Malawi: The governance dimensions of the food security crisis

This report from USAID and the Southern African Regional Poverty Network (SARPN) presents findings and conclusions from a governance and food security assessment of Malawi. The field work was undertaken in January-February 2005 with the purpose of identifying the underlying governance causes of food security problems. One of the six summary findings concludes that: "Owing to a range of factors Malawi is increasingly food insecure and has become dependent on food donations to fulfil its national food need. Most households are unable to access a minimum basket of food items through their own food production or by market purchases. The dominance of maize in the weaning diet contributes to the high proportion of children who are severely stunted. With little resilience to climatic, economic and social shocks, households have become extremely vulnerable to food insecurity."