Hunger and undernutrition impose enormous human and economic costs, not only increasing disease and death for millions, but also reducing global gross domestic product by US$1.4–2.1 trillion a year. Yet the tools to end them by 2025 are within our grasp. Compact2025 is an initiative launched in November 2015, which aims to end hunger and undernutrition >> Read more
Discussion Paper 1673: Capacity and Accountability in the Agricultural Extension System in Malawi
August 31, 2017 by
The government of Malawi is in the process of reviewing its national extension policy and developing an effective extension strategy, all while implementing and monitoring extension activities under its National Agriculture Policy. A newly published IFPRI Discussion Paper, Capacity and Accountability in the Agricultural Extension System in Malawi: Insights from a Survey of Service Providers in 15 Districts, >> Read more
Policy Note 29: The Case for Structured Markets in Malawi
August 31, 2017 by
A new IFPRI-Malawi Policy Note examines the types and potential contributions of structured markets—organized and formal places where farmers, traders, processors, millers, banks and others may enter into regulated trading and financial arrangements. Structured markets are being promoted by the Government of Malawi as a solution to inefficiencies in the crop export market. Currently, exporters from Malawi do >> Read more
Policy Note 28: Priorities for Irrigation Investment in Malawi
August 18, 2017 by
With an already high (and fast growing) population, a high dependence on rain-fed agriculture, and high vulnerability to the effects of climate change, Malawi's food security status is at risk, especially if strategies to enhance food production under a changing climate are not prioritized. Irrigation offers a key solution to food insecurity in the face >> Read more
Discussion Paper 1653: Does Providing Agricultural and Nutrition Information to Both Men and Women Improve Household Food Security? Evidence from Malawi
August 3, 2017 by
Malawi is among the countries in Africa south of the Sahara where millions of smallholder farmers rely on agriculture to ensure their families’ livelihoods, yet low land productivity, inadequate agricultural inputs, labor limitations, and erratic rains translate into widespread food shortages, hunger, and poverty. Particularly in Malawi, poverty, food insecurity, and undernutrition remain significant problems >> Read more
Discussion Paper 1654: Limited Attention and Information Loss in the Lab-to-Farm Knowledge Chain: The Case of Malawian Agricultural Extension Programs
August 3, 2017 by
Agricultural extension plays a crucial role in promoting agricultural productivity, increasing food security, improving rural livelihoods, and promoting agriculture as an engine of economic growth in developing countries. Yet, for agricultural knowledge to move from theory into practice, or from lab to field, extension services provide a critical linkage directly to farmers. In a new >> Read more
Learning before the next humanitarian crisis: A review of the 2016-17 Food Insecurity Response Program in Malawi
July 31, 2017 by
Devastation hits Malawi Unfortunately, 2015 and 2016 were not good years for Malawi or our neighboring countries. What started with late rains and some of the worst flooding in 2015, was immediately followed by severe drought in 2016. Agricultural production plummeted, leaving millions of residents hungry and vulnerable. This was especially devastating for one of >> Read more
Exploring a changing employment landscape: Implications for Malawi’s youth
July 19, 2017 by
Throughout this month, USAID Malawi is highlighting work that focuses on youth and population issues. As they look at how support from the U.S. and other partners have contributed to programs that help uplift youth in Malawi, we offer a peek at some interesting recent findings from IFPRI researchers on this topic. A forthcoming peer-reviewed >> Read more
Podcast highlights community-based nutrition pilot in Malawi
July 18, 2017 by
Nourishing Millions, an IFPRI-led project bringing together narratives of nutrition change, has released a new podcast episode highlighting a pilot initiative which leverages a community-based approach to tackle acute childhood malnutrition in Malawi. It is part of the Nourishing Millions podcast series, undertaken in partnership with the University of Michigan School of Public Health, which >> Read more
IFPRI project hosts training on journalism ethics in agriculture
June 30, 2017 by
[*Original blog post published on Feed the Future’s Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy website, written by Paida Mpaso, NAPAS: Malawi's communication specialist.] In an effort to improve the quality of journalism and reporting of agricultural issues in Malawi, the Ministry of Agriculture Irrigation and Water Development (MoAIWD) offered the latest in a series of >> Read more
