Malawi is an agro-based economy, with around 80% of the population living in rural areas. Malawians, especially those in rural areas, continue to experience and struggle with persistent poverty, food and nutrition insecurity exacerbated by lack of off-farm employment opportunities and environmental degradation in light of climate change. Sachs et al. (2017) reported that Malawi ranks 147th out of 157 countries in progress towards meeting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with undernutrition in women and children reported as both health and development hazards. In order to deal with these bottlenecks, the “Sustainable Food Systems in Malawi (FoodMa) Programme” is proposed based upon a holistic system thinking approach that emphasizes ‘action to impact’ research, education, dissemination and outreach. In this programme, Sustainable food systems include aspects of – and activities related to – food production, processing and distribution, sale and consumption, as well as their socio-economic and environmental impact (HLPE 2017). FoodMa will integrate innovative participatory approaches with evidence-based interventions to build and strengthen the economic, social and environmental foundation that will ensure food and nutrition security complemented with taking agriculture as a livelihood and business through value-adding within selected value chains. In order to achieve these objectives, the role of universities through research, education and dissemination of good practice needs to be reinforced.