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El Niño and rising fertilizer costs: How vulnerable is Malawi in 2027?
Key takeawaysMalawi faces significant economic and food security risks from overlapping El Niño impacts and Iran war fuel and fertilizer price shocks, a modeling exercise shows.Possible impacts include weaker growth, declines in agricultural production, and higher food prices, though the outcomes are uncertain.Food security could deteriorate sharply in 2027.
Scaling digital financial services for smallholder farmers in Kenya: A stakeholder consultation on challenges, opportunities, and action pathways
Smallholder farmers and small- and medium-sized agricultural enterprises (SMEs) account for around 80% of Africa’s food production, yet they face an estimated $75 billion annual gap in financing the seeds, fertilizer, tools, and services needed to make them consistently productive and resilient.
El Niño Could Threaten Food Security in Malawi
The El Niño weather phenomenon brings with it significant variations in typical weather patterns. For Malawi, that variation often takes the form of severe dry weather, impacting agricultural growing conditions and harvests. A new IFPRI Malawi Strategy Support Program Policy Note looks at the potential implications of the current El Niño conditions on Malawi’s agriculture and food security, as well as ways for policymakers and farmers to strengthen the resilience of their response. Maize yields have declined in Malawi in 8 of the last 12 years in which the El Niño phenomenon occurred.
Women as shock absorbers: Gendered costs of the global fuel and fertilizer crisis
Key takeawaysWomen and girls in many countries are bearing the brunt of rising fuel and fertilizer prices triggered by the Iran war.Higher costs strain agrifood systems and exacerbate existing gender inequalities, further limiting women’s access to inputs, income, and food security.Gender-blind policy responses widen gender gaps.
Tanzania faces increased food insecurity until harvests
Extreme weather events, including prolonged flooding and dry spells, continue to drive up acute food insecurity throughout mainland Tanzania, according to a new IPC analysis. An estimated 10 percent of the analyzed population will continue to face IPC Phase 3 (Crisis) food insecurity or above through May 2026, with as many as 1 million people in Phase 3 and unable to meet their daily food needs. Consistent climate shocks coupled with ongoing market instability have significantly reduced households’ purchasing power, particularly in rural areas.