Malawi hunger solved with subsidies, not food aid

Barry Murphy — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 20:56:41 GMT

I'm happy for these farmers, this country. I hope they are able to sustain it. If they are able to sustain it I hope they can survive the results of their success which will be an expansion of their population. Studies have shown an increase in food supply in third world contries results in a corresponding increase in population down the road. I hope the government will prepare for that eventuality so it doesn't turn out to be a negative.

Malawi hunger solved with subsidies, not food aid

Josh, Lansing, USA — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 20:58:29 GMT

A new report I saw recently shows a different picture. Malawi, despite subsidies, has food deficits. But international donors want to justify their aid dollars as "effective" by touting any small gains as "great". What is needed in most of these African countries is political reform or change--Obama style

Malawi hunger solved with subsidies, not food aid

Maria Addison, IL — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:00:26 GMT

This is the best story that I have read in a long time, Congratulations to their goverment. The first thing that needs to be done with a country like this is to feed their hungry people, but most important to teach them how to take care of themselves. These people are very wise, they just need an oportunity!

Malawi hunger solved with subsidies, not food aid

Justine Reisner, Orange County, CA — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:17:51 GMT

The Malawian government should be applauded for investing in their own people & empowering their citizens. It was a big gamble but they followed their conscience and it paid off. Other countries need to look at this and follow their lead. Thank you for sharing such a positive story.

Malawi hunger solved with subsidies, not food aid

Tyler T, Camden, NJ — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:38:03 GMT

What a hopeful story! I hope more and more people realize that African people have the ability and desire to get out of poverty when given the means to do so. It's not a surprise that an 'African' idea, rather than traditional Western belief, was what was able to rescue the country!

Malawi hunger solved with subsidies, not food aid

Grateful Reader — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:40:50 GMT

Wonderful story, thank you. What does it say about a woman, that in her surplus, in addition to feeding her family, she takes in orphans? We have a lot to learn from Africa.

Malawi hunger solved with subsidies, not food aid

TClose — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 00:03:49 GMT

This is indeed a great story, as others have noted. But the increase in population of this small family ("there are now 12 hungry mouths to feed") if duplicated across this impoverished nation will in the future lead to an increase in Malawi's population that will inevitably be beyond the capacity of the country's agriculture. It is a shameful fact that America's foreign aid does not include adequate support for family planning for Malawi and so many other less developed nations where the population increase threatens to wipe out the economic and cultural development that has been gained. Hopefully the Obama administration will correct this.

Malawi hunger solved with subsidies, not food aid

T. Welch, Marble Falls, AR — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 00:10:03 GMT

WOW! This is awesome! Way to go Malawi! Maybe we should take another look at the way we aid other countries. Not cut it off, obviously, but develop a model to follow based on this.
Unfortunately the U.S., other nations, and organizations, aid countries like Malawi not out of good will, but for strategic reasons. If a country is "hooked" on our aid, we can better dictate their policies. I think this is the reason the different entities advised against Malawi doing this. Again I say, "Bravo!"

Malawi hunger solved with subsidies, not food aid

James Parrish, Clifton, Texas. — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 00:11:36 GMT

I would like to know who, in the United States, advised against the Malawi government taking this action. No Thanksgiving Dinner for these Advisors!

It really is a shame we don't know who did this. Especially if it is an elected official. No wonder the world has a negative opinion of our Country.

Malawi hunger solved with subsidies, not food aid

E Smith , Nashville, TN. — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 00:15:12 GMT

I sponsor a child in Malawi through World Vision. It was heartwarming to see this report. Most of the money I donate goes to her education and feeding her family. Helping the people of Africa to grow food for
their families is a great idea. My father was a missionary doctor. He always said "each drop in the bucket eventually fills(the bucket)with water".
Thank you.

Malawi hunger solved with subsidies, not food aid

Tom D - San Diego — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 00:31:40 GMT

This story is inspiring. The Malawian government is to be applauded for looking out for their people. I feel sad for the starving people of North Korea and their dictator is only looking out for himself and his comrades. We can all learn from this positive story.

Malawi hunger solved with subsidies, not food aid

ted carlson, aurora, co — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 01:01:39 GMT

Brian, I just watched the news tonight. Wonderful story on Malawi. I was struck by two thoughts:

Where were the men? Your piece showed only women except for the man from the government agency?

It was interesting to see that we in the west got it wrong about the impact of this program on their country.

Thanks to you and your team's efforts.

Ted

Malawi hunger solved with subsidies, not food aid

Beatrice Brown, Richmond Hill, GA. — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 01:45:26 GMT

What an inspiring story! Thank you NBC. As an African American, it was great to see a government in Africa taking the lead on finding solutions for its people. The world can take a lesson from Malawi.

Malawi hunger solved with subsidies, not food aid

Betty Jackson — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 02:12:30 GMT

The story of these people and their goverment figuring out how to help themselves is wonderful, and they did it without help from the US.
It is so sad when you see little children starving and dying because of no food. Now they have a chance
for life to be much better.

Malawi hunger solved with subsidies, not food aid

James Gray — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 03:14:42 GMT

I saw this story on NBC Nightly News, and unlike other reported events, this really caused me sit up and take notice. My first question was “ What world organizations had advised the Malawi Govt. that empowering their people was a bad idea? Second question, “why did they believe this approach would not prove beneficial”, and third question, “Why am I having to ask these questions?”. A little google here, a google there, and viola! I found this webpage.
I would like to see more on these unanswered questions. Why would the World Bank, the European Union, and the United States be against such a powerful idea? How about some actual names, what are these people doing now. Could it be this type of reasoning, (if you can call it that), has the U.S and the rest of the world in the financial crisis we’re currently under.? ………. But maybe it’s the same ole story…….. geed, greed, greed.

Malawi hunger solved with subsidies, not food aid

Steve Webster, Chehalis, Washington — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 03:54:26 GMT

"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he will eat forever". That is an old, old adage -- hardly a "new model" as proposed in the closing remarks of this story. Imagine, growing your own food, rather than begging the world to feed you. What a concept.

Malawi hunger solved with subsidies, not food aid

Chifundo, Blantyre, Malawi — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 05:12:48 GMT

Am a Malawian and Kasungu is my home district,i find your story a total lie as regards to your saying that there was hunger in Malawi in 2005, that's a total lie my friend. The only time there was hunger in Malawi was in 2001 during the administration of Dr Bakili Muluzi and since the coming in of His Excellency Ngwazi Dr Bingu Wa Munthalika we have never experiennce hunger in Malawi except for areas where there was some sort of disaster like floods and drought. And in the said year 2001 we had hunger because the then president Dr Bakili Muluzi's administration sold the grain to other contries for their selfish reasons.

Malawi hunger solved with subsidies, not food aid

who cares? — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 05:15:48 GMT

GMO seeds? Petro based fertilizer?

Yeah, they're 'independent' alright... more like dependent on new world order technology.

What a sad state of affairs. Things like this wouldn't happen if the IMF wouldn't loan these countries into oblivion.

But what do I know, I'm just a dumb American.

Malawi hunger solved with subsidies, not food aid

Valerie , Anchorage, AK — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 06:43:07 GMT

Tonight's story on Malawian agriculture was such an inspiration that I had to email my Economic Development Professor this evening and ask to change my topic for an upcoming paper. This story really supports the idea that basic health is truly an economic building block for developing countries, often times rather than the other way around. Not only has this given the Malawian people much needed nutrition for mere survival, it has given then the hope and belief in their nation and in themselves so very necessary for future prosperity. Thank you so much for this wonderful story!

Malawi hunger solved with subsidies, not food aid

E. Walker, Rochester New York — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 13:05:25 GMT

This is what African chiefs have done for centuries before colonalism. They are judge by how well they serve their people. This is what was shown in the Lion King and why so many of us Afican Americans were reminded that this is not our culture. Western capitalism only benefits the top westerners. All crops go to seed. They are free in nature. So why did these poor people have to buy them?

Malawi hunger solved with subsidies, not food aid

S. Johnson, Oregon/Kapoka Village Chitipa District — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 15:25:41 GMT

Media Propaganda…
There is no success story here, the people of Malawi are still suffering from a corrupted government and foreign donors who are only helping themselves in keeping a job supplying non sustainable methods afloat.

“In 2002 and again in 2005, the country was hit by bouts of severe drought which culminated in catastrophic food shortages and deadly hunger.”- Yes, there was a food shortage in areas of Malawi, but the shortage of food wasn’t the problem. The high price of staple foods (corn to make “nsigma”) was the driving force of starvation. “The government was forced to import expensive corn” which intern flooded the local corn market and forced the local farmers to sell their crop way below the cost it took to grow it. The foreign aid and local government should have bought the available corn in the country and distributed it instead of foreign corn. And death wasn’t from only lack of food but from weak sick people with diseases, report all the facts!

“…the Malawian government launched a bold and costly program which aimed to rid the country of the vicious cycle of drought and hunger.”- If the Malawian government can control a vicious cycle of drought with money they should come to CA to help with the vicious fires of Southern CA. They must have far more superior weather machines than the USA.

“…the fertilizers and seeds were required for a more productive and resilient crop”- Hybrid seeds in a soil condition that cant even sustain organic life is not the fix, it’s a way to sell seeds and fertilizers from large corporations in the Western Worlds. Look up the definition of “self-sustainable farming”, I am sure it doesn’t say anything about hybrid seeds and fertilizers. This is a crop that can not produce a seed bank for the following year of planting, how is that sustainable? Most farmers go into debit buying the required seeds and or fertilizers that the government is forcing them to grow. The answer isn’t a quick fix pill as we Americans think fixes all things, it is traditional farming techniques that have been lost by the influence of first world technologies. We, Americans can’t stomach this because we are to blame for the loss of traditions and the fix would take years. So we then perpetuate the problem by destroying the soils of third World countries with foreign chemicals and ideologies.

I speak from first hand because I lived in Malawi 2004 to 2006 and saw what was happening in the small villages. I was apart of the foreign aid team ( if you want to classify Peace Corps as that, I don’t…PCV’s are just good will ambassadors for the USA) trying to solve the problems of this country and came to the conclusion we can’t. They have to do if for themselves with out the help of countries that cant even do things right in their own countries.

Malawi hunger solved with subsidies, not food aid

Happy Reader.London — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 12:50:45 GMT

That shows that Bingu Wa Mutharika is simply a Good Leader who is in touch with his people than his predecesor who failed his nation by making it more poor for 10years and himself very rich.

Malawi hunger solved with subsidies, not food aid

Charles C Studstill, Winder, GA., USA — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 02:39:02 GMT

This is not an invasion but a mission of love. They carried food and not guns. They went to save the children, not kill them. This reminds us of Jesus' great commission, "Go ye into the world and tell them...."

Malawi hunger solved with subsidies, not food aid

Jerred Pauwels, Bettendorf, IA — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:08:02 GMT

NBC probably doesn't realize its endorsement of supply side economics in this story, where the government increases the flow of capital to production in the economy. These subsidies to the farmers work just the same as a tax cut that leaves funds in the hands of the private sector to be invested in production. Contrast that with the failed Keynsian policy of food aid, e.g. subsidizing consumption. Perhaps one day policymakers will learn than consuming doesn't create wealth, producing things of value does. Meanwhile the US contemplates more foolish "stimulus" for people to buy plasma TV's to save us from ourselves . . .

Politics aside, wonderful story. Very uplifting to see enlighted government policy and people being given a chance to stand on their own two feet with dignity.

Malawi hunger solved with subsidies, not food aid

Thuku Kariuki, Nairobi, Kenya — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 11:48:11 GMT

This is so good i celebrate this great country that can no longer die of hunger simply because they love themselves. let the government make sure that this is maintained. Coutries like kenya should emurate them so as to make sure they move out of the valley of hunger.