Understanding smallholder engagement with anchor enterprises in Malawi: Evidence from three selected anchor enterprises Abstract: Drawing on a household survey conducted in 2025 and focus group discussions held in 2026, this paper examines how smallholder farmers engage with three anchor enterprises in Malawi. The schemes differ both in the crop at their center and in […]
Working Paper 48: Estate agriculture in Malawi and its economic interplay with the smallholder sector: A historical perspective
Abstract: While smallholder farming remains at the center of agricultural transformation efforts in Malawi, there is renewed interest in the potential role of larger-scale farming in accelerating agricultural and rural devel-opment. Larger-scale farms —“estates”— have, however, been part of Malawi’s agricultural landscape for more than 140 years. Agriculture has long been described as bifurcated with […]
Working Paper 47: Strategic grain reserves and maize price stabilization in Malawi: What policies are feasible?
Abstract: Maize price instability remains a major policy challenge in Malawi, where most households depend on maize for both production and consumption. Many farmers sell maize after harvest, when prices are low, only to buy it back during the lean season, when prices are high. This paper examines whether Malawi's Strategic Grain Reserve, managed by […]
Working Paper 46: Linking Malawian smallholders to larger-scale agribusiness enterprises for inclusive development: A conceptual critique of the anchor enterprise model
Abstract: While smallholder farming has been and remains at the center of agricultural transformation efforts in Malawi, the limited success of smallholder-centered agricultural development strategies has led policymakers to explore alternative approaches. One emerging approach involves larger farms or agribusiness firms partnering with smallholder farming households, in what we will refer to as an anchor […]
Working Paper 45: Welfare impacts of seasonal maize price fluctuations in Malawi
Abstract: Maize prices fluctuate significantly throughout the year in Malawi, creating winners and losers depending on who is selling and who is buying the staple at different times. We link maize market price data to nationally and temporally representative household survey data on maize sales and purchases to quantify welfare gains and losses throughout the […]
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