What we do / Food safety / IMAGRI: food safety in Malawi, from national policy to the factory floor
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IMAGRI: food safety in Malawi, from national policy to the factory floor
IMAGRI, the Ireland Malawi Agri-food Systems Programme, is funded by the Embassy of Ireland in Malawi and runs from 2025 to 2029. It works with government, businesses and researchers to make Malawi's food safer. We lead its work with enterprises, and work with Sustainable Food Systems Ireland and the MwAPATA Institute.
Where it started
With shoppers. Before we worked with a single company, we asked how people in Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu think about food safety, in focus groups and with retailers. That told us what a safer product would be worth to them, and where the risks sit. You can read the study in our example studies.
Three parts that work together
Food safety systems
Working with government on food safety laws, harmonised inspections and coordination, so a processor meets one clear standard and not several.
Food systems support
Coordination, research and learning. A research and innovation platform funds Malawian research groups to solve practical food safety problems.
Enterprise development
Personalised pathways for food businesses, so the standard is met on the factory floor. This is our part of the programme.
What happens in a company
More than 100 businesses applied. We chose 20 frontrunners for the first cohort: businesses that supply, or are preparing to supply, supermarkets, hotels and export buyers, and plan to grow within two years. Each gets a diagnosis and roadmap, one-to-one help with the priority changes, and training so the team can keep improving. The companies commit their own time and money; IMAGRI gives no grants.
We also built tools for the programme, including a financial management manual and a Food Safety Risk Finder that helps a company build its own risk register. We ran a World Food Safety Day campaign and a food safety clinic at a field day in Chikwawa.
Where it stands
The first cohort started in May 2026, so results are still early. We will report them as the companies progress. A further 75 companies are planned to receive coaching on a single issue, so the lessons reach beyond the first 20.
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