Achieving food security and industrial development in Malawi: Are export restrictions the solution?

This study assesses the economy-wide effects of Malawi’s long-term maize export ban, which was only recently lifted, and a proposed oilseed export levy intended to improve food security and support local processing industries, respectively. We find that maize export bans only benefit the urban non-p...

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Autores principales: Aragie, Emerta A., Pauw, Karl, Pernechele, Valentina
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Elsevier 2018
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/146942
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author Aragie, Emerta A.
Pauw, Karl
Pernechele, Valentina
author_browse Aragie, Emerta A.
Pauw, Karl
Pernechele, Valentina
author_facet Aragie, Emerta A.
Pauw, Karl
Pernechele, Valentina
author_sort Aragie, Emerta A.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description This study assesses the economy-wide effects of Malawi’s long-term maize export ban, which was only recently lifted, and a proposed oilseed export levy intended to improve food security and support local processing industries, respectively. We find that maize export bans only benefit the urban non-poor, while poor farmers’ incomes and maize consumption levels decline in the longer run. The oilseed export levy also fails to achieve its long run objectives: even when tax revenues are used to further subsidize food processors, their gains in value-addition are outweighed by declining agricultural value-addition. More generally, these results show that while export restrictions may have the desired outcomes in the short run, production responses may render the policies ineffective in the medium to long run. Ultimately, such restrictive policies reinforce a subsistence approach to agriculture, which is inconsistent with the stated economic transformation goals of many Sub-Saharan countries.
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spelling CGSpace1469422025-03-18T19:48:25Z Achieving food security and industrial development in Malawi: Are export restrictions the solution? Aragie, Emerta A. Pauw, Karl Pernechele, Valentina export controls politics rural population exports agricultural products agroindustrial sector agricultural policies households maize trade barriers oilseeds commercial farming smallholders trade policies social welfare trade computable general equilibrium model food security poverty This study assesses the economy-wide effects of Malawi’s long-term maize export ban, which was only recently lifted, and a proposed oilseed export levy intended to improve food security and support local processing industries, respectively. We find that maize export bans only benefit the urban non-poor, while poor farmers’ incomes and maize consumption levels decline in the longer run. The oilseed export levy also fails to achieve its long run objectives: even when tax revenues are used to further subsidize food processors, their gains in value-addition are outweighed by declining agricultural value-addition. More generally, these results show that while export restrictions may have the desired outcomes in the short run, production responses may render the policies ineffective in the medium to long run. Ultimately, such restrictive policies reinforce a subsistence approach to agriculture, which is inconsistent with the stated economic transformation goals of many Sub-Saharan countries. 2018-04-06 2024-06-21T09:09:47Z 2024-06-21T09:09:47Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/146942 en https://hdl.handle.net/10568/146235 Open Access Elsevier Aragie, Emerta; Pauw, Karl; and Pernechele, Valentina. 2018. Achieving food security and industrial development in Malawi: Are export restrictions the solution? World Development 108 (August 2018): 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2018.03.020
spellingShingle export controls
politics
rural population
exports
agricultural products
agroindustrial sector
agricultural policies
households
maize
trade barriers
oilseeds
commercial farming
smallholders
trade policies
social welfare
trade
computable general equilibrium model
food security
poverty
Aragie, Emerta A.
Pauw, Karl
Pernechele, Valentina
Achieving food security and industrial development in Malawi: Are export restrictions the solution?
title Achieving food security and industrial development in Malawi: Are export restrictions the solution?
title_full Achieving food security and industrial development in Malawi: Are export restrictions the solution?
title_fullStr Achieving food security and industrial development in Malawi: Are export restrictions the solution?
title_full_unstemmed Achieving food security and industrial development in Malawi: Are export restrictions the solution?
title_short Achieving food security and industrial development in Malawi: Are export restrictions the solution?
title_sort achieving food security and industrial development in malawi are export restrictions the solution
topic export controls
politics
rural population
exports
agricultural products
agroindustrial sector
agricultural policies
households
maize
trade barriers
oilseeds
commercial farming
smallholders
trade policies
social welfare
trade
computable general equilibrium model
food security
poverty
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/146942
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AT pernechelevalentina achievingfoodsecurityandindustrialdevelopmentinmalawiareexportrestrictionsthesolution