All eggs in one basket: A reflection on Malawi’s dependence on agricultural growth strategy
Recently, there has been a resurgence of interest in the study of structural transformation. However, Africa has received little attention despite the fact that its rural areas seem to be very poor and unproductive relative to urban areas. This case study provides a reflection on challenges faced an...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Artículo preliminar |
| Language: | Inglés |
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International Food Policy Research Institute
2012
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/153855 |
| _version_ | 1855522362805452800 |
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| author | Droppelmann, Klaus Makuwira, Jonathan Kumwenda, Ian |
| author_browse | Droppelmann, Klaus Kumwenda, Ian Makuwira, Jonathan |
| author_facet | Droppelmann, Klaus Makuwira, Jonathan Kumwenda, Ian |
| author_sort | Droppelmann, Klaus |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | Recently, there has been a resurgence of interest in the study of structural transformation. However, Africa has received little attention despite the fact that its rural areas seem to be very poor and unproductive relative to urban areas. This case study provides a reflection on challenges faced and development strategies adopted by successive governments in Malawi. Malawi is a country with a complex history of rural-urban transformation. On one hand, Malawi has long been, and still is, a predominantly agrarian economy that has seemingly undergone relatively little rural-urban transformation. Malawi is still predominantly rural, most migration is rural-to-rural, and its economic base is heavily dominated by the production of maize (largely for domestic consumption) and tobacco (largely for exports). In this paper we analyze the macroeconomic policy situation and document patterns and trends in Malawi‘s rural-urban transformation in a systematic manner. To that end, we focus on a number of dimensions of this transformation, including urban population growth, migration patterns, employment trends, and a spatial analysis of agglomerations and connectivity to major urban centers. We then turn to explain these patterns, largely in terms of colonial, post-independence, and more recent history of agricultural policies. We also examine migration patterns (both rural-urban and rural-rural), and constraints on the development of the nonfarm sector. In conclusion it becomes apparent that Malawi must diversify its economy to sustain poverty reduction and economic growth. However, it is not clear whether Malawi has an obvious comparative advantage in any sizeable nonfarm sector and how exactly the economic diversification process is to be achieved. |
| format | Artículo preliminar |
| id | CGSpace153855 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2012 |
| publishDateRange | 2012 |
| publishDateSort | 2012 |
| publisher | International Food Policy Research Institute |
| publisherStr | International Food Policy Research Institute |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1538552025-11-06T05:55:53Z All eggs in one basket: A reflection on Malawi’s dependence on agricultural growth strategy Droppelmann, Klaus Makuwira, Jonathan Kumwenda, Ian agricultural growth rural development agricultural extension Recently, there has been a resurgence of interest in the study of structural transformation. However, Africa has received little attention despite the fact that its rural areas seem to be very poor and unproductive relative to urban areas. This case study provides a reflection on challenges faced and development strategies adopted by successive governments in Malawi. Malawi is a country with a complex history of rural-urban transformation. On one hand, Malawi has long been, and still is, a predominantly agrarian economy that has seemingly undergone relatively little rural-urban transformation. Malawi is still predominantly rural, most migration is rural-to-rural, and its economic base is heavily dominated by the production of maize (largely for domestic consumption) and tobacco (largely for exports). In this paper we analyze the macroeconomic policy situation and document patterns and trends in Malawi‘s rural-urban transformation in a systematic manner. To that end, we focus on a number of dimensions of this transformation, including urban population growth, migration patterns, employment trends, and a spatial analysis of agglomerations and connectivity to major urban centers. We then turn to explain these patterns, largely in terms of colonial, post-independence, and more recent history of agricultural policies. We also examine migration patterns (both rural-urban and rural-rural), and constraints on the development of the nonfarm sector. In conclusion it becomes apparent that Malawi must diversify its economy to sustain poverty reduction and economic growth. However, it is not clear whether Malawi has an obvious comparative advantage in any sizeable nonfarm sector and how exactly the economic diversification process is to be achieved. 2012 2024-10-01T13:58:01Z 2024-10-01T13:58:01Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/153855 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Droppelmann, Klaus; Makuwira, Jonathan; Kumwenda, Ian. 2012. All eggs in one basket: A reflection on Malawi’s dependence on agricultural growth strategy. IFPRI Discussion Paper 1177. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://hdl.handle.net/10568/153855 |
| spellingShingle | agricultural growth rural development agricultural extension Droppelmann, Klaus Makuwira, Jonathan Kumwenda, Ian All eggs in one basket: A reflection on Malawi’s dependence on agricultural growth strategy |
| title | All eggs in one basket: A reflection on Malawi’s dependence on agricultural growth strategy |
| title_full | All eggs in one basket: A reflection on Malawi’s dependence on agricultural growth strategy |
| title_fullStr | All eggs in one basket: A reflection on Malawi’s dependence on agricultural growth strategy |
| title_full_unstemmed | All eggs in one basket: A reflection on Malawi’s dependence on agricultural growth strategy |
| title_short | All eggs in one basket: A reflection on Malawi’s dependence on agricultural growth strategy |
| title_sort | all eggs in one basket a reflection on malawi s dependence on agricultural growth strategy |
| topic | agricultural growth rural development agricultural extension |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/153855 |
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