This working paper is among the first of its kind to analyse policy discussions on climate change and agriculture in the Malawi.

In Malawi, national debates are framed as an issue of managing the risk that climate change poses to agricultural production. There are two dominant narratives: (1) that agriculture needs to be made robust in the face of climate change; and (2) that agriculture should be considered as part of wider development efforts.

The working paper (pdf) discusses the implications of these narratives for four strategies: conservation agriculture, drought-resistant varieties, agroforestry, and index-based weather insurance.

Struggle and influence

Policy processes are strongly affected by the struggle for leadership and coordination among key government actors, the government’s attachment to the subsidy programme, and donors’ strong influence on both the policy agenda and actual strategies.

The situation has created an incoherent policy response, reducing the likelihood of achieving policy goals for either agricultural development or climate change.

Download the paper

Climate change and agricultural policy processes in Malawi (pdf, 470kb)

(Photo: Activists in the Caravan of Hope, Malawi from Oxfam International on Flickr)