Healthy diets should not be a luxury

For decades, Malawi has measured food security with a simple question: Is there enough maize? It is an understandable priority in a country where maize is the staple food and poor harvests often trigger national emergencies. But the latest report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) suggests that we need to broaden that question.

Food security and nutrition security are not the same thing. A country can produce enough maize while millions remain unable to afford the foods they need to live healthy and productive lives. According to the report, the daily cost of a healthy diet in Malawi more than doubled between 2017 and 2025, rising from $2.38 (about K4 167) to $5.01 (about K8 772) per person.

That translates to about K263 000 a month for one person to consume a balanced diet containing adequate carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals. The figures become even more concerning when compared with neighbouring countries. Malawi’s healthy diet now costs more than those in Zambia, Mozambique and Tanzania, making it one of the most expensive countries in the region in which to eat healthily.

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Unfortunately, most Malawians simply cannot afford it. According to the World Bank, about three-quarters of the population survive on less than $3 (about K5 253) a day, while more than 70 percent live on less than $2.15 (about K3 765) a day. Against that reality, expecting households to consistently spend more than K260 000 every month on nutritious food is unrealistic.

This explains why FAO concludes that healthy diets remain economically out of reach for large sections of the population. The consequences extend well beyond hunger. Poor nutrition weakens children’s development, reduces labour productivity, increases healthcare costs and ultimately slows economic growth.

Cheap calories often become expensive healthcare. The findings also expose an uncomfortable truth about Malawi’s agricultural policy. For years, public investment has understandably focused on maize production.

Yet the report demonstrates that maize is not what makes healthy diets expensive. Starchy staples provide roughly half the calories in a healthy diet but account for only a small share of its total cost. The real cost drivers are animal-source foods, fruits and vegetables, which together account for almost 70 percent of the cost of a healthy diet.

The Farmers Union of Malawi argues that insufficient investment in livestock, fruits, vegetables, legumes and fish has constrained supply and pushed prices beyond the reach of many households. Similarly, the Centre for Agricultural Research and Development says Malawi continues to equate food security with maize production while neglecting other equally important sources of nutrition. Diversification, therefore, is not merely desirable, it is becoming an economic necessity. However, producing more nutritious food alone will not solve the problem.

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