Elephant-Proof Granaries Offer Hope and Harvests in Kasungu

Communities living around Kasungu National Park are embracing an innovative solution to protect their harvests from foraging elephants whilst boosting food security and local incomes. The Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) Malawi and DNPW Zambia, supported by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), have introduced elephant-proof granaries as a key strategy in reducing human-wildlife conflict across the region.

Elephant-proof granaries are just one part of the major conservation efforts led by Malawi’s DNPW, which included the 2022 translocation of nearly 700 animals, including 263 elephants from Liwonde National Park to Kasungu. The operation delivered on the government’s plan to ease ecological pressure in Liwonde while restoring Kasungu’s elephant numbers and biodiversity.

To ensure local communities benefit and thrive alongside the revitalised wildlife ecosystem, proactive measures have been taken to mitigate human-wildlife conflict. Traditionally, harvested crops were stored in family homes, making them a target for elephants in search of food. Now, specially designed community granaries are offering farmers a secure place to store their harvests, better protecting not only their crops but also their livelihoods.  These robust structures safeguard grain from both elephants and rodents, preventing post-harvest losses.

By safeguarding food supplies, these granaries are helping to alleviate hunger and malnutrition among local families, while easing tensions between people and elephants. This approach addresses a critical issue faced by communities across the globe, ensuring that staple food sources remain undisturbed by wildlife.

“By protecting harvests, families stay fed, homes stay safe, and human-elephant conflict is reduced,” said an IFAW spokesperson. “It’s a smart step toward peaceful coexistence - and a brighter future for all. Stronger storage. Safer communities. Shared space.”

This adaptive and inclusive approach to conservation is already transforming attitudes. As conflict declines, community support for elephant conservation grows. In Zambia’s Eastern Province, IFAW’s Room to Roam initiative is supporting villagers in Lundazi District to build elephant-proof granaries capable of storing up to 120 bags of 50 kgs grain - enough to feed an entire village for a year.

What makes these projects particularly effective is their community-led nature. Local residents are actively involved in constructing and maintaining the granaries, ensuring that solutions are locally appropriate and long-lasting. This participatory model empowers communities to take ownership of conservation efforts while enhancing their resilience to environmental and economic shocks.

Success stories are emerging beyond Malawi and Zambia. In Kenya’s Tsavo West National Park, a project led by USAID and IFAW and implemented by Tsavo Trust has reduced human-elephant conflicts by nearly 90%. One local farmer, Stephen Kisonde, built a wooden granary to store maize, beans, and peas, protecting his hard-earned harvest. The initiative has brought relief and stability to more than 7,000 small-scale farmers, while also contributing to the broader restoration of the Tsavo landscape.

These efforts come at a critical time as farmers are grappling with the compounded effects of climate change, erratic rainfall, and years of unsustainable farming practices that have degraded soils and reduced productivity. By minimising crop losses to wildlife, farmers can feed their families more reliably, sell surplus produce, and generate the income needed to invest in their futures.