As A Result Of Fair Trade Malawi Now Has A Growing Economy

By Leonor Rivera


Malawi is in the southeastern part of Africa. It is among the least developed countries on the planet. It's economy is mostly agricultural and the majority of the population live in the countryside. It is very dependent on aid from foreign countries. Malawi's prospects have improved a bit because the economy has grown over the last five years. There is a long way to go, but because of fair trade Malawi now has more farmers with access to new trading partners which has helped them make a decent living.

Many farmers though, still lack the resources, technical skills and output to consistently grow their income. Also, their access to markets is still erratic. The education of children is at risk, their health is too. The farmers need ongoing support in order to create a sustainable agricultural economy.

The farmers need to build firm connections with customers and get entry into new markets. The farms need to be better business operations if they are to grow. Quite a few companies from the United Kingdom have made connections with farmers in Malawi and the volume of trade has increased as a consequence.

Sugar farmers have been helped by gaining easier access to water and electricity. Their farms have also been made more secure and they have been given resources to build their own houses. Literacy rates have been improved, and this education makes the farmers more independent.

A lot of people believe that not enough help is being offered to struggling farmers. Recently, British Prime Minster, David Cameron, was asked to influence the G8 summit to place the farmers at the forefront of global policy making. The summit took place in Northern Ireland and the results are yet to be published.

British school children started a project to assist struggling farmers in under developed countries. Some schools have opened stores selling products which were bought from the farmers. These projects also make children more conscious of the plight of less developed countries. Some schools connect these international problems to other subjects such as history.

Malawi's international trade summit was held in 2013. It is organised by the chamber of commerce. The summit was located in Blantyre. Many foreign companies took part, from countries like India, Kenya and Pakistan. The summit held several trade workshops and business meetings. Business owners were able to network with each other as well.

Even though progress has been made due to fair trade Malawi still has a long way to go. The farmers are among the poorest in the world and face a daily struggle to survive. Despite providing so much of the world's food, they still struggle to provide for themselves. Finance is difficult to get, and consequently it is difficult to replace broken machinery or tools. Also, levels of health care still need to be improved, as do levels of education. The social situation of many communities is still dire. Many people who live in rich, western countries get their food from farmers in under developed countries, so it is important to make the farms sustainable.




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