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capacity regarding the ability to respond to weather-related disasters. Preparedness
is a priority area for the GoM, managed through its Department of Disaster
Management Affairs (DoDMA) and National Disaster Preparedness and Relief
Committee (NDPRC). After the 2015 floods, planned measures by the Government
included more forecasting and early warning, better stakeholder coordination, the
establishment of emergency response operation centres and a shift towards more
preparedness and a reduced need for emergency response (GoM 2015; DoDMA
2015). The actions implemented by the GoM to strengthen preparedness include
input subsidies and emergency responses including social protection such as school
meals and direct transfers of food and cash. Preparedness is defined to include the
three activities: anticipate, respond to and recover from a disaster/hazard (UNISDR
2016). Preparedness includes many different measures such as risk analysis, vulnerability assessment, crop insurance, food storage, technical change in agriculture
(e.g. climate-smart agriculture and drought-resistant cultivars), direct livelihood
support, subsidizes, food relief, support to local markets and service provision
(HLPE 2012). Although the GoM is giving priority to preparedness through its various policies, weak institutions and lack of ability to implement policy are hampering effective actions and results. Resilience building and, in turn, a more sustainable
food system are thus also hampered.
In the HLPE (2017) food system framework, the sustainable development goals
are given as policy and programs that will influence and contribute to a sustainable
food system. The GoM has signed up to the SDGs. SDG2 on zero hunger is of particular interest in relation to a sustainable food system, though most of the SDGs are
relevant in this regard. Since Malawi has a typical traditional food system, SDG2.3
is highly relevant in relation to food and nutrition security:
By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food
producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists
and fishers, including equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs,
knowledge, financial services, markets and opportunities for value addition and
non-farm employment (UN 2018).
In this regard, small-scale food producers are those who farm land (or livestock)
in the bottom 40% of land size (or livestock number) and obtain annual economic
revenue from agricultural activities falling in the bottom 40% of economic revenues
(UN 2018). The two indicators used to measure progress include the volume of
production per labour unit by classes of farming/pastoral/forestry enterprise size,
and the average income of small-scale food producers, by sex and indigenous status
(UN 2018). To double the agricultural productivity, the required growth rate is
4.62% per year. Malawi is one of the countries with the smallest average farm size
that has previously managed to double both land and labour productivity over a
15-year period (1992–2007 and 1994–2009). This was mainly due to input subsidies and conducive weather (Mikecz and Vos 2016). Whilst SDG2.3 can be a realistic target regarding the doubling of the agricultural productivity of small-scale food
producers in general, special efforts will be needed to ensure that women and the
bottom 40% are included. It will likely be particularly challenging to double the
income of the bottom 40% of small-scale food producers, including women.
R. Haug and O. T. Westengen
capacity regarding the ability to respond to weather-related disasters. Preparedness
is a priority area for the GoM, managed through its Department of Disaster
Management Affairs (DoDMA) and National Disaster Preparedness and Relief
Committee (NDPRC). After the 2015 floods, planned measures by the Government
included more forecasting and early warning, better stakeholder coordination, the
establishment of emergency response operation centres and a shift towards more
preparedness and a reduced need for emergency response (GoM 2015; DoDMA
2015). The actions implemented by the GoM to strengthen preparedness include
input subsidies and emergency responses including social protection such as school
meals and direct transfers of food and cash. Preparedness is defined to include the
three activities: anticipate, respond to and recover from a disaster/hazard (UNISDR
2016). Preparedness includes many different measures such as risk analysis, vulnerability assessment, crop insurance, food storage, technical change in agriculture
(e.g. climate-smart agriculture and drought-resistant cultivars), direct livelihood
support, subsidizes, food relief, support to local markets and service provision
(HLPE 2012). Although the GoM is giving priority to preparedness through its various policies, weak institutions and lack of ability to implement policy are hampering effective actions and results. Resilience building and, in turn, a more sustainable
food system are thus also hampered.
In the HLPE (2017) food system framework, the sustainable development goals
are given as policy and programs that will influence and contribute to a sustainable
food system. The GoM has signed up to the SDGs. SDG2 on zero hunger is of particular interest in relation to a sustainable food system, though most of the SDGs are
relevant in this regard. Since Malawi has a typical traditional food system, SDG2.3
is highly relevant in relation to food and nutrition security:
By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food
producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists
and fishers, including equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs,
knowledge, financial services, markets and opportunities for value addition and
non-farm employment (UN 2018).
In this regard, small-scale food producers are those who farm land (or livestock)
in the bottom 40% of land size (or livestock number) and obtain annual economic
revenue from agricultural activities falling in the bottom 40% of economic revenues
(UN 2018). The two indicators used to measure progress include the volume of
production per labour unit by classes of farming/pastoral/forestry enterprise size,
and the average income of small-scale food producers, by sex and indigenous status
(UN 2018). To double the agricultural productivity, the required growth rate is
4.62% per year. Malawi is one of the countries with the smallest average farm size
that has previously managed to double both land and labour productivity over a
15-year period (1992–2007 and 1994–2009). This was mainly due to input subsidies and conducive weather (Mikecz and Vos 2016). Whilst SDG2.3 can be a realistic target regarding the doubling of the agricultural productivity of small-scale food
producers in general, special efforts will be needed to ensure that women and the
bottom 40% are included. It will likely be particularly challenging to double the
income of the bottom 40% of small-scale food producers, including women.
R. Haug and O. T. Westengen