There are fears that efforts to reduce poverty levels and food insecurity among Malawians could not succeed if key strategies to revamp the country’s food systems transformation agenda are not revisited soon.
A policy brief by Mwapata Institute, recommending policy direction, has since highlighted key challenges that need urgent attention to revamp the food system transformation agenda.
“The country’s food systems transformation agenda faces several challenges. These include food waste and post-harvest losses, seasonal availability of food, insufficient capacity in agro-processing and value addition, consumption of unsafe foods, and inadequate dietary diversity,” reads the report in part.
Titled ‘Strategies for Accelerating Malawi’s Food Systems Transformation’, the study conducted by Anderson Gondwe, Dinah T. Salonga, and Levison Chiwaula also observed that three gaps, including lack of coordination between stakeholders when implementing strategies in food systems.
It has since recommended that apart from decentralising efforts of food systems, there is need to create a central point of coordination which ensures clear policy direction.
“Firstly, there is a need to conduct a comprehensive mapping of existing food systems initiatives at the national, district, and community levels. This mapping should be centrally organised and easily accessible, allowing actors to identify key stakeholders and their roles.
“Secondly, there is a need to strengthen the coordination structure of food systems by moving the role of the food systems into the Office of the President and Cabinet. A steering committee should be formed comprising representatives from all key Ministries, development partners, the private sector, civil society organisations, faith-based organisations, and communities,” it adds.
Meanwhile, an international researcher Greenwell Matchaya said Malawi’s food system was yet to realise its full potential due to three major challenges, namely, environmental unsustainability, climatic shocks vulnerability and inadequate nutritional provisions.
He said: “This can be traced to low investment and inefficient resource allocation.”
In an earlier interview, Minister of Agriculture Sam Kawale urged stakeholders in the key agri-food system value-chain to collaborate and consolidate their efforts to leverage the inputs and insights at the conference to achieve the aspirations of the Malawi 2063 (MW2063), the country’s main growth and development blueprint.
“Collaboration will be important going forward, because improving the agri-food system will not depend on one single person or institution. From the Ministry’s side, we will work diligently to create a policy framework that will allow all relevant stakeholders to work effectively,” he said.
In a presentation during a National Food Systems Transformation Synthesis workshop earlier this year, agriculture economist in the Ministry of Agriculture Doshanie Kadokera said some of the areas emphasised in the synthesis are the need for stakeholders to encourage the communities to diversify their staple crops.
