Malawi is facing growing pressure to rethink its fertiliser-dependent agricultural model as climate change and environmental degradation worsen. During a recent regional agroecology meeting in Lilongwe, government officials, researchers and advocates warned that declining crop yields and recurring food insecurity expose severe weaknesses in the farming sector, Nation Online reports. Ministry of Agriculture officials noted that weak fertiliser efficiency and rising input costs require an urgent shift toward more sustainable food systems to protect the country's long-term agricultural output.
In other environmental news, large quantities of obsolete agricultural chemicals are piling up across Malawi due to the lack of a safe disposal facility, according to Nation Online. Addressing the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture and Irrigation, Pesticides Control Board chairperson Dr. Victor Madhlopa stated that some stored chemicals date back two decades and cannot be destroyed locally. Because Malawi lacks an incinerator meeting international scientific standards, authorities must store the highly toxic materials. Madhlopa noted that the board is currently preparing a budget to send the chemical stockpile abroad for safe destruction, though funding constraints remain a significant hurdle.