Malawi VP Chilima Drafted in World Council to end hunger alongside Europe’s top experts

Malawi’s Vice President Saulos Chilima has been appointed in an international council working around the clock to eliminate hunger in countries across the world.

The Leadership Council of Compact 2025 is under the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) based in Washington DC, USA.

The council to be launched in November in the USA, has top name members in the likes of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn of Ethiopia; Kanayo Nwanze, President of IFAD; Ertharin Cousin, Executive Director of WFP; Neven Mimica, European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development; Rhoda Peace Tumusiime, African Union Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture; M. S. Swaminathan, World Food Prize Laureate; and Kathy Spahn, CEO of Helen Keller International.

Among other strategies, the council reduces hunger and malnutrition by increasing the ability of farming households to produce and access nutritious foods by lowering food prices for poor consumers and by raising demand for rural labour.

Chilima’s spokesperson Pilirani Phiri confirmed of the appointment, saying the VP was grateful to President Arthur Peter Mutharika for blessing the appointment and congratulating his deputy.

“The appointment is a positive development for the country especially now that we are facing looming hunger. The council believes that hunger is not only a moral obligation but also an economic one. It also believes that ending hunger is accomplishable just like Brazil, China, Thailand and Vietnam have done in less than 15 years,” said Phiri.

To achieve results, members serve as global champions for ending hunger and undernutrition, provide guidance, share success stories and raise awareness because the centre believes that ending hunger is not only a moral obligation but also an economic one.

In February 2015, President Mutharika also appointed Chilima to be the country’s champion for the Construction Sector Transparency CoST to help fight corruption in government funded projects.