Reflections on the G-7 New Alliance Partnership: Value Added Lessons, the Malawi Case

Abstract

The G-7 returns to Camp David, in June 2020 where the the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition partnership was born in 2012 at the back of global food price crisis. The New Alliance partnership presented a novel approach to tackling the persistent problem of food security and nutrition in the Sub Saharan Africa region. Among other things, the partnership enabled the participation of private sector investment in the cause to achieve food and nutrition security. The participating 10 African countries in the partnership have varied experiences depending on country situational landscape, since joining the compact. One common denominator is the fact that the initiative was able to bring together key stakeholders including the private sector. Further, the partnership enabled acceleration of policy reform process, which ordinarily is slow and protracted. This piece presents an account of Malawi as a participating country in the partnership. It presents key lessons, which could be used to perfect the partnership or in future initiatives. The New Alliance partnership has withered away from the policy dialogue,so much that as the G-7 sits again in June 2020, it is not certain if the initiative's evaluation or performance, would make it to the agenda. However, policymakers and stakeholders need not ‘throw away the baby, alongside with bath water’ as the African saying goes. The future of development cooperation and partnerships may just belong to such maverick initiatives. Through the account of Malawi’s experience as a participating country, a reflection is worthwhile in this piece.