Africa’s agrifood challenge is often framed as a production problem: raise yields, expand cultivated area and produce more food. Is this always the case?
CROWDING IN OR CROWDING OUT? RETHINKING FERTILISER SUBSIDIES FOR AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION
For millions of African farmers, the value of a fertiliser subsidy is ultimately determined by practical questions: does the fertiliser arrive on time, does it reach the farmer who needs it, does it improve productivity, and does the system make it easier or harder for farmers to eventually access inputs through functioning markets?
MALAWI’S MAIZE TRADE POLICY IS TRYING TO PROTECT FOOD SECURITY; IT MAY BE WEAKENING IT
Malawi’s agricultural trade story is a story of promise trapped by uncertainty. The country has fertile soils, water resources, a large farming population and a strategic location in Southern Africa. Agriculture remains the backbone of the economy, employing most of the workforce, contributing significantly to GDP and generating the bulk of foreign exchange earnings. On paper, Malawi should be better positioned to supply regional markets, diversify exports and strengthen agro-processing.
AGRICULTURAL TRADE DISRUPTIONS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: RAPID SYNTHESIS AND FEEDBACK FROM COUNTRY DIALOGUES
The webinar held on 13th May on Agricultural Trade Disruptions in sub-Saharan Africa: Rapid Synthesis and Feedback from Country Dialogues, organised by the Africa Network of Agricultural Policy Research Institutes in partnership with AGRA, convened policymakers, researchers, regional institutions, and development partners to examine the growing scale and implications of agricultural trade disruptions across Africa. Drawing on evidence from Ghana, …
AFRICA’S FOOD MARKETS ARE ALREADY REGIONAL; OUR POLICIES NEED TO CATCH UP
Between February and April 2026, ANAPRI centres convened a series of country-level consultations on agricultural trade barriers in Zambia, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Kenya and Ghana. The message from these dialogues was remarkably consistent: Africa’s food markets are already deeply connected across borders, but our policies still behave as if food systems stop at national boundaries.
BREAKING THE CYCLE OF TRADE BANS IN MALAWI’S AGRICULTURE
Malawi’s agricultural trade system continues to be shaped by frequent and often abrupt policy decisions that ripple across markets, livelihoods, and the wider economy. This reality was at the centre of a policy dialogue convened on 21 April 2026 by MwAPATA Institute and the Centre for Agricultural Research and Development, both member centres of the Africa Network of Agricultural Policy Research Institutes.