Seasonal Food Crises and Policy Responses: A Narrative Account of Three Food Security Crises in Malawi

Frank Ellis and Elizabeth Manda

World Development, 2012, vol. 40, issue 7, 1407-1417

Abstract: This paper examines seasonal food price crises in Malawi. In the 2000s, Malawi experienced three episodes in which seasonal maize prices rose in 2001–02, 2004–05, and 2007–09 by 354%, 218%, and 395%, respectively. These extreme price spikes resulted from a sequential interaction of economic and political events. A repeated pattern of cause, inapt response and adverse outcome is identified. The relative neglect in vulnerability analysis of staple food price movements as lead indicators of impending food crises is emphasized, and implications are drawn for price stabilisation, public–private coordination and social protection policies.

Keywords: price instability; food security; seasonality; social protection; Malawi; Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (31)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:40:y:2012:i:7:p:1407-1417

DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2012.03.005

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