International Fund for Agricultural Development (Ifad) country director Bernadette Mukonyora has lamented weak value chains, climate shocks and seed system gaps that continue to undermine food security despite donors cumulatively investing about $1.7 billion.
Mukonyora, who is also chairperson of the Donor Community for Agriculture and Food Security, made the remarks in Lilongwe on Friday during the 2024/25 Agriculture Sector Review Meeting.
She said while climate-related disasters have worsened food insecurity, Malawi can plan for such shocks and still achieve food security.
“We have spent at least $1.7 billion on agriculture projects, yet food insecurity persists. We are here to examine what is going wrong and how we can map the way forward,” said Mukonyora.
She said some value chains for tea, cotton and tobacco are better organised than those for food crops such as maize and soya beans, often leaving farmers disconnected from markets.
“You may find a farmer with surplus tomatoes while an off-taker is looking for the same produce, but the two are not linked,” said the country director.
Mukonyora also cited weaknesses in the seed system, saying reliance on imported improved seeds raises costs and strains scarce foreign exchange.
Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Roza Mbilizi, speaking at the same meeting, called for fewer meetings and greater focus on implementing climate-resilient programmes.
She said Malawi must “do things differently” despite climate change affecting many countries.
Said Mbilizi: “We have had policies and strategies for years, but little has changed. We must implement what we have to prevent continued suffering from climate change.”
The minister observed that despite the country having about 77 donor-funded projects, hunger remains a challenge, saying: “Maybe we are doing too many. We need fewer, focused programmes aligned to the National Agriculture Investment Plan.”
Currently, development partners are supporting the agriculture sector through approximately 77 active projects, with a total commitment of about $1.8 billion, averaging between $360 and $400 million per year.
