Fertilizer subsidies in Malawi: From past to present
Malawi has been at the center of the debate on agricultural input subsidies in Africa ever since it significantly expanded its fertilizer subsidy program about two decades ago. When it did so, Malawi was a trailblazer, receiving international attention for seemingly leveraging the subsidy program to...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Artículo preliminar |
| Language: | Inglés |
| Published: |
International Food Policy Research Institute
2024
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/138880 |
| _version_ | 1855526630974291968 |
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| author | Benson, Todd De Weerdt, Joachim Duchoslav, Jan Masanjala, Winford |
| author_browse | Benson, Todd De Weerdt, Joachim Duchoslav, Jan Masanjala, Winford |
| author_facet | Benson, Todd De Weerdt, Joachim Duchoslav, Jan Masanjala, Winford |
| author_sort | Benson, Todd |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | Malawi has been at the center of the debate on agricultural input subsidies in Africa ever since it significantly expanded its fertilizer subsidy program about two decades ago. When it did so, Malawi was a trailblazer, receiving international attention for seemingly leveraging the subsidy program to move the country from a situation characterized by food deficits and widespread hunger to crop production surpluses. In this paper we trace the history of Malawi’s subsidy program over the past 70 years, describing how the country arrived at that watershed moment earlier this century and how the subsidy program has developed since. We show how donor support for the program has wavered and how external pressure to remove the subsidy has repeatedly been unsuccessful. We also demonstrate how over the years the program’s total fiscal burden has fluctuated significantly. However, we find that since the expansion of the subsidy program in 2004, the fiscal costs of the program have shown little correlation with the maize harvest that same agricultural season. We show that the subsidy program has succeeded in raising awareness about the value of the fertilizer for increased crop productivity. However, despite its continued prominence in the country’s agricultural policy, most Malawian smallholder do not manage to grow sufficient maize to feed their households throughout the year, and every year millions depend on food assistance during the worst months of the lean season. |
| format | Artículo preliminar |
| id | CGSpace138880 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publishDateRange | 2024 |
| publishDateSort | 2024 |
| publisher | International Food Policy Research Institute |
| publisherStr | International Food Policy Research Institute |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1388802025-12-08T10:11:39Z Fertilizer subsidies in Malawi: From past to present Benson, Todd De Weerdt, Joachim Duchoslav, Jan Masanjala, Winford fertilizers subsidies maize food security Malawi has been at the center of the debate on agricultural input subsidies in Africa ever since it significantly expanded its fertilizer subsidy program about two decades ago. When it did so, Malawi was a trailblazer, receiving international attention for seemingly leveraging the subsidy program to move the country from a situation characterized by food deficits and widespread hunger to crop production surpluses. In this paper we trace the history of Malawi’s subsidy program over the past 70 years, describing how the country arrived at that watershed moment earlier this century and how the subsidy program has developed since. We show how donor support for the program has wavered and how external pressure to remove the subsidy has repeatedly been unsuccessful. We also demonstrate how over the years the program’s total fiscal burden has fluctuated significantly. However, we find that since the expansion of the subsidy program in 2004, the fiscal costs of the program have shown little correlation with the maize harvest that same agricultural season. We show that the subsidy program has succeeded in raising awareness about the value of the fertilizer for increased crop productivity. However, despite its continued prominence in the country’s agricultural policy, most Malawian smallholder do not manage to grow sufficient maize to feed their households throughout the year, and every year millions depend on food assistance during the worst months of the lean season. 2024-02-02 2024-02-02T17:55:59Z 2024-02-02T17:55:59Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/138880 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Benson, Todd; De Weerdt, Joachim; Duchoslav, Jan; and Masanjala, Winford. 2024. Fertilizer subsidies in Malawi From past to present. MaSSP Working Paper 44. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/138880 |
| spellingShingle | fertilizers subsidies maize food security Benson, Todd De Weerdt, Joachim Duchoslav, Jan Masanjala, Winford Fertilizer subsidies in Malawi: From past to present |
| title | Fertilizer subsidies in Malawi: From past to present |
| title_full | Fertilizer subsidies in Malawi: From past to present |
| title_fullStr | Fertilizer subsidies in Malawi: From past to present |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fertilizer subsidies in Malawi: From past to present |
| title_short | Fertilizer subsidies in Malawi: From past to present |
| title_sort | fertilizer subsidies in malawi from past to present |
| topic | fertilizers subsidies maize food security |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/138880 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bensontodd fertilizersubsidiesinmalawifrompasttopresent AT deweerdtjoachim fertilizersubsidiesinmalawifrompasttopresent AT duchoslavjan fertilizersubsidiesinmalawifrompasttopresent AT masanjalawinford fertilizersubsidiesinmalawifrompasttopresent |