Introduction
The challenge of food insecurity in West Africa has been a lingering issue for many years. Recent events have exacerbated this phenomenon, largely as a result of a number of factors, including climate change, floods, war (internal and external), and migration among others.
As already indicated, world events are deepening food security challenges across the globe with a direct impact on West Africa. Many African governments, particularly the Ghanaian government, have indicated that the Russia-Ukraine war has affected their economies and undermined agricultural supply chains. It has been asserted that:
The war in Ukraine has caused severe disruption to national and worldwide food supplies. Ukraine is a major exporter of wheat, maize, and oilseeds, staples that are now suffering a war-triggered supply risk. [1]
The percentage of food supplies, particularly grain, wheat, flour, etc. supplied by Ukraine was very significant. The US Department of Agriculture estimates that:
Before the war, Ukraine provided 46% of the sunflower oil exports, 9% of wheat exports, 17% of barley exports, and 12% of corn exports to the world markets.[2]
The impact of this single war alone, now presents a clear security challenge for the African continent, particularly West Africa which has the highest population, a fast-creeping desert southwards and significant impacts from climate change.
The map below outlines the stressed countries as well as those facing severe insecurity challenges, as they relate to food.
Key Issues Accounting for Food Insecurity
Climate Change – Many people across West Africa can attest to changes in rainfall patterns, unpredictable periods for rains and droughts. Indeed, when the rains do come in, they have been so severe in some instances as to cause havoc, affecting the structural integrity of homes and in many instances causing flooding. Naturally when this occurs, it undermines food availability, food quality and supply chains.
Conflicts and Political Instability – It is a matter of concern, that the West Africa region is facing significant issues bordering on stability. Various conflicts, including ethno-religious tensions in Northern Nigeria, conflicts in Mali, terrorist activities in Burkina Faso and Niger are exacerbating food cultivation and supplies. These conflicts are causing terrible suffering, evidenced by displacement, insecurity, uncontrolled migration and overall economic hardship.
Economic Challenges – Within the West Africa region, there are serious economic challenges which are leading to increases in food prices and shortages. The high cost of agro products, currency devaluations, inflation and overall cost of doing business has had repercussions on agriculture. The World Food Programme estimates that:
Currency devaluations, soaring inflation, stagnating production, and trade barriers have worsened the food crisis, affecting ordinary people across the region with Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Mali being among the worst affected. Prices of major staple grains continue to rise across the region from 10 percent to more than 100 percent compared to the five-year average, driven by currency inflation, fuel and transport costs, ECOWAS sanctions, and restrictions on agropastoral product flows. Currency inflation is a major driver of price volatility in Ghana (23%), Nigeria (30%), Sierra Leone (54%), Liberia (10%), and The Gambia (16%).[4]
Population Growth – The issue of population growth in West Africa is a critical issue that affects food security across the region. This is primarily due to a number of factors that include the ageing population of persons currently involved in agriculture, lack of technology infusion and mechanisation, pressure on lands available, emphasis on urbanisation by the youth who do not see a future in agriculture and poor infrastructural support (roads, transportation, markets, warehousing etc) for the sector. With a population well over 450.8 million, the region faces challenges of inadequate water and food for its people. This figure is projected to be 569.2 million in the next ten years. As of 2023, Statista indicated that about 40% of the population was 15 years or younger. This is a key regional security and development issue.
Poor Infrastructure – The infrastructure that supports agriculture across the region needs significant revamping to sustain development and growth. To begin with, the roads that link farms and markets are in very deplorable state. The road network in West Africa plays a crucial role in affecting food security. A well-developed and maintained road network can facilitate the transportation of agricultural products from rural areas to urban centers and markets, ensuring that food reaches consumers efficiently and effectively. This does not appear to be the case across the region as the well-paved roads tend to exist largely in the urban centres, thereby limiting access to the food-producing centres. This has a negative impact on food security by increasing spoilage, leading to higher transportation costs and price hikes. Other infrastructure that support and complement efforts at food security include irrigation systems to ensure all-year-round production, storage facilities, market infrastructure and a solid system of research and dissemination of information, seeds and agrochemicals.
Credit Support for Farmers – The facilitation of access to affordable credit systems, based on regional challenges and farming systems would assist farmers to invest in their operations by purchasing critical inputs that support sustainable agricultural production. The governments across the region would need to ensure the implementation of such support mechanisms to avert a looming food security challenge.
What Should be Done?
West Africa should as a matter of urgency work towards a regional approach to dealing with the issue of food insecurity. There have been calls for a ban on the export of food across boundaries when there are imminent shortages in one country. That is certainly the wrong way to go due to the high incidence of migration, porous borders and the need to trade across the region.
Thankfully, the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) presents real opportunities for large-scale farming that targets real needs across the region in a manner that solves the food insecurity problem. While this would require some investment, governments can resolve this issue by adopting a regional approach instead of the piecemeal approach being adopted across nations.
The following are recommended by CISA because we believe that food insecurity, coupled with high population growth would lead to spiraling insecurity for the entire region in the not-too-distant future. In the next ten years, more than a hundred million mouths would have been added to the population, needing water, food, shelter, and most importantly jobs for their parents. We should have a structured approach that should do some of the following;
- Diversify agricultural production: Encourage the cultivation of a wide variety of crops that are suited to the local climate and soil conditions. To this end, we should map out the land in a manner that can help mitigate the risk of crop failure due to pests, diseases, or adverse weather conditions.
- Improve agricultural infrastructure across the region to link produce to markets by investing in irrigation systems, storage facilities, and transportation networks to increase productivity and reduce post-harvest losses.
- Promote farming practices that are supportive of local knowledge, making use of organic fertilizers, crop rotation, and other sustainable agriculture techniques to preserve soil fertility and minimize environmental degradation. This is particularly important as it would reduce reliance on imported fertilizers and reduce foreign exchange pressures on local currencies.
- Enhance access to credit and market information by providing farmers with affordable credit options and up-to-date market information when they are ready to sell their produce.
- Support research and development by providing support to agricultural research institutions to develop high-yielding crop varieties that are resistant to pests, diseases and droughts.
Governments across West Africa should work towards investments in modernising agriculture through technology adoption and infrastructure development, which are also essential to meet the demands of a growing population while ensuring long-term sustainability.
Conclusion
Implementing these strategies collectively with strong political commitment from governments across West Africa will go a long way towards ensuring food security within the short to medium term.
Food insecurity is indeed a clear and present danger in West Africa due to the ongoing conflicts and tensions in the region. These issues have led to displacement, economic disruption, and humanitarian crises, which in turn impact food production and access to resources.
The World Food Programme intimates that: Nearly 55 million people in West and Central Africa will struggle to feed themselves in the June-August 2024 lean season, according to the March 2024 Cadre Harmonisé food security analysis released by the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS)[5]
The Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) also believes that:
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has caused the greatest military-related increase in global food insecurity in at least a century. Although the issue has receded from headlines, impacts persist: the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) predicts that millions will still be chronically undernourished in 2030 because of Russia’s war. The effects of Russia’s destruction of Ukraine’s agriculture sector extend beyond global food insecurity, as Russia uses its own agricultural exports for influence in the Global South[6].
This has put West Africa at cross-roads. Russia is currently operating in Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali. What is important is that West Africa works to ensure that it focuses on large-scale production of grain, cassava and other local products to counter the shortfall. Additionally, it must work towards producing its own cassava flour, corn flour and other derivatives that its people can consume and must consume to overcome a looming crisis. “A hungry man is an angry man”, so the adage goes and unless something is done urgently, conflicts would spread.
[1] How the War in Ukraine Affects Food Security – PMC (nih.gov)
[2] US Dept of Agriculture
[3] Source: RRSAN2024-IB-EN.pdf (fsinplatform.org)
[4] Worsening hunger grips West and Central Africa amid persistent conflict and economic turmoil | World Food Programme (wfp.org)
[5] Worsening hunger grips West and Central Africa amid persistent conflict and economic turmoil | World Food Programme (wfp.org)
[6] Russia, Ukraine, and Global Food Security: A Two-Year Assessment (csis.org)
