committed to halving its number of chronically undernourished people by 2015. To achieve this
goal, the Malawian Government enacted a number of policies, such as free distribution of
agricultural inputs and fertilizer subsidy programs. However, progresses toward reducing food
insecurity have been rather mixed. Food scarcity and hunger remain a challenge in the country
due to a combination of factors, including high population growth, small land size, substituting
tobacco for maize production, recurring floods and drought, as well as poor targeting of
development policies (Dorward et al., 2004; Harington, 2003; Quinn et al., 1990). Recent
estimates suggest that 50 percent of the Malawian population runs out of food four to six months
before harvest and 40 percent are unable to satisfy their basic calorific needs (UNDP, 2001).
Therefore, this study assesses the determinants of food security and the local perceptions of
targeted food policies in Malawi. The research seeks to achieve the following objectives: i)
identify the determinants of household food security, ii) assess the performances of Starter Pack
for fighting food insecurity, and iii) review household perceptions on targeted food policies.