable food production, setting small scale replicable irrigation systems in order to achieve economic empowerment.
• The Institute of Sustainable Development-ISD is a local NGO in Malawi and currently implementing a project called “Matandani Community Irrigation Scheme Project” in Group Village Head Lundu, T/A Kuntumanje of Zomba district, Malawi.

The organization has a permanent offices located in Mponda, Village, T/A Kapeni, Blantyre. This is where the organization has own offices and a farm called Nthaka Farm for demonstration and resources mobilization which is also a learning hub for agro-ecology, climate resilience, permaculture and entrepreneurship. Besides having Board of Trustees to give policy direction, the day-to-day management of Institute of Sustainable Development is responsibility of the Secretariat. 

ISD is setting-up an irrigation scheme for 150 Households covering 12 hectares to enable irrigation

The organization has a profit making arm. Betterlife Products Ltd is a company established in 2020 in Blantyre, Malawi. The company is engaged in the production of horticultural crops, including herbs, spices, vegetables, and fruits, serving both export and local markets. This is a social enterprise of Institute of Sustainable Development (ISD).

The company owns 3 hectares of agricultural land where production activities take place. All products are cultivated organically, although they are not yet certified organic. The product range includes bananas, fresh and dried beans, cucumbers and gherkins, eggplants, garlic, various fruits and nuts, ginger, mangoes, mangosteens, guavas, okra, onions, fresh herbs, pumpkins, potatoes, plantains, tomatoes, and a variety of spices.

Betterlife Products Ltd operates an aggregation and processing facility in Mponda, Blantyre. The company uses solar drying technology for product preservation and hires milling equipment when required. The farm is equipped with facilities where processing activities are expected to be further developed. In addition to its own production, the company sources raw materials from 580 out-growers.

The company exports medicinal plants to regional and international markets, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and the United States. In 2024, Betterlife Products Ltd exported 250 kg of medicinal plant products, including Whytei Modia Root Powder, Gorontula Fruit Powder, Moringa Leaf Powder, Baobab Fruit Powder, and Kigelia africana Fruit Powder. Export volumes