Country Diagnostic Report: Malawi

This country diagnostic report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the nexus of food systems, climate change, and diets in Malawi. It examines current trends in poverty, undernourishment, and greenhouse gas emissions, while providing projections to 2030 using the Ceres2030 model. The report highlights the high vulnerability of Malawi's rain-fed agricultural sector to climate shocks and the lack of a formal national definition for a 'healthy diet'.

• Malawi faces high levels of extreme poverty and undernourishment, primarily driven by poor farmers who lack sufficient income or food reserves to withstand crop failures or the growing season.
• Projections for 2030 indicate that while economic growth and agricultural expansion may reduce chronic hunger, extreme poverty levels will remain very high without additional interventions.
• Agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, particularly from livestock, are projected to increase by 4.4% annually through 2030, significantly exceeding the global average of 0.2% and the sub-Saharan African average of 1.2%.
• Agricultural expansion is expected to cause a reduction in forested areas by approximately 10% over the next decade due to land-use change.
• Malawi's food system is highly vulnerable to climate variability, with 95% of cultivated land relying on rain-fed production. Historical data shows a mean annual temperature increase of 0.9°C between 1960 and 2006.
• Dietary diversity is poor across all income levels, with cereals—specifically maize flour for nsima—dominating the diet. Low-income households rely more on vegetables (18.7% of value) than wealthy households (10.6%), while wealthy households consume significantly more meat and animal products (23.7% vs 10.4%).
• There is currently no official national definition of a 'healthy diet' or established food-based dietary guidelines in Malawi.
• Official Development Assistance (ODA) is critical to Malawi's food system, with an average of USD 360 million disbursed annually between 2014 and 2018, representing 25% of total ODA grants and philanthropic donations.
• The United States is the largest donor to Malawi's food system projects, contributing USD 100 million of the average annual disbursement from 2014 to 2018.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (n.d.). Country Diagnostic Report: Malawi. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-05/country-diagnostic-malawi-food-systems-climate-change-diets.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Country Diagnostic Report: Malawi. n.d. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-05/country-diagnostic-malawi-food-systems-climate-change-diets.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Country Diagnostic Report: Malawi |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-05/country-diagnostic-malawi-food-systems-climate-change-diets.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopmentndcountry, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Country Diagnostic Report: Malawi}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-05/country-diagnostic-malawi-food-systems-climate-change-diets.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }