Sorghum and household food security in Malawi's lower shire valley: Evidence from a six-pillar food security framework

Abstract

This study examines the contribution of Sorghum bicolor L . to household food security in Malawi's Lower Shire Valley, a drought- and flood-prone region marked by socio-economic vulnerabilities. Despite being the world's fifth most important cereal and well-adapted to semi-arid conditions, sorghum remains neglected in Malawi's maize-dominated agricultural policy. Framed within the six-pillar conceptualization of food security, encompassing availability, access, utilization, stability, agency, and sustainability, the study situates sorghum's role within a broader understanding of resilient and inclusive food systems. A mixed-methods approach combining household surveys (n = 421), key informant interviews (KIIs, n = 20), and focus group discussions (FGDs, n = 8) was deployed across six Extension Planning Areas (EPAs) in Chikwawa and Nsanje districts. Binary logistic regression models were fitted separately for each pillar; model fit was confirmed via Hosmer–Lemeshow tests and Nagelkerke R² statistics. Regression analysis showed that sorghum production significantly improved food availability and access: households where sorghum contributed at least half of the food basket were over three times more likely to report sufficient food access (OR = 3.0–3.4, p < 0.01). Land size, education, and use of improved seed enhanced food resilience, while female-headed households faced greater barriers. Qualitative evidence revealed that sorghum's buffering potential is constrained by poor seed quality, drought impacts, storage losses, and weak market and policy support. Sorghum has substantial potential to strengthen household resilience against chronic and transitory food insecurity in Malawi's drought-prone zones but requires policy realignment to integrate neglected and underutilized crops into national food security strategies, improved market and extension support, and sustainable, climate-resilient food systems.