While Malawi has made progress in recent years, it still ranks among the world’s least developed countries. According to official estimates, poverty decreased from 52.4 percent in 2004/05 to 51.5 percent in 2016/2017 but rose from 55.9 percent to 59.5 percent in rural areas. With a Human Development Index of 0.485 in 2019, Malawi ranks 172 out of 189 countries. Its annualized economic growth has also decelerated from 7.4 percent in 2006–2010 to 3.7 percent in 2014–2018. Furthermore, undernutrition remains a challenge with a stunting prevalence of 37 percent among children under five in 2015/2016.
Malawi remains one of the 20 countries in the world whose economies are most dependent on agriculture. In 2018, 84 percent of Malawi’s rapidly growing population lived in rural areas , while 88 percent of its labor force worked in agriculture in 2016/17. Thus, growth in agriculture, particularly in smallholder-based agriculture, along with rural development is critical to meet the country’s food security and poverty reduction goals.
The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) launched the Malawi Strategy Support Program (MaSSP) in 2008. The program receives co-funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Kingdom's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), and the Government of Flanders.
The overall objective of the Malawi Strategy Support Program is to conduct evidence-based research and advise government and development partners on strategic policy options to support agricultural development and economic growth, promote food security, and support broad-based economic growth.
Our research is organized around three themes, which address needs relevant to current agriculture policy issues in Malawi. These are:
- Strengthening agricultural markets and institutions
- Social safety nets and breaking the humanitarian cycle
- Priorities for agricultural investment
Emphasis is placed on supporting Malawi’s Growth and Development Strategy III (MGDS III) – an agenda designed to reduce poverty through sustained economic growth and infrastructure development.
