Country Diagnostic Report: MALAWI

The report identifies a high prevalence of extreme poverty (69%) and undernourishment (19%) in Malawi, driven by the vulnerability of smallholder farmers to crop failure and climate shocks. Projections to 2030 suggest that while chronic hunger may decrease, poverty will remain extremely high, and agricultural GHG emissions—particularly from livestock—are expected to rise by 4.4% annually. The Malawian diet is heavily reliant on maize, leading to significant micronutrient deficiencies and a lack of dietary diversity, especially in low-income households. The document notes the absence of a national definition for a 'healthy diet' and highlights the critical role of Official Development Assistance (ODA), with USD 360 million disbursed annually (2014–2018) to food system projects. Climate change impacts, including increased floods and droughts, are exacerbating food insecurity, prompting the government to implement adaptation strategies such as crop diversification and climate-smart agriculture.

• Malawi faces severe socio-economic challenges, with extreme poverty affecting 69% of the population and undernourishment at 19% as of 2018. This is primarily attributed to poor farmers lacking sufficient income or food reserves to withstand the growing season or crop failures.
• Projections for 2030 indicate that while economic growth may reduce chronic undernourishment, poverty levels will remain extremely high. Furthermore, agricultural GHG emissions, driven largely by livestock, are projected to increase by 4.4% per year, significantly higher than the global average of 0.2%.
• Agricultural expansion is expected to cause a reduction in forested areas by approximately 10% over the next decade due to land-use change from forestry to agriculture.
• The Malawian diet is dominated by cereals, specifically maize flour used for nsima, which contributes to high rates of micronutrient deficiencies. Low-income households show a higher share of vegetables (18.7%) compared to 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 a set of food-based dietary guidelines in Malawi, although various national strategies address undernourishment and food security.
• Climate change and extreme weather events, such as droughts and floods, have severely impacted agricultural production and nutrition. Historical data shows a mean annual temperature increase of 0.9°C between 1960 and 2006.
• Official Development Assistance (ODA) is vital to Malawi's food system, with an average of USD 360 million disbursed annually between 2014 and 2018, representing one quarter of all ODA grants and philanthropic donations. The United States is the largest donor, contributing USD 100 million of this annual amount.
• The government has identified several adaptation measures to combat malnutrition and climate risk, including the promotion of winter cropping, crop diversification, and the use of irrigation technologies.

APA

Bizikova, L., De Brauw, A., Rose, M. E., Laborde, D., Motsumi, K., Murphy, M., Parent, M., Picard, F., & Smaller, C. (2022). Country Diagnostic Report: MALAWI. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-05/country-diagnostic-malawi-food-systems-climate-change-diets.pdf

Chicago

Bizikova, Livia, Alan De Brauw, Mali Eber Rose, David Laborde, Kulthoum Motsumi, Mike Murphy, Marie Parent, Francine Picard, and Carin Smaller. Country Diagnostic Report: MALAWI. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2022. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-05/country-diagnostic-malawi-food-systems-climate-change-diets.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{bizikova2022country, author = {Bizikova, Livia and De Brauw, Alan and Rose, Mali Eber and Laborde, David and Motsumi, Kulthoum and Murphy, Mike and Parent, Marie and Picard, Francine and Smaller, Carin}, title = {{Country Diagnostic Report: MALAWI}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2022}, month = may, 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} }