The Right to Food Coalition, a collaborative network comprising civil society organizations, networks, and individual experts in Food and Nutrition Security (FNS) operating in Malawi, was established in 2021. Its primary objective is to enhance the coordination among food system stakeholders and to create participatory mechanisms for monitoring, feedback, and accountability regarding the execution of food and nutrition programs.
Recently, CISANET, which serves as the coalition’s secretariat, organized a meeting to present a joint report on the status of the right to food in Malawi. This report aims to inform the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) processes in Malawi and is part of ongoing advocacy efforts to promote the realization of the Right to Food within the country. This initiative aligns with the role of civil society in ensuring that every individual in Malawi fully enjoys the right to food, a fundamental principle acknowledged by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). 
The report was generated through a consultative process that involved coalition members, rights holders, and key stakeholders in the food and nutrition sector at both national and district levels. The meeting also provided a forum for members to assess recommendations made by various countries in reports submitted between in 2020. Notable recommendations included intensifying efforts to combat poverty and hunger, improving access to agricultural resources, technologies, and markets, and enhancing the implementation of programs aimed at eradicating acute malnutrition. The report underscored significant challenges encountered in implementing these recommendations, which hinder progress in addressing food security issues globally. In Malawi’s context, the mismanagement of the Agricultural Input Program (AIP), characterized by poor timing and ineffective beneficiary identification, has notably undermined efforts to combat hunger.
The meeting served as a vital forum for in-depth discussions regarding food security, land policies, agricultural challenges, and the involvement of various stakeholders. Several recommendations emerged, including the necessity for increased government engagement in such discussions to facilitate effective policy implementation and bolstering awareness initiatives related to land rights and food diversification. The review of the 2002 Land Policy was also highlighted as essential to address food security issues, alongside the urgent need to enact the Food and Nutrition Bill. The coalition believes that this legislation will establish safety nets to alleviate hunger and urges the government to foster the development and execution of pertinent policies and programs that align with the voluntary guidelines on the right to food.