Policy Implications of Droughts and Food Insecurity in Malawi and Zambia By: Anandita Philipose CASE STUDY #7-3 OF THE PROGRAM: "FOOD POLICY FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IN THE GLOBAL FOOD SYSTEM" 2007 Edited by: Per Pinstrup-Andersen (
[email protected]) and Fuzhi Cheng Cornell University In collaboration with: Soren E. F rand sen, FOI, University of Copenhagen Arie Kuyvenhoven, Wageningen University Joachim von Braun, International Food Policy Research Institute Executive Summary This paper examines the recent droughts in Malawi As an official of an international development assis and Zambia [covering the period 1990-2005 but tance agency, your assignment is to design a with a focus on the 2001/2002 Southern African strategy that will assist Malawi and Zambia in crisis], analyzing the impact of the droughts on coping with the combined risks of food insecurity, food security and the responses to the crises. drought, and HIV/AIDS. Several questions make these two countries par ticularly complex case studies: Why did relatively mild weather shocks lead to such a devastating Background crisis in 2001/2002? How did lack of coordination between governments and donors exacerbate the This paper examines the recent droughts in Malawi crisis? And why, given the historical tendency of and Zambia [covering the period 1990-2005 but these countries to experience recurrent droughts, with a focus on the 2001/2002 Southern African were no measures put into place to counter the crisis), analyzing the impact of the droughts on adverse impacts of the drought? food security and the responses to the crises. In the 1990s Southern Africa experienced droughts in The two countries share a number of characteris 1991/1992, followed only two years later by drought tics that make them particularly vulnerable to food in Malawi and Zambia in 1993/1994 and then by crises: unfavorable weather patterns, a high drought in countries farther south in 1994/1995.