IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/ssefpa/v15y2023i1d10.1007_s12571-022-01315-7.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

How effectively might agricultural input subsidies improve nutrition? A case study of Malawi’s Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP)

Author

Listed:
  • Helen Walls

    (Faculty of Public Health & Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine)

  • Deborah Johnston

    (SOAS University of London)

  • Mirriam Matita

    (University of Malawi
    Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources)

  • Ephraim Chirwa

    (University of Malawi)

  • Jacob Mazalale

    (University of Malawi)

  • Matthew Quaife

    (Faculty of Public Health & Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine)

  • Tayamika Kamwanja

    (University of Malawi
    University of Leicester)

  • Richard Smith

    (University of Exeter)

Abstract

Agricultural input subsidy programmes (AISP) are often considered an important means of improving agricultural productivity and food security in developing countries. However, the impact of AISP on food choice and nutrition is unclear, not least because staple crops targeted tend to be calorie-dense but nutrient-poor. AISP targeting maize, for example, may increase maize production and consumption and reduce intake of nutrient-rich foods. Alternatively, a fall in maize prices may enable consumers to purchase other goods including other food items. Using mixed-methods approaches, this paper examines the impact of a prominent AISP, Malawi’s Farm Input Subsidy Program (FISP), on overall food choice. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. Quantitative data were collected through household, individual and market surveys, and a discrete-choice experiment. Hypothesised impact pathways from AISP to food choice and dietary diversity, and prior literature, suggest Malawi’s FISP could be contributing to improved dietary diversity. However, analyses from our surveys, discrete-choice experiment, interviews, and focus group discussions do not suggest any significant FISP impact on food choices and dietary diversity. Our findings suggest this lack of impact could be due to how the FISP policy is designed and implemented – but that even with changes, as with the Affordable Inputs Programme which replaced the FISP in 2020, it may still be an inefficient means of addressing dietary diversity in rural Malawi. The results highlight issues needing consideration by policymakers and the agri-nutrition community to advance discussion and research for how best to design AISP and other public policy to address malnutrition in all its forms.

Suggested Citation

  • Helen Walls & Deborah Johnston & Mirriam Matita & Ephraim Chirwa & Jacob Mazalale & Matthew Quaife & Tayamika Kamwanja & Richard Smith, 2023. "How effectively might agricultural input subsidies improve nutrition? A case study of Malawi’s Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP)," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 15(1), pages 21-39, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ssefpa:v:15:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1007_s12571-022-01315-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s12571-022-01315-7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12571-022-01315-7
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s12571-022-01315-7?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Aberman, Noora-Lisa, ed. & Meerman, Janice, ed. & Benson, Todd, ed., 2015. "Mapping the linkages between agriculture, food security and nutrition in Malawi," MaSSP reports 2015, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    2. Hidrobo, Melissa & Hoddinott, John & Peterman, Amber & Margolies, Amy & Moreira, Vanessa, 2014. "Cash, food, or vouchers? Evidence from a randomized experiment in northern Ecuador," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 144-156.
    3. Rashid, Dewan Arif & Smith, Lisa C. & Rahman, Tauhidur, 2011. "Determinants of Dietary Quality: Evidence from Bangladesh," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(12), pages 2221-2231.
    4. Mathieu J. P. Poirier & Karen A. Grépin & Michel Grignon, 2020. "Approaches and Alternatives to the Wealth Index to Measure Socioeconomic Status Using Survey Data: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 148(1), pages 1-46, February.
    5. Bhalla, Garima & Handa, Sudhanshu & Angeles, Gustavo & Seidenfeld, David, 2018. "The effect of cash transfers and household vulnerability on food security in Zimbabwe," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 82-99.
    6. World Bank, 2007. "Malawi : Poverty and Vulnerability Assessment, Investing in Our Future," World Bank Publications - Reports 7555, The World Bank Group.
    7. Benjamin Schwab, 2020. "In the Form of Bread? A Randomized Comparison of Cash and Food Transfers in Yemen," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 102(1), pages 91-113, January.
    8. World Bank, 2007. "Malawi - Poverty and Vulnerability Assessment : Investing in Our Future," World Bank Publications - Reports 7909, The World Bank Group.
    9. Ragasa, Catherine & Mazunda, John, 2018. "The impact of agricultural extension services in the context of a heavily subsidized input system: The case of Malawi," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 25-47.
    10. Pan, Lei & Christiaensen, Luc, 2012. "Who is Vouching for the Input Voucher? Decentralized Targeting and Elite Capture in Tanzania," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(8), pages 1619-1633.
    11. Bezu, Sosina & Kassie, Girma T. & Shiferaw, Bekele & Ricker-Gilbert, Jacob, 2014. "Impact of Improved Maize Adoption on Welfare of Farm Households in Malawi: A Panel Data Analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 120-131.
    12. Poole, Nigel & Donovan, Jason & Erenstein, Olaf, 2021. "Viewpoint: Agri-nutrition research: Revisiting the contribution of maize and wheat to human nutrition and health," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    13. Jacob Ricker-Gilbert & T. S. Jayne, 2017. "Estimating the Enduring Effects of Fertiliser Subsidies on Commercial Fertiliser Demand and Maize Production: Panel Data Evidence from Malawi," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 68(1), pages 70-97, February.
    14. Nicole M. Mason & T.S. Jayne & Rhoda Mofya-Mukuka, 2013. "Zambia's input subsidy programs," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 44(6), pages 613-628, November.
    15. Nkhoma, Peter R., 2018. "The evolution of agricultural input subsidy programs: contextualizing policy debates in Malawi’s FISP," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 9(C), pages 12-17.
    16. Jeremy Shiffman & Stephanie Smith, 2007. "Generation of Political Priority for Global Health Initiatives: A Framework and Case Study of Maternal Mortality," Working Papers 129, Center for Global Development.
    17. Chirwa, Ephraim & Dorward, Andrew, 2013. "Agricultural Input Subsidies: The Recent Malawi Experience," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199683529.
    18. Blessings Chinsinga & Colin Poulton, 2014. "Beyond Technocratic Debates: The Significance and Transience of Political Incentives in the Malawi Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP)," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 32(s2), pages 123-150, September.
    19. Helen L. Walls & Deborah Johnston & Mehroosh Tak & Jane Dixon & Johanna Hanefeld & Elizabeth Hull & Richard D. Smith, 2018. "The impact of agricultural input subsidies on food and nutrition security: a systematic review," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 10(6), pages 1425-1436, December.
    20. Basurto, Maria Pia & Dupas, Pascaline & Robinson, Jonathan, 2020. "Decentralization and efficiency of subsidy targeting: Evidence from chiefs in rural Malawi," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    21. Rodney Lunduka & Jacob Ricker-Gilbert & Monica Fisher, 2013. "What are the farm-level impacts of Malawi's farm input subsidy program? A critical review," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 44(6), pages 563-579, November.
    22. Jones, Andrew D. & Shrinivas, Aditya & Bezner-Kerr, Rachel, 2014. "Farm production diversity is associated with greater household dietary diversity in Malawi: Findings from nationally representative data," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 1-12.
    23. World Bank, 2007. "Malawi Poverty and Vulnerability Assessment : Investing in Our Future, Synthesis Report," World Bank Publications - Reports 7557, The World Bank Group.
    24. T.S. Jayne & Shahidur Rashid, 2013. "Input subsidy programs in sub-Saharan Africa: a synthesis of recent evidence," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 44(6), pages 547-562, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Camara, Alhassane & Savard, Luc, 2023. "Impact of agricultural input subsidy policy on market participation and income distribution in Africa: A bottom-up/top-down approach," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    2. Lorena Lombardozzi, 2024. "Untangling the nexus between marketization, crop diversity, farmers' wealth and nutrition: The case of Uzbekistan," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 36(2), pages 1489-1506, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Matita, Mirriam & Chiwaula, Levison & Wadonda Chirwa, Ephraim & Mazalale, Jacob & Walls, Helen, 2022. "Subsidizing improved legume seeds for increased household dietary diversity: Evidence from Malawi’s Farm Input Subsidy Programme with implications for addressing malnutrition in all its forms," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    2. Fujimoto, Takefumi & Suzuki, Aya, 2021. "Do Fertilizer and Seed Subsidies Strengthen Farmers' Market Participation? the Impact of Tanzania NAIVS on Farmers' Purchase of Agricultural Inputs and Their Maize-Selling Activities," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315044, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    3. Jayne, Thomas S. & Mason, Nicole M. & Burke, William J. & Ariga, Joshua, 2018. "Review: Taking stock of Africa’s second-generation agricultural input subsidy programs," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 1-14.
    4. Jayne, T.S. & Mason, Nicole M. & Burke, William J. & Ariga, Joshua, 2016. "Agricultural Input Subsidy Programs in Africa: An Assessment of Recent Evidence," Food Security International Development Working Papers 245892, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    5. Chilemba, Joanna & Ragasa, Catherine, 2018. "The impact of a farmer business school program on incomes of smallholder farmers: Insights from central Malawi," MaSSP working papers 23, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    6. Hodjo, Manzamasso & Dalton, Timothy & Nakelse, Tebila & Acharya, Ram N & Blayney, Don, 2021. "From coupon to calories: Assessing input coupon impact on household food calories production," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 22(C).
    7. Tossou, Dagbegnon A. & Baylis, Kathy, 2018. "Does Flexibility in Agricultural Input Subsidy Programs Improve Smallholder Crop Yields and Household Food Security? Evidence from Zambia," 2018 Annual Meeting, August 5-7, Washington, D.C. 274243, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    8. Mwale, Martin & Smith, Anja & von Fintel, Dieter, 2022. "Child nutrition and farm input subsidies: The complementary role of early healthcare and nutrition programs in Malawi," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    9. Skjeflo , Sofie Waage & Holden , Stein, 2014. "Economy-wide effects of input subsidies in Malawi: Market imperfections and household heterogeneity," CLTS Working Papers 7/14, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Centre for Land Tenure Studies, revised 10 Oct 2019.
    10. Raymond Boadi Frempong, 2023. "Do subsidies on seed and fertilizer lead to child labour? Evidence from Malawi," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 41(2), March.
    11. Tebogo B. Seleka, 2022. "Old wine in a new bottle? Impact of the ISPAAD input subsidy program on the subsistence economy in Botswana," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(1), pages 298-322, February.
    12. Mason, Nicole & Tembo, Solomon, 2015. "Do input Subsidies Reduce Poverty among Smallholder Farm Households? Panel Survey Evidence from Zambia," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 212233, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    13. Nicole M. Mason & Ayala Wineman & Solomon T. Tembo, 2020. "Reducing poverty by ‘ignoring the experts’? Evidence on input subsidies in Zambia," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 12(5), pages 1157-1172, October.
    14. Mwale, Martin Limbikani, 2023. "Do agricultural subsidies matter for women’s attitude towards intimate partner violence? Evidence from Malawi," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    15. Mason, Nicole M. & Tembo, Solomon T., 2014. "Do input subsidies reduce poverty among smallholder farm households? Evidence from Zambia," 2014 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2014, Minneapolis, Minnesota 170617, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    16. Houssou, Nazaire & Andam, Kwaw S. & Collins, Asante-Addo, 2017. "Can better targeting improve the effectiveness of Ghana's Fertilizer Subsidy Program? Lessons from Ghana and other countries in Africa south of the Sahara," IFPRI discussion papers 1605, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    17. Holden, Stein T., 2018. "The Economics of Fertilizer Subsidies," CLTS Working Papers 9/18, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Centre for Land Tenure Studies, revised 16 Oct 2019.
    18. Mwale, Martin Limbikani, 2022. "Unintended consequences of farm input subsidies: women’s contraceptive usage and knock-on effects on children," MPRA Paper 112689, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Dionne, Kim Yi & Horowitz, Jeremy, 2016. "The Political Effects of Agricultural Subsidies in Africa: Evidence from Malawi," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 215-226.
    20. R. Wendy Karamba & Paul C. Winters, 2015. "Gender and agricultural productivity: implications of the Farm Input Subsidy Program in Malawi," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 46(3), pages 357-374, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:ssefpa:v:15:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1007_s12571-022-01315-7. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.