Most indigenous Malawians depend on maize as the staple food, at the expense of a variety of other crops. This has narrowed the food resource base for most communities. Bambara groundnut which is more resilient to environmental extremes than other crops of the same taxon can be grown as a major food crop in Malawi.

University of Malawi, Bunda College of Agriculture crop Science Lecturer, Ceasar Mkandawire says Bambara groundnut needs to be publicized to enhance production and its utilization as a hunger mitigating crop.
Although the SADC grain and legume feasibility study of 1984 ranked Bambara groundnut among the top four most important legumes, In Malawi the crop, is however associated with a lot of myths, which is stigmatize its production and utilization.
“Bambara is a promising commodity which needs more publicity, both as a crop and as food. Even in tropical Africa, few people are aware of its existence.
“Emphasis should be made that it is a low cost, dependable crop that grows in harsh environments where many other crops of the same taxon fail,” said Mkandawire adding that ‘Its high nutritive value also needs to be publicized particularly to the rural poor.’
Locally known as ‘voanjo’ in Madagascar and also written as ‘voandzou’ in French, the common name of the crop is derived from a tribe, the Bambara, who live in Mali.
The crop is primarily grown for human consumption, but it has other uses as well. Their seed makes a complete food, with sufficient quantities on average 63 percent of carbohydrate, 19 percent of protein and 6.5 percent of fats. According to FAO, the gross energy value of Bambara groundnut is said to be greater than that of other common pulses such as cowpea and pigeon pea.
The crop, is eaten in many ways, immature pods can be boiled and consumed. However, at maturity the seeds become harder and require boiling for long time. Seeds can be pounded into flour and used to make stiff porridge.
Roasted seeds can be boiled, crushed and eaten as relish. A recent trial of Bambara groundnut milk was carried out which compared its flavor and composition with those of milks prepared from cowpea, pigeon pea and soya bean and that it ranked first and its lighter colour was preferred. This crop may also be used as animal feed because the haulm is palatable and that the leaves are rich in nitrogen and phosphorous hence suitable for animal grazing.
Other than culinary uses, Bambara groundnuts have medical uses as well for instance, the Luo tribe in Kenya use to cure diarrhoea when water from boiled maize and Bambara groundnut mixture is drunk. The leaves can be used to wash livestock or as an insecticide upon mixed with those of Lantana trifolia, pounded then water added to make a solution which can be used.