@article{Olivier:303026,
      recid = {303026},
      author = {Olivier, Nic J.J. and Mkandawire, Elizabeth and Gouws,  Francette and Olivier, Nico and van der Schyff, Elmarie and  Gildenhuys, Anél},
      title = {Food Security and Nutrition in Malawi: Policy Reform  Within The Context of Supra- National Frameworks and Recent  Domestic Developments},
      address = {2019-05-28},
      number = {1879-2020-434},
      series = {133},
      pages = {57},
      month = {May},
      year = {2019},
      abstract = {Within the context of the FSP Component 3 Activity 4 focus  on policy change in the realm of food security and  nutrition (FSN) in Malawi, the aim of this research paper  is to determine the extent to which Malawi’s current  constitutional, policy, legal and administrative FSN  framework (including, amongst others, the Malawi’s National  Agriculture Investment Plan II (NAIP2), the Malawi Growth  and Development Strategy III (2017 – 2023) and the 2018  Malawi National Planning Commission) has succeeded in  domesticating the FSN-related obligations and commitments  entrenched in key international (global) regional (African)  and sub-regional (SADC) instruments. It also aims at  identifying gaps and formulating implementable  recommendations that that may be considered by the Malawi  Government in order to increase the probability that Malawi  will be in a position to deliver fully and timeously on its  (a) commitments made in respect of both the 2014 AU Malabo  Declarations and the UN Sustainable Development Goals  (SDGs), and (b) other key FSNrelated international,  regional and sub-regional obligations and commitments. The  supra-national food security and nutrition context provides  the framework for the discussion. Key international,  regional and sub-regional FSN-related legally binding  instruments and documents creating commitments are analysed  with the aim of extracting FSN-related obligations and  commitments. The manner in which the right to food is  entrenched in the Constitution of Malawi will initiate the  discussion on the national context. The extent to which the  international, regional and sub-regional obligations and  commitments are domesticated in Malawi’s national context  is then addressed by providing an overview of current  FSN-related policy and statutory frameworks. The impact of  gender as well as accompanying theme-specific obligations  relating to FSN is discussed. In conclusion, the last  section contains a number of key research findings and  focused implementable recommendations that may be  considered by the Malawi Government. The analysis of key  aspects of the Malawi domestic FSN framework (the Malawi  Constitution, the policy, legislative programme and  institutional frameworks, as well as of three specific  focus areas (gender, children, and health)), does not  provide evidence of adherence to the sequential nature of  the policy loop. In several instances, annual  implementation (work) plans are not preceded by sectoral  policies, sectoral legislation and/or medium-term sectoral  implementation strategies. In addition, binding  constitutional provisions are not, or not fully, embodied  in the current Malawi constituent elements of the policy  loop. Furthermore, detailed provisions relating to both an  overarching M&E framework (structure and systems) and  concomitant customised sub-sector M&E frameworks  (structures and systems), are often lacking. The analysis  also indicates that there is a plethora of, amongst others,  policies, statutory instruments, medium-term strategies,  annual implementation (work) plans, institutions and of M&E  indicator sets. These are often unconnected, incoherent and  contradictory, and to a large extent uncoordinated - and  consequently ineffective. Given the vast powers of the  autonomous Malawi National Planning Commission (NPC), it  should provide guidance and oversight as regards compulsory  compliance by all government departments with the policy  loop. This has a number of implications, two of which are  that: i. The NPC should take responsibility for: Drafting  and finalising, as well as ensuring the subsequent  political and administrative approval of, the next Malawi  Long-term Development Plan (the successor to the current  Vision 2020); Amending the current Malawi Growth and  Development Strategy III (MDGS III) to ensure full  alignment with the next Malawi Long-term Development Plan;  and Drafting and finalising, as well as ensuring the  subsequent political and administrative approval of, the  Malawi Growth and Development Strategy IV (MDGS IV), ii.  The NPC should ensure that all government departments and  entities: Review, amend and rationalise or, where  appropriate, replace existing inter-sectoral and sectoral  policies, legislation, medium-term strategic frameworks and  annual implementation (work) plans with a view on aligning  said documents with both the next Malawi Long-term  Development Plan and the above-mentioned amended MDGS III.  This also applies to the review and alignment of the Malawi  NAIP II; and After the approval of the MDGS IV, review,  amend and rationalise or, where appropriate, replace then  existing inter-sectoral and sectoral policies, legislation,  medium-term strategic frameworks and annual implementation  (work) plans with a view on aligning said documents with  both the next Malawi Long-term Development Plan and the  abovementioned amended (MDGS III). As regards the  domestication of, and compliance with, FSN-related  obligations created by of global (international), African  (regional) and SADC (sub-regional) conventions, treaties  and protocols, the vast majority of instruments referred to  in this section do not give evidence of such alignment. In  many instances, no reference is made to the existence of  the universal right to be free of hunger and such  obligations. As far as commitments made by the Government  of Malawi by it being a signatory to key FSN-related  global, African and SADC declarations and agreements, very  few Malawi instruments contain any references thereto. The  recent (2018) Malawi NAIP forms an exception; although not  dealing with all instances of Malawi’s FSN-related  obligations and commitments, it does contain references to  a number of such documents and, importantly, attempts  alignment. It is suggested that the NPC by exercising its  oversight role is empowered to compel all government  entities to ensure both domestication and compliance with  such obligations and commitments. Finally, there is a  significant lack of coherence at both the  intra-departmental and the interdepartmental levels as  regards the policy elements discussed in this section  (medium-term growth and development strategy; sectoral  policies; sectoral legislation; medium-term sectoral  strategies; annual implementation (work) plans, and M&E  structures and systems (including indicators)). From the  coordination perspective, evidence of across-the-board  effective intra-departmental and inter-departmental  coordination mechanisms has not been found. Although the  existence of supradepartmental coordinating mechanisms (at  the political level chaired by the President or Deputy  President, and at the administrative level by the most  senior Malawi servant (i.e. the Directorgeneral in the  Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC)) should go a long  way in ensuring effective coordination, oversight and  intervention, such well-functioning mechanisms do not at  present exist. Taking into account the current absence of a  transversal policy and statutory framework providing for  the compulsory establishment and operationalisation of such  supradepartmental coordinating mechanisms, it is proosed  that such coordination, oversight and intervention should  be undertaken by the NPC in the execution of its statutory  mandate. In conclusion, the overarching research finding is  that there is an urgent need to rationalise all Malawi FSN  instruments and institutions, and replace same with an  overarching FSN framework that is fully aligned to: i. The  international, African and SADC obligations and commitments  framework and the Malawi Constitution; and ii. The Malawi  long-term national development plan (currently Vision 2020)  and the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy III (MDGS  III) (both of which also require alignment with the  above-mentioned obligations and commitments framework and  the Malawi Constitution),  and satisfy the requirements of  coherence and effective coordination. It is suggested that  the NPC should, as an inherent part of its statutory  mandate, take the responsibility to initiate and manage  this rationalisation process as a high priority In addition  to the above, a number of key research findings and related  recommendations are made. The complete research report on  which this Working Paper is based is available at:  http://bit.ly/2W0xhRI.},
      url = {http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/303026},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.303026},
}