Poverty trends in Malawi presented in latest 'Key Facts Sheet'
Our latest Key Facts Sheet provides an overview over recent poverty trends in Malawi. Drawing on data from the second, third, and fourth Integrated Household Surveys (IHS2, IHS3 and IHS4), we analysed the trends, extent, and distribution of poverty in Malawi from 2004 to 2016. Between 2004 and 2016 the incidence of poverty in Malawi decreased slightly. This was due to large decreases in urban poverty, while poverty incidence in rural areas increased. The four cities—Blantyre, Zomba, Lilongwe, and Mzuzu—have the lowest incidence of poverty (all well below 20 percent). Phalombe stands out as the district with the highest poverty incidence (83.2 percent).
The Key Facts Sheet on poverty is our fifth publication in the series and follows facts sheets on agriculture and food security, food and nutrition security, social safety nets, and inequality.
Our key facts series synthesizes nationally representative household survey data into easily digestible facts that will inform key policy issues on agriculture, food systems, and development topics in Malawi.
Click here to download the facts sheet on poverty.
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Infographic: Poster on Poverty in Malawi, 2016-2017
To complement our fifth Key Facts Sheet on poverty in Malawi, we developed a poster with two maps that illustrates the incidence, depth and distribution of poverty. The poster also provides a table showing poverty headcount, number of poor, and the extent of the poverty gap throughout Malawi. All figures are based on data from the fourth Integrated Household Survey (IHS4), which were collected in 2016–2017.
To download the poster, visit our website.
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Malawi's challenging employment landscape and the need for its economy to diversify
Our latest Policy Note offers a synopsis of a study, detailed in Working Paper 27, which examined Malawi’s employment landscape, focusing on the challenges that face its rapidly growing youth. Using three rounds of the Integrated Household Survey (IHS) conducted between 2004 and 2016, the study finds little evidence of structural transformation in Malawi’s economy or of youth being in the vanguard of changes in cross-sectoral patterns of employment.
Our findings show that youth are not participating in the limited growth that has occurred in services. Agriculture remains the sector in which most Malawians first obtain employment, and it is only later in their working lives that Malawian workers, particularly males, are able to obtain employment outside of agriculture alone. Malawi’s challenging employment landscape for youth is characterized by a scarcity of jobs outside agriculture and insufficient work hours within agriculture. To generate employment for its growing youth population, Malawi’s economy will need to diversify.
Visit our website to download the policy note.
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The Structure, Conduct and Performance of Maize Markets in Malawi: Some findings from main harvest and lean seasons
Maize is the most important staple crop in Malawi, contributing around 66% of calories to typical household diets. Yet an unpredictable maize marketing environment, price volatility and seasonality, as well as production seasonality remain challenges to a well-functioning maize marketing system in Malawi.
An ongoing IFPRI Malawi study, led by Dennis Ochieng (Associate Research Fellow) and Rosemary Botha (Research Analyst) investigates the structure, conduct, and performance of Malawi’s maize market. The study's preliminary research findings from last main and lean seasons were presented during a research seminar held on May 2, 2019 at our office in Lilongwe.
The study found that the structure of Malawi’s maize market is pyramidical in nature; with most traders operating at the lower tiers of the value chain and only a few large private traders at the highest tiers. Some of the traders engaging in wholesale/assembly during the harvest season become retailers of maize or traders of other commodities in the lean season.
The conduct analysis showed that maize prices are mainly set based on cost. Collusion in pricing is also widespread. There are no standardized quality measures in both the structured and unstructured markets.
In terms of the performance of the maize market, the study found that maize prices have been highly volatile with high volume seasonality and very high price volatility. Overall, Malawi had the highest level of price volatility in comparison to other regional countries (such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, and South Africa). The maize market is characterized by intense competition at lower tiers but minimal competition at higher tiers. The study also found that the maize market is not transparent enough to facilitate traders’ planning of maize marketing, which would likely help stabilize both volumes and prices.
To read more about the study and to view the seminar presentation, please visit our events page.
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Malawi launch of the 2019 Global Food Policy Report
On March 27 IFPRI launched its 2019 Global Food Policy Report (GFPR), focusing on the urgent issue of rural revitalization. The report, which also outlines major policy developments in 2018, explores ways to confront rural challenges from electrification to gender equity. IFPRI's flagship report was since then discussed in major cities around the world.
On April 3, IFPRI Malawi invited, as the first out of 14 countries, representatives of international organizations, academia, research institutes, development partners, private sector, civil society and government representatives to the Malawi launch of the 2019 Global Food Policy Report. The event screened the recorded keynote addresses from the global launch in Washington DC, followed by a live moderated panel discussion with Dr Grace Kumchulesi, an IFPRI consultant, and Dr Betty Chinyamunyamu, Chief Executive Officer of the National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi (NASFAM), chaired by IFPRI Malawi’s Program Leader Dr Bob Baulch.
Read the event blog here.
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Events Spotlight
Below are recent IFPRI Malawi and partner events from the past quarter. Visit our website to stay updated.
June 12: “The Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index – What have we learned?”, a seminar presented by Elena Martinez (Research Analyst, Agriculture for Nutrition and Health Program) and Emily Myers (Research Analyst, Poverty, Health, and Nutrition Division), IFPRI, Washington, DC. Details can be found here.
May 8: “Soil Fertility Management in Sub Saharan Africa: Status, Challenges and Future prospects”, a seminar presented by Patrick K. Mutuo, Courtesy Associate Professor at the Department of Soil and Water Sciences, University of Florida and Visiting Scientist at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). Details can be found here.
May 2: “The Structure, Conduct, and Performance of Malawi’s Maize Market”, a seminar presented by Dennis Ochieng (Associate Research Fellow) and Rosemary Botha (Research Analyst), IFPRI Malawi. Details can be found here.
Forthcoming events
August 20: Assessing and Strengthening Malawi's Pluralistic Agricultural Extension System: Evidence and Lessons from a 3-year Research Study.
September 18-19: Economic Association of Malawi-IFPRI-National Planning Commission-University of Malawi Research Symposium on “Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Development: Envisioning Wealth for All”.
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IFPRI Malawi holds regular seminars to present preliminary and emerging findings on our research themes. If you, or a colleague, would like to receive notifications about these events, please click on the button below to subscribe.
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Publications of Interest
IFPRI and partner publications and resources
Malawi’s Challenging Employment Landscape
IFPRI Malawi Working Paper 27. Written by B. Baulch, T. Benson, A. Erman, Y. Lifeyo, and P. Mkweta, January 2019. Read and download the paper here.
Climate change and developing country growth: The cases of Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia.
Written by Channing Arndt; Paul Chinowsky, Charles Fant, Sergey Paltsev, Adam Schlosser; Kenneth Strzepek, Finn Tarp; and James Thurlow. Climatic Change, April 2019. Read the article here.
Key Facts Sheet Series
- Poverty, March 2019. Download here.
- Inequality, February 2019. Download here.
- Social Safety Nets, August 2018. Download here.
- Food and Nutrition Security, June 2018. Download here.
- Agriculture and Food Security, February 2018. Download here.
Newspaper articles
On June 19, Malawi’s Maravi Post reported on an ongoing IFPRI research showing that Malawi has the highest level of maize price volatility compared to other countries in Africa south of the Sahara. The article discussed the findings of a study by Dennis Ochieng and Rosemary Botha on the structure, conduct and performance of Malawi’s maize market. The study highlighted the lack of transparency, grading standards and common weight measures in local maize markets as barriers to establishing robust value chains and therefore price stability.
On May 30, Malawi’s The Nation reported on our latest policy note on Malawi’s employment landscape. The article highlighted a key recommendation: combining efforts on agricultural diversification and promoting foreign direct investment to create more jobs and boost economic growth. Read the newspaper article here.
On April 2, UK’s The Telegraph published an opinion piece authored by Bob Baulch on the devastating impact of Cyclone Idai on food and agricultural security in Malawi. In the article, Baulch also highlighted ways to help farmers bounce back. The article reached nearly 18M and was republished in several outlets. To read the opinion piece with the title Food security is under threat from Cyclone Idai - but there are ways to help farmers bounce back, click here.
Maize market reports
IFPRI Malawi’s monthly market reports for April, May, and June 2019 are available here.
Other reports
IFPRI 2018 Annual Report
May 2019. Download here.
Lead farmers: Enhancing agricultural resilience and sustainability in Eastern and Southern Africa.
May 2019. CIMMYT. Download the book here.
2019 Global Food Policy Report
March 2019. Download here.
2019 Global Report on Food Crises
April 2019. Food Security Information Network. Download the report here.
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