IFPRI’s five decades of experience has shown that development policy research has a stronger likelihood of making an impact and meeting real-world needs when it is adapted to local contexts and created with national and local partners. The best bet for generating context-specific research is operating within beneficiary countries and communities. Building on this evidence, […]
Policy Note 60: Anchor enterprise models and local economic development in Malawi
Abstract: This paper examines how anchor enterprises contribute to local economic development in Malawi. It finds that most of the income injected into local economies through these enterprises circulates locally, generating substantial spillover benefits beyond those directly linked to the enterprises. However, much of this spending passes through local businesses that source goods and inputs […]
El Niño is coming and the time for Malawi to prepare is running short
A strong El Niño has developed in the Pacific Ocean, raising the risk of below-normal rainfall and prolonged dry spells during Malawi’s coming agricultural season (November 2026 – March 2027), especially in the southern parts of the country. While no forecast is ever certain, history suggests that Malawi should take the threat seriously. Since reliable […]
Assessing the local economy-wide impacts of an anchor enterprise in rural Malawi: Evidence from the 2025 operations of Pyxus Agriculture Malawi Limited around Chilanga Farm and Forest, Kasungu
Smallholder-centered agricultural strategies have had limited success in Malawi, prompting interest in anchor-enterprise models in which agribusinesses partner with surrounding smallholder farmers. This note examines whether the benefits of one such anchor enterprise — Pyxus Agriculture Malawi Limited (PAM), a Growth Poles Project partner that sources groundnuts from smallholder farmers around its Chilanga Farm in […]
El Niño and rising fertilizer costs: How vulnerable is Malawi in 2027?
Historically, El Niño events are strongly associated with reduced rainfall during Southern Africa’s main cropping season (December-March). Malawi, however, has sometimes escaped serious El Niño impacts. Thanks to its position on the northern edge of the region, the degree to which it is affected by drought during strong El Niño years has varied widely (Figure 1). In […]
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