Malawi’s food security to deteriorate—Report

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and World Food Programme have cited Malawi as one of the 22 countries where acute food insecurity is likely to deteriorate. According to the outlook, weather extremes such as heavy rains, tropical storms, cyclones, flooding, drought and increased climate variability remain significant drivers of…

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) have cited Malawi as one of the 22 countries where acute food insecurity is likely to deteriorate.

The two bodies further indicate that they have identified 18 hunger hotspots in the 22 countries, indicating that hunger spells are likely between the months of June and November this year.

This is contained in an outlook titled ‘Hunger Hotspots FAO‑WFP Early Warnings on Acute Food Insecurity June to November 2023’.

According to the outlook, weather extremes such as heavy rains, tropical storms, cyclones, flooding, drought and increased climate variability remain significant drivers of the situation in countries such as Malawi.

Further, the report says early weather forecasts suggest below-average cumulative rainfall for the November 2023 to March 2024 rainy season, which could lead to crop failure in Malawi.

“In Southern Africa, early signs suggest erratic rainfall patterns for the November-March rainy season. The southern half, including Malawi, may experience average to below‑average rainfall,” the report indicates.

It further says elevated prices, in part due to unsustainable debt levels and foreign‑exchange shortages, are expected to constrain households’ access to food and farmers’ ability to purchase agricultural inputs for the upcoming winter season.

The number of people facing acute food insecurity was projected to reach 3.8 million until March 2023, with 1.8 million children and women said to be in need of nutrition assistance.

Among many recommendations, the report has suggested that governments such as Malawi should distribute post‑harvest storage equipment to mitigate potential harvest losses and conduct training on managing food stocks.

“Provide inputs such as short‑cycle crops and vegetable seeds for off‑season and winter crop production to protect the food security of the most vulnerable in the south of the country [Malawi],” the report reads.

In reaction, government spokesperson Moses Kunkuyu said, after realising surplus harvest in the 2020-21 season and another reasonable surplus in the 2021-22 farming season, a maize export ban was enforced.

“If there were no uncontrolled exports of our maize, we would be talking a different story by now. So, the government will continue ensuring strict measures on farm produce exportation in a bid to ensure that the country is food secure,” he said.

Kunkuyu said Malawi is among countries, in Eastern and Southern Africa, where food systems continue to be battered by multiple shocks.

He said this is the reason Malawi has become a major beneficiary of the World Bank Food Systems Resilience Programme, which has seen it getting a $250 million grant.

“With this cushion in place, government will continue to provide affordable farm inputs to poor households, so long as they have land and capacity to cultivate,” Kunkuyu said.

He further said the governments will continue with other social cash transfer and public works programmes to ensure that poor households are assisted.

Commenting on the report, development expert Ken Sakala said there is a need for Malawians to take heed of weather updates and plant crops that are resilient to climatic shocks.

Sakala added that, apart from giving people cash transfers, there is a need for infusion of other income generating activities that would enable them to graduate and become self-reliant people.

“Let us also protect the maize we are harvesting now by reducing harvest losses,” he said.

A recent report by research institute Famine Early Warning System Network also predicted that maize production at the national level would be about 20 to 30 percent below average, which is likely to exacerbate food insecurity in Malawi.