Ireland Malawi Agri-food Systems Programme – IMAGRIBuilding Enterprise Capability for Safer Food in Malawi
What We Did
Results
Why It Matters
What We Did
- Designed and delivered an Enterprise Food Safety Academy, translating Malawi Standard MS 21 and Codex principles into practical, step-by-step actions for food processors.
- Provided hands-on training, audits, and coaching, grounded in real factory conditions and management decision-making.
- Tested flexible delivery models (in-person, online, and blended) to reach enterprises with different levels of digital access and readiness.
- Identified shared processing facilities and pilot plants (SMEDI and university facilities) as transitional solutions for enterprises moving from informal to formal markets.
Results
- 21 food enterprises trained, building foundational food safety and operational capability.
- 15 enterprises completed structured gap audits and coaching, replacing self-assessed compliance with evidence-based improvement plans.
- Enterprises demonstrated stronger inspection readiness, clearer regulatory understanding, and improved internal food safety systems.
- Critically, Sense designed the IMAGRI Enterprise Support Programme, a structured, scalable model for enterprise food safety and business support, scheduled for launch in Q1 2026.
Why It Matters
- Scaling agri-processing in Africa requires more than infrastructure—it depends on enterprises that can meet standards, manage risk, and compete.
- Food safety is one of the biggest bottlenecks to scale; Sense’s approach turns it into a growth enabler rather than a constraint.
- The IMAGRI Enterprise Support Programme provides a replicable, system-embedded model for upgrading small and medium processors—unlocking formal markets, finance, and job creation.
- By focusing on enterprise capability, Sense helps build agri-processing sectors that can scale sustainably across African markets, not just succeed in pilot projects.
