Disentangling food security from subsistence agriculture in Malawi

Malawi’s many smallholders rely heavily on rainfed, low-input subsistence farming to meet their food needs. Yet for most rural Malawian households, subsistence agriculture cannot consistently produce enough food to ward off hunger. Nor can they rely on the country’s weak markets to buy additional fo...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Benson, Todd
Format: Libro
Language:Inglés
Published: International Food Policy Research Institute 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/139809
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author Benson, Todd
author_browse Benson, Todd
author_facet Benson, Todd
author_sort Benson, Todd
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Malawi’s many smallholders rely heavily on rainfed, low-input subsistence farming to meet their food needs. Yet for most rural Malawian households, subsistence agriculture cannot consistently produce enough food to ward off hunger. Nor can they rely on the country’s weak markets to buy additional food they may require or to profitably sell their agricultural products throughout the year. Government policies have long prioritized agricultural production among marginal farmers for food security rather than broader policies of economic diversification, market expansion, and growth. The book identifies crucial changes that could improve food security and, in the long term, facilitate agricultural transformation. Decades of research in Malawi are synthesized to propose policy solutions for the country’s persistent food insecurity and for agricultural transformation that could drive long-term economic growth. This work should be useful to policymakers, development specialists, and others concerned with how Malawi or other countries facing similar rural economic development challenges can realize sustainable food security. This record also includes the synopsis: Benson, Todd. 2021. Disentangling food security from subsistence agriculture in Malawi: Synopsis. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/9780896294073
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spelling CGSpace1398092025-11-06T04:13:13Z Disentangling food security from subsistence agriculture in Malawi Benson, Todd food security agriculture subsistence farming smallholders markets rural areas hunger structural change Malawi’s many smallholders rely heavily on rainfed, low-input subsistence farming to meet their food needs. Yet for most rural Malawian households, subsistence agriculture cannot consistently produce enough food to ward off hunger. Nor can they rely on the country’s weak markets to buy additional food they may require or to profitably sell their agricultural products throughout the year. Government policies have long prioritized agricultural production among marginal farmers for food security rather than broader policies of economic diversification, market expansion, and growth. The book identifies crucial changes that could improve food security and, in the long term, facilitate agricultural transformation. Decades of research in Malawi are synthesized to propose policy solutions for the country’s persistent food insecurity and for agricultural transformation that could drive long-term economic growth. This work should be useful to policymakers, development specialists, and others concerned with how Malawi or other countries facing similar rural economic development challenges can realize sustainable food security. This record also includes the synopsis: Benson, Todd. 2021. Disentangling food security from subsistence agriculture in Malawi: Synopsis. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/9780896294073 2021-05-24 2024-03-05T16:33:52Z 2024-03-05T16:33:52Z Book https://hdl.handle.net/10568/139809 en Open Access application/pdf application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Benson, Todd. 2021. Disentangling food security from subsistence agriculture in Malawi. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/9780896294059
spellingShingle food security
agriculture
subsistence farming
smallholders
markets
rural areas
hunger
structural change
Benson, Todd
Disentangling food security from subsistence agriculture in Malawi
title Disentangling food security from subsistence agriculture in Malawi
title_full Disentangling food security from subsistence agriculture in Malawi
title_fullStr Disentangling food security from subsistence agriculture in Malawi
title_full_unstemmed Disentangling food security from subsistence agriculture in Malawi
title_short Disentangling food security from subsistence agriculture in Malawi
title_sort disentangling food security from subsistence agriculture in malawi
topic food security
agriculture
subsistence farming
smallholders
markets
rural areas
hunger
structural change
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/139809
work_keys_str_mv AT bensontodd disentanglingfoodsecurityfromsubsistenceagricultureinmalawi