article · Global Food Security
An analysis of rural household food expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa evaluates patterns of cereal and non-cereal purchases across seven countries over a decade, using a dataset of 65,000 observations. The assessment categorises countries into lower, middle, and upper strata based on income and urbanisation levels. The findings reveal that food purchases constitute the majority of rural food consumption across all strata, regardless of whether households reside in favourable or unfavourable agroecological zones. This dominance of purchased food applies across varied country groups, income levels, and most product categories. Additionally, rural nonfarm employment serves as an essential cash source that facilitates these food purchases across all examined countries and foodstuffs.
Rural households in Sub-Saharan Africa are often assumed to rely mainly on their own agricultural produce for food. By showing that the majority of rural food is actually purchased, this evidence demonstrates that food security depends heavily on accessible retail markets, functioning supply chains, and off-farm earning opportunities rather than solely on subsistence farming.
The insights inform businesses developing food supply chains, rural retail networks, and logistics platforms targeting non-urban consumers. While the underlying research is policy-oriented analysis rather than a product or technology, it indicates existing, highly active commercial markets for food distributors and agricultural midstream enterprises serving rural African populations.
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We analyze rural households’ purchases of food (cereals and non-cereals) in Sub-Saharan Africa using nationally representative data with 65,000 observations covering 7 countries over a decade. We distinguish between three strata of countries: lower stratum in income and urbanization, middle stratum, and upper stratum. The paper breaks ground by the breadth and time length of the sample. We find that purchases form the majority of rural food consumption whether in favorable or unfavorable agroecological zones and over country and income strata and for most food products. Rural nonfarm employment (as a cash source) plays an important role in household food purchases across all study countries and food products. Policy implications include the importance of food purchase markets and supply chains to and in rural areas as well as nonfarm employment.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.gfs.2024.100739
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