Despite ranking among Africa’s top fertiliser consumers, Malawi continues to grapple with stubbornly high levels of child stunting, according to a new report that warns Africa is falling behind in its fight against hunger.
The Africa Food Systems Report (AFSR 2025), released on Monday during the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) in Dakar, Senegal, singles out Malawi as an example of the paradox facing the continent: heavy investment in agricultural inputs without matching gains in nutrition.
Malawi reduce stunting. | Nation
“Malawi is among the top five fertiliser-consuming countries in Africa, but stunting rates remain high,” the report notes. “This highlights the gap between input distribution and sustainable outcomes for child health and nutrition.”
The report, titled ‘From fragmented gains to systemic transformation: Drivers of change and innovation’, calls for a shift from piecemeal progress to integrated reforms that link production, governance, and human development.
While Malawi has poured resources into fertiliser subsidy programmes, experts warn that such measures often fail to deliver unless they are matched by investments in infrastructure, irrigation, and food diversification.
The AFSR places Malawi’s struggles in a wider continental context. It cites a growing food crisis across Africa, where the number of undernourished people reached 307 million in 2024, or over 20 percent of the population.
According to a United Nations assessment referenced in the report, more than one billion Africans—nearly two-thirds of the population—cannot afford a healthy diet. The same analysis found that over 50 percent of Africans experience moderate or severe food insecurity, compared with a global average of just 28 percent.
“By 2030, nearly 60 percent of the world’s 512 million chronically undernourished people will be in Africa,” the report warns, citing recent UN projections.
The report was launched at the Africa Food Systems Forum 2025, a week-long summit bringing together heads of state, policymakers, agribusiness leaders, and youth innovators. Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye opened the event under the theme “Africa’s Youth Leading Collaboration, Innovation, and Implementation of Agri-Food Systems Transformation.”
Nearly 6 000 delegates are attending the forum in Dakar, with discussions focused on how to harness Africa’s vast agricultural potential while tackling rising hunger and malnutrition.: We expect them to respond. | Courtsey of Ministry of Trade and Industry
