Sécurité alimentaire en Afrique Sub-saharienne: Quelle Stratégie de Réalisation?

The analysis of the situation and perspectives on food security in Sub-Saharan Africa shows a growing gap between consumption and nutrition needs and food availabilities at the national, household and individual levels. The frailty of gains of productivity in food production and import capacities constitutes a major constraint to the realization of food security in the region. The growth of the agricultural sector becomes the prerequisite for food security improvement. However, the increase in agricultural productivity faces serious natural constraints such as climate contingencies, soil fertility and water control; socio-economic constraints such as the lack of capitalization, institutional weaknesses, lack of rural infrastructure and the frailty of markets and exchanges; and export subsidies from OECD countries. In contrast, the rise of democracy, globalization of the economy and new information technologies and biotechnology constitute major potentials for agricultural production recovery in Africa if states and donors make agriculture a budget priority. The current budget priorities and policies of poverty reduction that put an emphasis on social sectors, environment and political rights of the poor and women could provoke great social demands without creating the economic conditions that permit the economy to respond to these social demands. A strategy of rapid increase in agricultural productivity sustained by market growth and regional trade, the improvement of the land’s agronomic potential and investment in social sectors has the potential to unlock a process of food security improvement in Sub-Saharan Africa. This strategy must be supported by agricultural subsidy reduction measures and the opening of the markets of OECD members to African manufactured products.