Mwapata Institute

09/02/2026

MwAPATA’s Research Fellow, Dr Anderson Gondwe and Research Analyst, Mrs Dinah Salonga, participated in the inaugural National Food Systems Technical Working Group (TWG) meeting, which was convened by the Ministry of Agriculture - Malawi and the National Planning Commission of Malawi, with support from GIZ Malawi’s STEP UP! Project. The meeting was held at the 44 Hotel in Lilongwe on Thursday, 5 February 2026. The meeting brought together various stakeholders in Malawi’s Food Systems, including government ministries and departments, civil society organizations, the private sector, academia, financial institutions, research institutions, development partners, and the media.

During the meeting, five sub-TWGs were established on critical pillars for coordinated action. These are: Policy and Programmes; Advocacy and Communications; Fundraising; Capacity Building; as well as Research, Monitoring & Evaluation. Nevertheless, the participants at the meeting held discussions regarding a potential merger of the Research, M&E, and Capacity Building sub-TWGs in the future due to similarities in mandates and memberships. The Food Systems TWG formulation reflects Malawi’s growing commitment towards strengthening the coordination, financing, and governance of the country’s food systems transformation.

09/02/2026

AGRA-Sustainably Growing Africa’s Food Systems. National Youth Council of Malawi Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture - Malawi

09/02/2026

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09/02/2026

AGRA-Sustainably Growing Africa’s Food Systems. National Youth Council of Malawi Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture - Malawi

Zomba District Youth Officer Sophie Mzunga has called for capacity building amongst youths so that they are able to demand for formulation of youth inclusive policies.

Mzunga said youths should be given a chance to lobby for programs that shapes them to fully participate in national development.

She made the remarks in Zomba during the closure of Agri Skills Lab training for youths organised by Mwapata Institute and National Youth Council of Malawi (NYCOM) with support from Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).

Mwapata Institute Research Analyst Boniface Nankwenya said they want to push for establishment of platforms that provide opportunities for youths in agricultural sector.

Reported by Tiyese Monjeza.

08/02/2026

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06/02/2026

Day Two of the Agri-Skills Lab for Youth in Zomba district started with an in-depth discussion on Mindset Change. During the discussion, the youths identified common harmful norms existing in their communities which affect their active participation in agri-food systems as well as in policy-making and implementation processes. The youths also brainstormed pathways to challenge such norms.

Later, the youths were introduced to the Policy Advocacy topic that exposed them to knowledge and skills for strategic engagement of policymakers and decision makers to influence youth-related policy change and improvement of youth-led policy implementation. The youths were also trained in Strategic Communication approaches that would enhance their stakeholder engagement, networking and relationship-building as they participate in youth-led evidence-based agricultural policy processes.

During the session, our Research Director, Professor Levison Chiwaula, encouraged the youths to utilize this exposure to policy literacy to build networks that would expose them further to various opportunities in the agri-food systems. Prof. Chiwaula also emphasized on the need for the youth to position themselves well in opportunities that are enabling for policy advocacy.

The Agri-Skills Lab was facilitated by MwAPATA, National Youth Council of Malawi and the Zomba District Youth Office under the Project, to equip young farmers, agripreneurs, and innovators with the critical skills necessary for effective engagement in agriculture policy-making processes and an understanding of agricultural and youth-related policies, strategies, and implementation mechanisms.

Implemented by MwAPATA and National Youth Council of Malawi with support from AGRA-Sustainably Growing Africa’s Food, the LEAP4YOUTH Project seeks to bridge gaps by fostering inclusive and sustainable youth-driven engagement through targeted interventions inspired by AGRA’s Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture (YEFFA) Programme. The project is being implemented in four selected YEFFA districts, namely Salima, Mchinji, Dedza, and Zomba.

06/02/2026

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05/02/2026

As we continue to engage the youths under AGRA’s Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture (YEFFA) initiative, the Project team, comprising MwAPATA and National Youth Council of Malawi (NYCOM), is now conducting the project’s first Agri-Skills Lab for Youth in Zomba district. The Agri-Skills Lab will equip young farmers, agripreneurs, and innovators with the critical skills necessary for effective engagement in agriculture policy-making processes and an understanding of agricultural and youth-related policies, strategies, and implementation mechanisms.

In today’s session of the Agri-Skills Lab, which is being held at the Zomba Community Stadium, the youths were first introduced to the Policy Formulation and Implementation Processes. This was meant to enhance the youth’s understanding of their role in the process in order to strengthen their active participation in agri-food systems policymaking.

The youths also conducted group discussions to discuss pressing youth-related challenges in their communities that would warrant the formulation of a policy. They also discussed ways through which policymakers would engage the youth more effectively. In addition, the youths in the groups brainstormed youth-related agricultural needs that should be taken on board in the implementation of the 5 billion CDF, as well as areas where they need to hold the government accountable for some of its agricultural processes.

The Project is implemented by MwAPATA in partnership with NYCOM, with support from AGRA-Sustainably Growing Africa’s Food. The project aims to establish hybrid platforms, both physical and digital, that provide structured opportunities for young people in the agricultural sector to access information and engage in policy dialogues that shape policymaking processes within the agri-food systems. Later, the youth will discuss mindset change, leadership, policy advocacy and strategic communication.

Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO) UNDP Malawi Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture - Malawi Catholic Relief Services

03/02/2026

Day Two of the Mchinji District Policy Clinic with Youth Networks began with the youths dividing into groups, where they brainstormed the agricultural opportunities available in their networks. They also highlighted the value chains that they are involved in, as well as the agri-incentives accessible to them. In the groups, the youths also discussed the challenges that they are facing in accessing the highlighted opportunities, value chains and incentives.

Following the group work, the representatives of the groups presented the outcomes of their discussions, and during the plenary, the youths shared insights on mitigation measures towards addressing the presented challenges. The discussions will help the youth networks to plan or modify their existing plans by aligning their activities to the national policies and strategies in accordance with the available opportunities and incentives.

The Director of Planning and Development (DPD) for the Mchinji district has also presented the District Implementation Plan (DIP) to the youths with emphasis on youth-related development issues therein. This will help the youth to have an in-depth understanding of the District Council’s priority areas for resource allocation so that they can also align their plans in accordance with the DIP.

The Project is being implemented by MwAPATA in partnership with NYCOM, and with support from AGRA-Sustainably Growing Africa’s Food Systems. The project aims to establish hybrid platforms, both physical and digital, that provide structured opportunities for the youth in the agricultural sector to access information and to engage in policy dialogues that shape policymaking processes within the agri-food systems.

Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO) UNDP Malawi Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture - Malawi Catholic Relief Services

02/02/2026

02/02/2026

As part of the process of institutionalizing youth-led agri-food systems platforms in the LEAP4YOUTH Project, we are currently conducting district policy clinics with youth networks, in partnership with National Youth Council of Malawi (NYCOM). The policy clinics aim to strengthen youth engagement in agri-food policymaking by generating evidence and establishing institutionalized feedback mechanisms. Through the policy clinics, we are raising awareness of agricultural and youth-related policies as well as implementation mechanisms. We are also exposing the youth to vital knowledge about the available youth opportunities in the agri-food systems.

Today, the first district policy clinic was conducted in Mchinji, where a total of 50 youths involved in agricultural production, processing, value addition, marketing, input supply, and service provision participated. Three representatives from each of the district’s 15 youth networks participated in the policy clinic, and these shall later train the other youth members in their respective networks.

Specifically, the Mchinji district policy clinic focused on policies including the National Agricultural Policy, National Youth Policy, MW2063, National Agriculture Extension and Advisory Services Policy, Trade policy, and Gender policy, as well as strategies including the National Export Strategy II, Malawi Youth Engagement strategy, and the National Strategy for Financial Inclusion III. We also shared the MwAPATA research findings on available youth opportunities and the agricultural incentive booklet.

Implemented by MwAPATA and NYCOM with support from AGRA-Sustainably Growing Africa’s Food, the LEAP4YOUTH Project seeks to bridge gaps by fostering inclusive and sustainable youth-driven engagement through targeted interventions inspired by AGRA’s Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture (YEFFA) Programme. The project is being implemented in four selected YEFFA districts, namely Salima, Mchinji, Dedza, and Zomba.

02/02/2026

Watch the highlights of the Dissemination Workshop for Two Food Systems Policy Briefs that we conducted on 22nd January 2026.