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With research staff from more than 60 countries, and offices across the globe, IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

researcher spotlight

Carlo Azzarri

Carlo Azzarri is a Senior Research Fellow in the Innovation Policy and Scaling Unit. His work focuses on the relationships among poverty, nutrition, food security, agriculture, the environment, production, and migration—analyzed at both micro and macroeconomic levels, primarily using quantitative methods.

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Since 1975, IFPRI’s research has been informing policies and development programs to improve food security, nutrition, and livelihoods around the world.

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Where we work

IFPRI currently has more than 600 employees working in over 80 countries with a wide range of local, national, and international partners.

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Mitundu Market, Lilongwe, Malawi

country program

Malawi Strategy Support Program

Mitundu Market, Lilongwe, Malawi Woman selling fruit

country programs

Overview

The Malawi Strategy Support Program (MaSSP), established in 2009, promotes evidence-based dialogue and decision-making among government and policy partners by providing technical and analytical support generated from rigorous research. This work is organized around four long-running themes that address issues relevant to current agricultural policy in Malawi: agricultural markets, priorities for agricultural investment, rural transformation, and social protection.

Examples of our recent policy impact include MaSSP’s membership on the Strategic Grain Reserve committee, which authorizes the use of the Reserve to stabilize prices or for humanitarian relief; technical backing of an ongoing reform of Malawi’s agricultural input subsidy program, requested by the Minister of Agriculture; a study for the National Planning Commission on using modern value chains to develop secondary cities across Malawi; and capacity building at the Ministry of Finance on modeling economic impacts of policy reforms.

MaSSP is currently co-funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Government of Flanders, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

To learn more, visit IFPRI Malawi Website or follow us on Twitter (@IFPRIMalawi).

To subscribe to our newsletter, visit http://massp.ifpri.info/massp-mailing-list/

Links/Projects

IFPRI Malawi Website

Africa Regional Website

Pluralistic Extension System in Malawi

Donors

Partners

Duration

2008 – ongoing

Publications

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Journal Article

Maize yield responsiveness and profitability of fertilizer: New survey evidence from six African countries

2025Ragasa, Catherine; Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Asante, Seth; Amare, Mulubrhan; Ma, Ning; Olanrewaju, Opeyemi; Duchoslav, Jan
Details

Maize yield responsiveness and profitability of fertilizer: New survey evidence from six African countries

Enhancing maize productivity growth is pivotal for revolutionizing the agrifood system in Africa, with inorganic fertilizer serving as a fundamental input for catalyzing this progress. However, concerns are mounting about the low and decreasing yield response and profitability of inorganic fertilizer use, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study aims to refine yield response and profitability models by incorporating recent data from nationally representative and panel datasets spanning six countries. Most countries exhibited low nitrogen yield responsiveness (4–7 kg), while Ghana and Uganda showed higher responsiveness (15–20 kg) per additional 1 kg of nitrogen. Analysis of fertilizer-to-maize price ratios from 2010 to 2023 showed a downward trend, with spikes in 2022 in Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, and Tanzania. Overall, except for those years, the data suggest a trend of increasingly favorable price incentives for fertilizer use. Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Uganda experienced declines in the fertilizer-to-maize price ratio. Increasing inorganic fertilizer use would be profitable in Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Uganda at current market prices, but not in Malawi or Tanzania. Subsidies in Malawi and Tanzania have boosted profitability, but these may not be necessary in Ghana, Nigeria, or Uganda, which already have favorable price incentives; Malawi could benefit by substantially reducing its 80 percent subsidy while maintaining decent price incentives and farm profits. The paper proposes policy options based on factors influencing yield responsiveness and potential improvements drawn from new modeling and synthesis of the literature.

Year published

2025

Authors

Ragasa, Catherine; Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Asante, Seth; Amare, Mulubrhan; Ma, Ning; Olanrewaju, Opeyemi; Duchoslav, Jan

Citation

Ragasa, Catherine; Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Asante, Seth; Amare, Mulubrhan; Ma, Ning; Olanrewaju, Opeyemi; and Duchoslav, Jan. 2025. Maize yield responsiveness and profitability of fertilizer: New survey evidence from six African countries. Food Policy 133(May 2025): 102815. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2025.102815

Country/Region

Ghana; Uganda; Malawi; Nigeria; Ethiopia

Keywords

Tanzania; Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Maize; Agricultural Productivity; Agrifood Systems; Inorganic Fertilizers; Yields; Profitability; Data; Prices

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2025.102815 Source record

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Journal Article

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Brief

Economic and welfare implications of the reduction of US foreign assistance in Malawi

2025Cockx, Lara; De Weerdt, Joachim; Duchoslav, Jan; Jamali, Andrew; Nagoli, Joseph; Pauw, Karl; Thurlow, James
Details

Economic and welfare implications of the reduction of US foreign assistance in Malawi

For over a decade, the US has consistently ranked as either the largest or second-largest donor to Malawi. Annual foreign assistance disbursements have averaged over $360 million between 2020 and 2023. In January 2025 the US government suspended all US-funded foreign aid programs. As of April 2025, the available information suggests that funding for many of these programs in Malawi has been withdrawn, resulting in an estimated decline in US foreign assistance to Malawi of around 59% for 2025. As a result, Malawi faces a potential decline in foreign exchange inflows of around $177 million in 2025, a loss equivalent to approximately 6.3% of the annual merchandise import bill. With Malawi’s economy currently highly vulnerable, lacking the buffers needed to absorb shocks, the eco nomic and welfare implications of these recent events are concerning. The suspensions may lead to an economic contraction from reduced activities by US implementing partners, immediate pressure on the exchange rate (endangering the affordability or availability of critical imports) and declining productivity in key sectors such as agriculture. Deteriorating health and education outcomes could further affect the productivity of workers in the longer run. In this policy note we combine qualitative and quantitative information gathered in-country with modeled results of the possible economywide impacts of the reduction of US foreign assistance on key economic and welfare indicators over the next six years. We also discuss policy options that could help mitigate some of the adverse impacts.

Year published

2025

Authors

Cockx, Lara; De Weerdt, Joachim; Duchoslav, Jan; Jamali, Andrew; Nagoli, Joseph; Pauw, Karl; Thurlow, James

Citation

Cockx, Lara; De Weerdt, Joachim; Duchoslav, Jan; Jamali, Andrew; Nagoli, Joseph; Pauw, Karl; and Thurlow, James. 2025. Economic and welfare implications of the reduction of US foreign assistance in Malawi. MaSSP Policy Note 53. Lilongwe, Malawi: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174201

Country/Region

Malawi

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Welfare; Aid Programmes; Economic Situation; Agriculture; Shock; Development Aid

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Resource thumbnail

Report

IFPRI Malawi monthly maize market report, April 2025

2025International Food Policy Research Institute; Benson, Anderson
Details

IFPRI Malawi monthly maize market report, April 2025

Retail prices of maize fell by 21% in April due to the arrival of newly harvested maize on the market. Relatively cheap imports from all three neighboring countries contributed to the decline in maize prices. Maize retailed below the government-mandated price in 21 out of 26 monitored markets.

Year published

2025

Authors

International Food Policy Research Institute; Benson, Anderson

Citation

International Food Policy Research Institute. 2025. IFPRI Malawi monthly maize market report, April 2025. MaSSP Monthly Maize Market Report April 2025. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174476

Country/Region

Malawi

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Maize; Market Prices; Retail Prices; Food Prices; Imports

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Report

Blogs

Responding to Malawi’s impending food crisis
IFPRI Blog
 | 
May 31, 2024

Responding to Malawi’s impending food crisis

By Jan Duchoslav, Mazvita Chiduwa, Simon Denhere, Joachim De Weerdt, Rodwell Mzonde, and George Phiri

Food imports can make up for shortages if quick action is taken.

Act now to address Malawi’s looming food crisis
IFPRI Blog
 | 
April 12, 2024

Act now to address Malawi’s looming food crisis

By Jan Duchoslav, Joachim De Weerdt, and Rodwell Mzonde

Harvest shortfalls caused by severe drought conditions.

Photo essay: Talking to farmers in Malawi to understand how to improve agricultural cooperative performance
IFPRI Blog
 | 
December 09, 2022

Photo essay: Talking to farmers in Malawi to understand how to improve agricultural cooperative performance

By Cynthia Kazembe and Kristin Davis

Focus groups and other approaches help clarify what works.

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News

September 12, 2024 | In the News

Tale of two villages: In Malawi, farmers point the way as drought drives hunger (WFP/AllAfrica/Relief Web)

The WFP story shared by All Africa and Relief Web quotes Jan Duchoslav and Joachim De Weerdt (IFPRI Malawi) on the food security crisis in the country.

June 13, 2024 | Statement

In Memoriam: Hon. Saulos Chilima, Vice President of Malawi

IFPRI extends sincere condolences in relation to the tragic accident that claimed lives of Dr. Chilima and fellow passengers.

March 28, 2023 | In the News

2023/24 fertiliser subsidy under scrutiny (The Nation) 

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has projected that farmers should expect to pay as much as K37 000 to buy one bag of fertilizer under the Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP) in the 2023/24 farming season. The projection means the government will have to spend K238 billion on AIP to subsidize 1.7 million farming […]

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Events

East Africa Perspectives on the Book: Agricultural Extension – Global Status and Performance in Selected Countries
IFPRI Program/Country Event

 | 

October 28, 2020, 3:30 – 5:00 pm

East Africa Perspectives on the Book: Agricultural Extension – Global Status and Performance in Selected Countries

IFPRI Ethiopia and IFPRI Malawi are co-organizing a webinar on the recently launched IFPRI book, “Agricultural Extension: Global Status and Performance in Selected Countries“. The book, edited by Kristin Davis, Suresh Babu, and Catherine Ragasa, provides a global overview of agricultural extension and advisory services and assesses and compares extension systems at the national and regional […]

Economic Impacts of COVID-19 on Growth, Poverty and Food Systems in Malawi: Initial Results
IFPRI Program/Country Event

 | 

June 10, 2020, 3:00 – 4:30 pm

Economic Impacts of COVID-19 on Growth, Poverty and Food Systems in Malawi: Initial Results

IFPRI-Malawi is organizing a webinar on initial results undertaken by IFPRI of the modeling of the short-term economic impacts of COVID-19 in Malawi. Two scenarios are considered: (a) 2 months of social distancing plus external shocks in April/May; (b) the proposed (but not implemented) 21-day lockdown plus social distancing and external shocks, each followed by either fast or […]

Assessing and Strengthening Malawi’s Pluralistic Agricultural Extension System: Evidence and Lessons from a 3-year Research Study on Agricultural Extension
IFPRI Program/Country Event

 | 

November 13, 2019, 8:30 – 12:30 pm

Assessing and Strengthening Malawi’s Pluralistic Agricultural Extension System: Evidence and Lessons from a 3-year Research Study on Agricultural Extension

On November 13, 2019 IFPRI is organizing a project closing and dissemination event to present findings from a 3-year research study conducted by IFPRI, with funding from the Government of Flanders, CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions and Markets (PIM), GIZ, and USAID Strengthening Agricultural and Nutrition Extension (SANE). Launched in July 2016, the 3-year […]

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Team members

Joachim De Weerdt

Joachim De Weerdt

Senior Research Fellow / Program Leader, Development
Strategies and Governance

Joachim De Weerdt

Joachim De Weerdt

Senior Research Fellow / Program Leader, Development
Strategies and Governance

Jan Duchoslav

Jan Duchoslav

Research Fellow, Development
Strategies and Governance

Cynthia Kazembe

Cynthia Kazembe

Communications Manager, Development
Strategies and Governance

The Programs

  • Kutubdia Island in the Bay of Bengal

    Bangladesh Policy Research and Strategy Support Program

    Improving food and nutrition security is of paramount concern to millions in Bangladesh.

  • Wuxi, the fast growing city that was formerly known as White Horse Village.

    China Strategy Support Program

    Supports joint research & capacity strengthening as well as policy dialogues & communication to improve policymaking.

  • Farm land in Giza in Egypt

    Egypt Strategy Support Program

    Egypt SSP's main objective is to raise incomes of the rural poor and to improve food and nutrition security in Egypt.

  • Gayo village, Ethiopia

    Ethiopia Strategy Support Program

    ESSP is a collaborative program undertaken by IFPRI and the Ethiopian Development Research Institute (EDRI)

  • amevi-wisdom-wiul_nyafcy-unsplash

    Ghana Strategy Support Program

    Conduct research & advise on policy to support agricultural growth, rural development & economic transformation.

  • Local vendors selling vegetables at a market in Kenya,Africa

    Kenya Strategy Support Program

    KSSP is a policy research, capacity strengthening and policy communication program with the main objectives to accelerate poverty reduction and to improve food security.

  • Mitundu Market, Lilongwe, Malawi

    Malawi Strategy Support Program

    This project facilitates and promotes evidence-based dialogue and decision-making in support of agricultural development, food security, and economic growth in Malawi.

  • Country program Myanmar

    Myanmar Strategy Support Program

    The project supports agricultural transformation and other development policy goals by enhancing national technical, institutional, and policy analysis capacities.

  • Nigeria Strategy Support Program

    NSSP responds to the research, analysis, and capacity needs of stakeholders in the Nigerian agricultural research and policy community.

  • Papua New Guinea Agriculture, Food, and Nutrition Policy Support Program

    The Papua New Guinea Agriculture, Food, and Nutrition Policy Support Program (PNG-AFNP) is an initiative aligned with the Government of Papua New Guinea’s vision to revitalize and transform its agricultural sector to improve economic opportunities, livelihoods, and food security.

  • Fertile field at sunset in the countryside (Rwanda/ Africa)

    Rwanda Strategy Support Program

    Rwanda SSP is an initiative aligned with the Government of Rwanda’s vision to accelerate agricultural transformation and rural development in Rwanda.

  • A sunset view of river Nile in Khartoum, Sudan

    Sudan Strategy Support Program

    The Sudan Country Strategy Support Program (CSSP), with key team members based in Khartoum, can provide needed analytical support to the Government of Sudan, local and international partners.