On 8th June 2017, the Farmers Union of Malawi (FUM) hosted a panel discussion at the Malawi Institute of Management to debate the policy options for addressing challenges related to maize marketing and pricing in Malawi. The purpose of the panel discussion was to bring issues related to maize markets and pricing to the attention of the public, and to >> Read more
Reflections from a policy discussion on multi-sectoral action for improved nutrition
June 9, 2017 by
On 30th May 2017, IFPRI and Save the Children co-hosted a technical and policy discussion, bringing together nearly 100 development partners, including implementers, researchers, and donors, to discuss ways to better coordinate multisectoral efforts on development initiatives intended to have an impact on food security, diets, and nutrition. The event was intended as a platform >> Read more
Malawi’s 2017/18 National Budget: An Outlook for the Agriculture Sector
June 6, 2017 by
On 19th May 2017, Malawi’s Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development presented the 2017/18 National Budget in Parliament—a critical step in the process for approving the next fiscal year budget by 1st July. The total National Budget is planned at Malawian Kwacha (MK) 1, 299,379 million out of which 85 percent (MK1,108,010 million) will >> Read more
Policy dialogue: Improving Food Security, Diets, and Nutrition through Multi-Sectoral Action
May 25, 2017 by
Improving food security and nutrition requires coordinated multi-sectoral action—something which carries an array of complexities and challenges in order to be done effectively. To tackle these challenges and pave a path towards better food security and nutrition, the Malawi offices of Save the Children and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) are convening a >> Read more
New report shows regional spending on agricultural research lags behind other ag spending
May 24, 2017 by
A new report on agricultural research in Africa south of the Sahara by Agricultural Science & Technology Indicators (ASTI), asserts that—despite progress towards the regionwide commitments of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP)—agricultural research investment in the region is growing more slowly than spending on other agricultural areas, such as farm support, subsidies, and >> Read more
Bunda Grant Scheme: Announcing 2017 cohort
May 23, 2017 by
IFPRI-Malawi is pleased to announce the newest 2017 participants selected for our Bunda Grant Scheme (BGS) mentorship program, which offers a group of promising young master’s students from Bunda College at the Lilongwe University of Agriculture & Natural Resources (LUANAR) mentorship from IFPRI researchers in order to refine and publish their research. The program has been running >> Read more
Harnessing the power of big data for agricultural research and development
May 15, 2017 by
Today marks the official launch of the CGIAR Platform for Big Data in Agriculture, a new platform which aims to harness the power of big data for agricultural research and development. This is an exciting new frontier in agricultural research-for-development. Better use of data will help drive better policy decisions, helping solve development problems more >> Read more
New study: Effects of lean-season food transfers on children’s diets and household food security
April 26, 2017 by
A newly published study in the Journal of Nutrition uses evidence from a quasi-experiment in Malawi to examine the effectiveness of social programs, such as food transfers, on the quantity and quality of food consumed by poor households.
Save the date: 2017 Malawi Land Symposium
April 25, 2017 by
Announcing the 2nd Malawi Land Symposium & launch of the land policy initiative, “Monitoring and Evaluation of Land in Africa” (MELA) project, a pilot study in Malawi. The symposium and launch will take place on Wednesday, May 10, 2017, at the Golden Peacock Hotel, Lilongwe, Malawi.
Malawi’s agriculture extension system at a crossroads: Two perspectives
April 13, 2017 by
If agriculture is the main lifeline for Malawi, then agriculture extension is the blood, the fuel for the engine. In other words, without a functioning and adequately resourced extension system, agricultural growth has no path forward. In fact, during the extensive consultation process to develop Malawi’s first National Agriculture Policy in 2015, extension services were >> Read more
