Norwegian Minister, IFAD President to visit Malawi in wake of storms to discuss climate resilience and hunger

Norwegian Minister Anne Beathe Tvinnereim

* Malawian farmers are still reeling from Tropical Cyclone Ana and other storms that followed

* They are expected to meet President Chakwera; Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Finance

* Extreme weather events have increased globally and have recently wreaked destruction in Malawi

* And it is the small-scale farmers who are feeling the brunt of it — Houngbo

By Duncan Mlanjira

Norway’s Minister of International Development, Anne Beathe Tvinnereim — in the company of  UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) President, Gilbert F. Houngbo — will visit Malawi from Monday, February 27 in the wake of storms to discuss climate resilience and hunger.

A statement from Rome issued by IFAD today, February 25, says the trip was necessitated as Malawian farmers are still reeling from Tropical Cyclone Ana and other storms that followed that devastated crops and livelihoods in recent weeks.

The statement from Jens Christian Boysen in the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Communication Unit, says Tvinnereim and Houngbo are expected to meet the country’s leadership and small-scale farmers to discuss the impacts of climate change, and ways to build resilience.

Ahead of the visit, Houngbo is quoted as saying: “Extreme weather events have increased globally and have recently wreaked destruction in Malawi — and it is the small-scale farmers who are feeling the brunt of it.

“My urgent call is to step up investments in adaptation and resilience to ensure that climate change does not deepen hunger and poverty.”

While Tvinnereim said: “Food security is a main priority in Norway’s development policy because it is essential to fight inequality, poverty and hunger.

“IFAD’s projects and programmes enable small-scale farmers and fishermen to produce enough, safe and healthy food in climate-smart ways. Therefore, I am looking forward to a joint field visit with President Gilbert Houngbo to IFAD projects in Malawi.

“Norway will strengthen our partnership with IFAD and will top-up our core contribution significantly for 2022-24.”

During the three-day visit, Tvinnereim and Houngbo are expected to  meet with President Lazarus Chakwera; Minister of Agriculture, Lobin Lowe and the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Sosten Gwengwe — to discuss investments in climate change resilience to achieve zero hunger and poverty targets in the country by 2030.

The statement said the two will then travel to an IFAD-supported project to discuss the challenges of climate change and CoVID-19 directly with small-scale farmers, particularly women, to see how targeted investments have built their resilience and boosted their food security, nutrition and gender equality.

They are also expected meet Rudolf Schwenk, the UN acting Resident Coordinator; the UN country team; development partners and farmers’ organizations representatives working in Malawi.

IFAD refers Malawi as a relatively small country with an estimated population of about 19 million people, 83% of whom live in rural areas.

“Agriculture remains the backbone of the economy, accounting for almost a quarter of Malawi’s GDP. However, many small-scale farmers battle to earn a decent living, with 70% of the country’s population living below the poverty line of US$1.90 per day.

“With improved processing technologies and farming methods, small-scale farmers can feed a growing population while restoring degraded ecosystems and reducing agriculture’s carbon footprint.

“When they have access to weather forecasting information and disaster preparedness, they are more resilient to severe climate events, such as the tropical storms that resulted in a declaration of a state of emergency in the country last month.

“This requires increased investments in small-scale farmers, who are often the poorest and most marginalized rural people.”

The statement added that since 1981, IFAD has financed 14 rural development programmes and projects in Malawi at a total cost of $653.67 million, with an IFAD investment of US$ 350.48 million.

“This has directly benefited more than 2 million rural households.

This requires increased investments in small-scale farmers, who are often the poorest and most marginalized rural people.

As soon as Tropical Cyclone Ana destroyed infrastructure for Electricity Generation Company (EGENCO) at Kapichira Hydro Power Station in Chikwawa, Minister of Energy, Ibrahim Matola visited the site where he said storms keep recurring because one of the factors that contribute is environmental degradation along the tributary rivers of the Shire.

As a long term solution, the Minister said there is a need to partner with communities along the Shire’s tributary rivers such as Rivi Rivi, Lisungwi, Mkulumadzi and others — whose River banks are bare of trees due to wanton cutting of trees with replacing them.

Minister of Agriculture Lobin Lowe also stressed on the need to sensitise the public much more on replacing trees, saying the environmental degradation — that result in storms and most times drought — is a huge factor.

Lowe reiterated that there is need to protect the environment in order for farmers to have good rains for cropping, thus the coming in of IFAD, which invests in rural people, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security, improve nutrition and strengthen resilience.

Since 1978, IFAD has provided US$23.2 billion in grants and low-interest loans to projects that have reached an estimated 518 million people.

IFAD is an international financial institution and a United Nations specialized agency based in Rome — the United Nations food and agriculture hub.