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Rural poverty approaches, policies & strategies in Malawi

The Government of Malawi has set out its national priorities in a series of strategic documents.

Vision 2020, prepared in 2000, provided a framework for national development goals, including good governance and sustainable economic growth.

The Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) of 2002 focused on four key areas:

• rapid, sustainable economic growth in favour of poor people
• development of human capital
• improvement in the quality of life of the most vulnerable people
• good governance

The Malawi Economic Growth Strategy (MEGS), which was prepared by the government in cooperation with the private sector in 2004, further developed the strategy set out in the PRSP. It emphasized that the private sector would have a key role in creating a macroeconomic environment suitable for broad-based sustainable growth. Both the PRSP and MEGS acknowledge the central role of agriculture as the key sector in leading growth and providing employment to reduce poverty.

The Ministry of Agriculture‘s Strategic Plan 2003-2008 supports an increase in productivity to be achieved through sustainable management and use of natural resources. The objectives are to ensure food security, increase incomes and create employment opportunities.

Decentralization

Government policy includes decentralization of power to district and local levels as a crucial means of directing resources to rural areas and empowering rural poor people to take charge of their own development. Since adoption of the Local Government Act in 1999, decentralization has been gaining momentum. District assemblies were elected in 2002 and a number of formerly centralized functions have been transferred to the districts.

Local participation creates new opportunities for community-driven development. Through stronger community institutions rural people can have an effective role in the decentralization process and build strong grass-roots organizations. Representative rural organizations are beginning to emerge in Malawi. With the benefit of external support and training, some farmer groups and other associations are actively and successfully engaged in producing and marketing export crops. One of these is the National Smallholder Farmers' Association of Malawi (NASFAM). In small-scale irrigation schemes, working together in water users' associations boosts members' confidence and strengthens their commitment to asset management and raising funds. Women's groups enable women to break away from some of the traditional social conventions that limit their opportunities. With the benefit of training and access to inputs, women heads of households have proved that they can be as effective as men in running economic activities and taking independent decisions.

There are significant opportunities to increase yields from their current low levels by adopting better farming techniques and using modern inputs. The government has made a commitment to support small-scale irrigation through self-help initiatives, and to transfer management of existing government schemes to small-scale farmers. The government's growth strategy also promotes efficient linkages with markets to spur an increase in production. Since the small size of landholdings limits production, there are longer-term prospects for land reform.

Source: IFAD