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The Food Crisis in Africa: A Comparative Structural Analysis

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  • Jean-Philippe Platteau

Abstract

A large part of Africa is chronically affected by a severe food crisis which threatens the food security of many of her inhabitants. A peculiarity of this continent is that food production is not only a source of food but also a source of incomes for the numerous smallholder producers who form the most important group exposed to the risk of hunger. Therefore, growing food insecurity is generally associated with a crisis of food production. This paper is an attempt to analyze various structural factors which underlie this production crisis.

Suggested Citation

  • Jean-Philippe Platteau, 1988. "The Food Crisis in Africa: A Comparative Structural Analysis," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-1988-044, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-1988-044
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    File URL: https://www.wider.unu.edu/sites/default/files/WP44.pdf
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    Cited by:

    1. Jean Drèze, 1988. "Famine Prevention in India," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-1988-045, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

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