Food security in Malawi is generally equated with adequate maize production as the country’s main staple crop
accounts for more than 60 percent of total food consumption. Malawi has a long history of subsidizing agricultural
inputs, either as a general policy to ensure national-level food security or as a response to poor harvests.
As such, agricultural input subsidies targeted specifically at maize production for food self-sufficiency are a key
element in the Agricultural Sector Wide Approach (ASWAp), the agricultural development framework for the government
of Malawi. Since 2005, the government has implemented the Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP), which has
been widely credited for bringing about macro-level food security in Malawi. In recent years, however, the program
has come under scrutiny amid concerns about its financial sustainability and continued food security concerns at
local level. This article explores the budget allocation, maize yield response, and food security outcomes of the FISP
over its implementation period.