Effects of economic and trade policy reforms on food security in Malawi
2004
E. Chirwa
Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world with per capita gross domestic product of $190 and 65 percent of the population living below the poverty line. The agricultural sector accounts for more than a third of gross domestic product, more than 90 percent of export earnings and is the main source of livelihoods for 71 percent of the rural population. Malawi does not have mineral resources that can be economically exploited and its resource endowment is agricultural land and the surplus labour. The country's development strategy has therefore focused on improving productivity in the agricultural sector in order to attain self-sufficiency in food production while at the same time enabling the rural population to generate cash incomes to support their daily needs.<br /><br />This study investigates the impact of trade and economic policies on agricultural development and food security at national and household levels in Malawi. The main objective of the study is to assess the impact of macro-economic and agricultural sector reforms on the performance of the agricultural sector, food production, national and household food security and vulnerability in Malawi. <br /><br />The author observes the following:<br /> the reforms have generated limited benefits to the agricultural sector the impact of various reforms on food security is rather limited overall, no major structural shifts in the prices, production and export trade have occurred in the agricultural sector following economic reforms nonetheless, there exist many constraints that have implications on food security and the functioning of markets.
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