What GREEN LIVELIHOODS does

Green Livelihoods is a Malawi-registered Local Non-Governmental Organisation (LNGO) founded in 2006 and headquartered in Lilongwe, with operations across the Lilongwe, Dowa, Salima and Kasungu districts. Its stated mission is to drive innovative climate-smart agri-preneurship and improve the lives of marginalized groups, principally rural women and youth, through green business and sustainable livelihoods creation.

The organisation runs three core programme areas: Green Business Programming (enterprise development with minimal environmental impact), Climate-Smart Agri-Technologies (Conservation Agriculture systems), and Economic Empowerment through Self-Help Groups (community-based savings, credit and enterprise formation). It implements discrete donor-funded projects including the USAID-funded Moringa Value Chain Enterprise Development (MOVED) activity, the Bamboo Value Chain Enterprise Development Project funded by In Their Lifetime via Christian Aid Malawi, the Better Livelihoods Environmental Awareness Project (BLEA) in Dowa, and the Groundnuts & Beef Value Chain Project (GAIN) in Kasungu. Village Savings and Loans groups serve as the primary financial-inclusion and community-organisation mechanism.

Green Livelihoods operates a donor-funded, non-commercial model: it does not sell products or services and has no disclosed pricing or revenue. Its go-to-market is community-led, working through producer groups, Village Savings and Loans associations, district councils, and partnerships with international donors and academic institutions (notably LUANAR). Key institutional partners include USAID, IFAD, Christian Aid, Danish Church Aid, CISU, In Their Lifetime, and IM Swedish Development Partner. In June 2026 the organisation announced a strategic repositioning toward market-driven enterprise development and market systems work, in response to declining donor support, with an explicit aim to reduce community dependence on aid.

Name

GREEN LIVELIHOODS

Legal name

Green Livelihoods

Website

https://greenlivelihoods.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Green Livelihoods is a Malawi-based NGO founded in 2006 that runs climate-smart agriculture, value-chain enterprise, and Village Savings and Loans programmes for marginalized rural women and youth across four districts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Development Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Agriculture & Food Security Development (BPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rural Livelihoods & Economic Empowerment (BPAGABAA), Sustainable Agriculture, Food Systems & Land Management (BPADALAG)

Keywords

• Climate-smart agriculture
• Rural livelihood programs
• Agricultural value chains
• Community enterprise development
• Village savings groups

Headquarters

HQ city

Lilongwe

HQ country

Malawi

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Green Livelihoods is a registered Local NGO in Malawi that implements climate-smart agriculture programs and community-based enterprise development initiatives. It organizes marginalized rural groups—particularly women and youth—into producer groups, cooperatives, and Village Savings and Loans associations, providing training in bamboo, moringa, groundnut, and beef value chains, Conservation Agriculture, enterprise development, financial management, digital marketing, and market access. Operations are funded by international development donors including USAID, IFAD, Christian Aid, In Their Lifetime, and CISU.

Product overview

Green Livelihoods is a climate-smart agri-innovation focused NGO operating in Malawi with a mission to drive innovative climate smart agri-preneurship. The organization operates three core program areas: Green Business Programming (supporting environmentally sustainable enterprises), Climate Smart Agri-Technologies (Conservation Agriculture practices), and Economic Empowerment through Self-Help Groups for youth and women. GL implements multiple development projects including the Bamboo Value Chain Enterprise Development, BLEA, GAIN (Groundnuts & Beef), and MOVED (Moringa Value Chain Enterprise Development) projects. The organization also facilitates Village Savings and Loans groups for financial inclusion. The organization's strategic direction emphasizes market-driven development, green value chains, cooperative development, climate resilience, and enterprise growth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Green Business Programming Program area focused on green enterprises that have minimal negative impact on the environment, community, and society, targeting rural vulnerable groups affected by climate change in Malawi.
• Climate Smart Agri-Technologies Program area promoting Conservation Agriculture (CA) — an integrated management system for soil, water, and biological resources combined with external inputs, aimed at achieving sustainable and profitable agriculture for smallholder farmers.
• Economic Empowerment (Youth and Women) - Self Help Group Approach Program area organizing community Self-Help Groups that are self-governed, peer-controlled informal groups of people with shared socio-economic backgrounds, enabling economic empowerment for youth and women.
• Bamboo Value Chain Enterprise Development Project Development project organizing communities into bamboo producer groups and providing training in bamboo processing, enterprise development, financial management, digital marketing, and market access in Lilongwe, Dowa, and Salima districts.
• Better Livelihoods Environmental Awareness Project (BLEA) Environmental awareness project implemented in Dowa district that improves community livelihoods through environmental consciousness.
• Groundnuts & Beef Value Chain Project (GAIN) Value chain development project focused on groundnuts and beef, implemented in Kasungu district to enhance economic opportunities for local communities.
• Moringa Value Chain Enterprise Development (MOVED) USAID-funded two-year project aimed at fostering green entrepreneurship-based income sources and reducing smallholder vulnerability to climate change through Moringa value chain commercialization, including moringa tree farms, processing facilities, and the Moringa Business Incubation Hub (MoBIH).
• Village Savings and Loans Groups Community-based savings groups providing members with access to savings and affordable credit facilities, enabling economic empowerment and resilience against climate-related shocks.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,020 people organized into 63 producer groups for bamboo production
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, moderate and minor.

• IM Swedish Development PartnercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Strategic partner supporting Green Livelihoods' 2026-2030 development agenda and organizational repositioning toward enterprise development and market systems approach.
• International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey donor partner supporting climate resilience and agricultural development programs among smallholder farmers and marginalized communities.
• Christian AidcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in implementing development projects including the Bamboo Value Chain Project funded by In Their Lifetime, working in Salima and Dowa districts.
• Christian Aid MalawicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal implementation partner for the Bamboo Value Chain Project, supporting training in bamboo processing and enterprise development.
• Danish Church Aid (DCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCivil society partner supporting development initiatives and programs aligned with Green Livelihoods' climate adaptation and local economic development work.
• Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR)moderateTechnology or IntegrationAcademic partnership for research, innovation and knowledge generation to support sustainable livelihoods and green economic transformation.
• Seniors Without BordersminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTechnical support and institutional capacity strengthening under CISU-supported initiatives, providing expertise to strengthen organizational systems.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Opportunity International: Financial inclusion NGO operating Village Savings and Loans-style microfinance programs with rural African communities. Comparable on the Village Savings and Loans component that Green Livelihoods uses as its core community entry point.

Direct peers

• Farm Africa: INGO promoting sustainable agriculture, value chain commercialization, and climate-resilient livelihoods across East Africa. Comparable mission, beneficiary base, and value chain approach (similar to moringa, groundnuts, livestock).
• Solidaridad: International civil society organization running sustainable agricultural value chains in Africa and globally. Comparable focus on climate-smart production, smallholder inclusion in value chains, and market access facilitation.
• Concern Worldwide: International NGO with long-standing Malawi operations delivering livelihoods, food security, and climate resilience programs for rural smallholders. Directly comparable as a grant-funded NGO executing community-based agricultural and economic empowerment projects in the same country.
• Self Help Africa: INGO focused on smallholder agriculture, enterprise development, and market systems across Sub-Saharan Africa. Closely comparable model combining producer cooperatives, value chain development, and climate-smart agriculture for rural communities.
• Heifer International: INGO operating a value-chain-based 'pass-on-the-gift' model with smallholder cooperatives in Africa. Comparable community-led cooperative structure and livestock/crop value chain approach seen in Green Livelihoods' GAIN project.
• TechnoServe: INGO pioneering the Aid-to-Trade / market-driven development model in Africa. Highly comparable given Green Livelihoods' stated strategic pivot toward enterprise development and market systems—the trajectory TechnoServe has already executed.
• Clinton Development Initiative: Anchor institution implementing market-driven agricultural value chain and cooperative development programs in Malawi and other African countries. Highly relevant peer given overlapping geography (Malawi) and market-systems approach.

Others

• AECF (Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund): Development financier providing grant and catalytic funding to innovative enterprises in African agriculture and climate sectors. Comparable as an ecosystem partner Green Livelihoods could tap for the enterprise development pivot, given its market-systems reorientation.

Broad incumbents

• CARE International: Large international humanitarian and development organization with deep Malawi presence operating across food security, economic empowerment, and climate adaptation. Comparable as a broader incumbent running self-help group and livelihoods programs in the same geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GreenLivelihoods
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/green-livelihoods

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GREEN LIVELIHOODS