The Egg Hub Model: A Sustainable and Replicable Approach to Address Food Security and Improve Livelihoods

Abstract

Background: Despite progress in improving living standards and reduced poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition remain a significant issue worldwide. Childhood is a critical time for the intake of protein to support physical and cognitive growth, including animal-source foods like eggs which can effectively mitigate stunting in low- and middle-income countries. In Malawi, high malnutrition rates among women and children represent a significant public health challenge, but high-quality sources such as eggs remain costly, scarce, and rarely consumed by children in Malawi. The Egg Hub model, identified and piloted by local agri-food entrepreneurs and the Sight and Life Foundation in Malawi, tackles the obstacles faced by smallholder farmers, working to increase egg production, enhance availability, and improve consumption within rural communities by supporting small-scale farmers transition from unsustainable and unproductive backyard rearing to small-scale farm through access to high-quality inputs, training, loans, and a guaranteed market for their eggs. Objectives: This paper provides a detailed account of the implementation of the pilot of the Egg Hub Model in Malawi including the demand creation process, the impact of the model on producers, consumers, and operators, and the social, economic, and environmental sustainability aspects of the model. Methods: Qualitative and quantitative surveys (n = 217 consumers) were used for demand creation and qualitative surveys were used with 15 retailers to determine egg sales. With 16 farmers and the egg hub operator, business metrics, including profits and loss records, were analyzed. Results: The pilot of the Egg Hub model in Malawi supported 85 farmers to triple their egg production, allowing their communities to purchase eggs at prices reduced by 40%, benefiting an estimated number of 180,000 rural poor. Egg consumption among the target population increased from an average of 2 to 9 eggs/month and led to reduced egg wastage and better biosecurity, reducing the risk of children’s exposure to chicken feces and infections. The achievements of this Egg Hub in Malawi allowed the model to be replicated in Ethiopia, Peru, and Brazil, producing 40 million eggs annually and benefiting more than half a million consumers. Conclusion: The Egg Hub model is a comprehensive and scalable solution to increase egg supply, address malnutrition and food insecurity, and improve livelihoods. The advantages include centralizing key activities through a community-centered approach, empowering female farmers, increasing access to a highly nutritious food, and economic benefits for farmers and their communities.

Keywords

• eggs
• rural
• developing countries
• smallholders
• backyard poultry
• agriculture