In Malawi, accurate information on farm gate prices is hard to obtain. Most agricultural price monitoring focuses on retail prices, and only the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development (MoAIWD) through its Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) collects data on farm gate prices across the country. However, AMIS data collection of farm gate prices […]
The Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index – What have we learned?
Women are key to rural revitalization in developing countries, but various constraints and obstacles limit their contributions to their households and communities. During our research seminar on June 12, Elena Martinez and Emily Myers, Research Analysts at IFPRI, Washington DC, presented the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) and its modifications as tools that quantify […]
Evidence from Malawi: Why agricultural and nutrition education programs should engage both women and men in households
This blog is crossposted from the IFPRI website and was written by Catherine Ragasa and Noora-Lisa Aberman. Gender norms and inequalities are an important factor in Malawi’s ongoing food security problems. They shape agricultural practices and production, knowledge acquisition, innovation, food choices—and ultimately household food security and nutrition. Women have generally lower levels of education and lack […]
Op-ed: Is a universal fertilizer subsidy a good idea?
In recent weeks, there has been much debate about the possible introduction of a universal fertilizer subsidy (UFS) in Malawi. However, several basic questions about the likely costs and distributional consequences of a move to a UFS remain unanswered. This op-ed aims to provide partial answers to these questions. First, what is the likely cost […]
Has the provision of legume seeds subsidies affected dietary diversity? Evidence from FISP
In Malawi, maize is life – the cereal is the main staple with more than 70 percent of all agricultural plots in the country used for maize farming. This strong dependence on maize has led to a poorly diversified agricultural system with limited dietary diversity. The government of Malawi implements a Farm Input Subsidy Program […]
