• March 29, 2024

Special Report: Diversifying Malawi’s Economy

 Special Report: Diversifying Malawi’s Economy

Image: Taco Tuinstra

Photo: Taco Tuinstra

Depending on the season and on who you ask, tobacco accounts for between 40 and 70 percent of Malawi’s export earnings.

In a good season, the golden leaf generates a relative level of wealth in the countryside and earns the nation much-needed foreign currency to import the products and services it cannot produce at home.

In a bad season, there will be poverty in the villages.

Read our special report to learn how Malawi is diversifying to make its economy more resilient and prepare for a future with less tobacco.

Back to Normal

Following a record low harvest in 2022, Malawi has produced a more typical crop this season.

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The nation has been struggling with dwindling foreign currency reserves due in part to declining revenue from tobacco exports.