Editing Economy of Malawi (section)

==International support==
Malawi has undertaken economic [[structural adjustment]] programs supported by the [[World Bank]] (IBRD), the [[International Monetary Fund]] (IMF), and other donors since 1981. Broad reform objectives include stimulation of private sector activity and participation through the elimination of price controls and industrial licensing, liberalization of trade and foreign exchange, rationalization of taxes, privatization of state-owned enterprises, and civil service reform. Malawi qualified for [[Heavily Indebted Poor Country]] (HIPC) debt relief and is in the process of refining its poverty reduction strategy.

Malawi has bilateral trade agreements with its two major trading partners, [[South Africa]] and [[Zimbabwe]], both of which allow duty-free entry of Malawian products into their countries. The government faces challenges such as the improvement of Malawi's educational and health facilities — particularly important because of the rising{{when|date=December 2023}} rates of HIV/AIDS — and environmental problems including deforestation, erosion, and overworked soils.{{fact|date=December 2023}}
[[File:Bingu Wa Mutharika - World Economic Forum on Africa 2008.jpg|thumb|240px|Former President [[Bingu wa Mutharika]] of Malawi spoke about the country's recent unilateral agricultural reforms at the [[World Economic Forum]] on Africa at the [[United Nations]], September 2008.]]

===Move towards economic independence===
In 2006, in response to disastrously low agricultural harvests, Malawi, through an initiative by the late President [[Bingu Mutharika]], an economist by profession, began a program of [[fertilizer]] subsidies that were designed to re-energize the land and boost crop production. It has been reported that this program, championed by the country's president, is radically improving Malawi's agriculture, and causing Malawi to become a net exporter of food to nearby countries.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Dugger, Celia W.|title=Ending Famine, Simply by Ignoring the multilateral organisation 'Experts'|date=December 2, 2007|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/02/world/africa/02malawi.html|access-date=2008-08-05}}</ref>

Economic grievances though took a downward slide during Mutharika's second term. Economic grievances were a catalyst that resulted in the [[2011 Malawian protests|2011 economic protests in Malawi in July]].