Emerging Opportunities in the West African Food Economy

Summary

Using the latest data from expenditure and consumption surveys, this paper estimates the size and structure of the new food economy, and highlights some of the major policy issues arising from it. [...] Post-harvest activities, from transport to food processing and distribution are gaining importance and the share of agriculture in the food economy is declining. [...] The ratio between the size of the food economy and agricultural GDP provides a first approximation of the diversification of agri-food activities. [...] To determine the domestic contribution to household food supply, food imports should be subtracted from the food 40% of the value added in the food GDP. [...] Generally, market growth and the demand for more processed products drive the development of post-harvest activities, which are not part of the primary sector and which are increasingly performed off the farm and outside the household.

Creators/Authors

Thomas Allen

Philipp Heinrigs

OECD