Malawi joins New Alliance for Food Security, Nutrition

Malawi, Benin and Nigeria have signed up to a scheme to take 50 million people out of poverty by 2022 by setting out how their governments will work with business and donors to increase investment in agriculture.

This will raise farm incomes, create 3.5 million jobs as well as tackle hunger and under-nutrition, according to a statement.

Signatory countries commit to introduce policies supporting farmers and agribusiness, improving infrastructure and developing commodity exchanges.

In response, over 70 companies, including 53 from Africa will make new investment commitments worth over $3.8 billion to the three countries. These range from increased sourcing from smallholder farmers, improving farmers’ access to seeds and fertilisers to investment in processing, storage and transport.

President Joyce Banda represented Malawi at the special event on the G8 Promoting African Agriculture: New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition Security event in London, United Kingdom on Saturday.

The President underscored the importance of increasing investments in food security and nutrition programmes, saying food security and nutrition are basic human needs to satisfy a healthy, active and decent life.

She said in her Facebook post: “Investing in food security for human resource development is therefore an important strategy for harnessing human capital development to achieve our long-term vision of a better future.”

The President said Malawi recognises the tremendous opportunity created by the G8 New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition to support the country’s efforts to generate greater investment in agricultural development, achieve sustainable food security outcomes, reduce poverty and end hunger.

UK’s International Development Secretary Justine Greening said: “We have made huge progress today getting agreement to help end undernutrition in our lifetimes, backed by governments, business, science and NGOs. To achieve this, we must support economic growth by working with farmers, local businesses, international companies and the African governments building market reform into their programmes.

Six countries have already signed up to the New Alliance. They are Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Ghana, Ethiopia, Mozambique and Cote d’Ivoire.