Mwapata Institute

26/11/2025

Announcing AGRA Grant Award to MwAPATA and NYCOM for the LEAP4YOUTH Initiative

Lilongwe, Malawi-26 November 2025

Mwapata Institute and the National Youth Council of Malawi (NYCOM) are pleased to announce the award of a USD 400,000 grant from AGRA-Sustainably Growing Africa’s Food Systems. to implement a two-year initiative titled “Enhancing Inclusive Youth-Led Platforms for Evidence-Based Agricultural Policy Making and Implementation in Malawi (LEAP4YOUTH).”

Running from 1 November 2025 to 31 October 2027, the LEAP4YOUTH project seeks to strengthen participation in Malawi’s agricultural processes by establishing institutionalised platforms that empower young people to shape, monitor, and implement policies driving agricultural transformation.

The initiative builds on AGRA’s Youth for the Future of Food and (YEFFA) program and directly supports Malawi’s long-term aspirations under Malawi 2063, particularly: Pillar 1: Agricultural Productivity and Commercialisation and Enabler 4: Human Capital Development. It also advances the National Youth Policy (2023) and National Agriculture Policy (2024), both of which emphasise youth inclusion in agricultural transformation

Under the project, MwAPATA Institute will lead evidence generation and the development of policy knowledge products, while NYCOM will coordinate youth , , and -building activities. The project is expected to directly reach 10,000 youths, with at least half of them being young women across priority value chains, including maize, soybean, groundnuts, poultry, horticulture, and beekeeping.

Key interventions include establishing District Agri-Youth Action Forums (DAYAFs), convening regional and national policy forums, and establishing AgriSkills Labs, while also training Youth Agri-Policy Champions to lead advocacy and policy dialogue. These efforts will enhance youth policy literacy and foster consistent engagement between young people and policymakers.
MwAPATA Institute and NYCOM reaffirm their shared commitment to advancing youth empowerment, evidence-based policy-making, and inclusive agricultural development in support of Malawi 2063’s vision of an inclusive, wealthy, and self-reliant nation.

For more information, please contact:
Dr. Maggie Munthali
MwAPATA Institute
Phone: 099 922 35 71
Email: m.munthali@mwapata.mw

Doreen Chilije
Monitoring and Evaluation Officer
National Youth Council of Malawi
Phone: 099 294 92 82
Email: dchilije@nycom.mw

Rex Chapota Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture - Malawi Malawi Government International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS) Ministry of Agriculture - Malawi Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) World Food Programme United Nations Youth Pan African Youth Union Commonwealth Youth Council

24/11/2025

Today, the MwAPATA Institute, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture through the Department of Land Resources Conservation, and with participation from public, private, civil society, and development partners, convened a stakeholder workshop to refine the instruments for the implementation of the Malawi Action Plan on Fertilizer and Soil Health (MAP-FSH) 2024 – 2034. The workshop, which was held at BICC in Lilongwe, was conducted in collaboration with our partners FCDO, AGRA, Sustain Africa, and AUDA NEPAD.

During the workshop, the stakeholders reviewed and validated the MAP-FSH implementation roadmap, financing and investment plan, as well as the proposed national coordination and governance structure for the MAP-FSH. These instruments are essential for guiding implementation, mobilizing resources, and strengthening multi-stakeholder coordination over the lifespan of the Plan.

-FSH

17/11/2025

Our Research Fellow, Dr Maggie Munthali, is the Guest Speaker at the “Unlocking Opportunities in Non-Timber Forest Resources (NTFRs) for Sustainable Livelihoods” Webinar, taking place today, the 17 November 2025, from 11:00 to 13:00 (SAST).

This webinar is an interactive session that will spotlight inspiring youth-led enterprises in baobab processing and beekeeping, showcasing how innovation in NTFRs can drive green entrepreneurship, climate resilience, and inclusive development.

Click the link below to virtually participate in the webinar and be part of the movement for greener, youth-driven livelihoods!

https://lnkd.in/dz4ARmUn

Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with young innovators, experts, and partners shaping Africa’s sustainable future!

14/11/2025

13/11/2025

The 15th ESS is on tomorrow 14th November 2025 from 2pm to 5pm at Sunbird Capital in Lilongwe.

05/11/2025

The MwAPATA Institute is participating in the 12th ANAPRI Annual Stakeholders’ Conference in Kigali, Rwanda. This year's conference is a timely platform for strategic dialogue on how African countries can respond to the compounding challenges facing their food systems. The conference is designed to support decision-makers in identifying policy options and investment pathways that balance immediate needs with long-term development goals.

Representing MwAPATA at the conference are the Executive Director, Mr William Chadza, the Research Director, Professor Levision Chiwaula, Research Fellow Dr Maggie Munthali, Principal Investigator, Dr Milu Muyanga and Research Analyst Bonface Nankwenya.

Prior to the stakeholders’ conference, the MwAPATA institute also participated in the Africa Agriculture Adaptation Atlas Project learning workshop. The learning workshop served as a platform for sharing experiences and diverse applications of the Atlas as a foundational tool in providing critical climate change information, such as risk information, mitigation, and adaptation variables.

31/10/2025

Our Research Analyst, Joyce Minofu, will present her academic research output on "Prices of Health Food and Diet Costs in Ten Countries Across Africa" at the Research Community for Food Access on Wednesday, 5th November 2025, from 3:00pm CAT.

You can virtually attend the presentation meeting through Zoom via the link below:

https://tufts.zoom.us/j/92264845448?pwd=kxNSMqMSNdGiO2jLiqQahoTCRyGNzz.1&jst=1

Meeting ID: 922 6484 5448
Passcode: 467551

29/10/2025

Happy Birthday to our Research Fellow, Dr. Maggie Munthali Nkosi.

17/10/2025

Mwapata Institute Executive Director William Chadza alongside his team today visited the National Planning Commission (NPC) and met its Director General Fredrick Changaya to explore further areas of collaboration in research and outreach programmes aimed at finding solutions to Malawi’s economic challenges.

Changaya hailed the meeting and emphasized the importance of strengthening partnerships in research.

He noted that such collaboration and engagements will help identify existing opportunities and “quick wins” that can support economic transformation.

On his part, Chadza, said the two institutions also need to jointly explore innovative approaches to resource mobilization to help in identifying and implementing practical solutions to enhance Malawi’s economic resilience.

15/10/2025

Happy Mother's Day to Agri-Policy Researchers and all Malawian Mothers!!!

30/09/2025

Today, our Research Fellow, Dr Maggie Munthali, participated in the Youth Inclusion in Agriculture Dialogue, convened by Point of Progress at Chikho Hotel in Mponela. The dialogue aimed to promote inclusive agricultural transformation in Malawi by positioning youth and women at the centre of agribusiness, value addition, and market access.

As Malawi’s agriculture policy think tank, the MwAPATA Institute was invited to the dialogue to deliver a technical presentation at the beginning of the programme, sharing evidence, research insights, and policy recommendations that highlight challenges and opportunities for youth in agriculture and food systems.

Representing MwAPATA, Dr Maggie made a presentation titled “Evidence-Based Insights on Youth in Agrifood systems: Extent, Challenges and Opportunities”. Among key things, the presentation highlighted some major policy gaps that Malawi is facing in terms of youth inclusion in agriculture. The gaps include: limited youth-specific financing mechanisms; limited access to land; limited access to technology; and low profitability of agriculture enterprises or poor returns on investment.

The presentation also highlighted policy recommendations such as the need to support the development of agricultural youth groups or associations; to modernize the agriculture and food systems sector; and to enhance financial literacy and inclusion among the youth.

The dialogue serves as the beginning of a series of initiatives that will ensure youth and women remain central in shaping policies and programmes that advance agricultural transformation and contribute to the aspirations of Malawi Vision 2063, Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals.

26/09/2025

Our April - July, 2025 Newsletter is here! The issue highlights our work done in the previous quarter. Read/Download the newsletter via the link in the comments section 👇