World Food Programme
Response to higher food and fuel
prices in West Africa
Timeline
July 2007:
WFP published
paper on the
macro impact of
high food prices in
West Africa
March 2008:
Dakar Workshop
on assessing the
impact of HFP
January 2008:
WFP approves HFP
response project in
Mauritania
May 2008: First
assessments
launched (Guinea,
Burkina, Liberia)
August 2008:
Preliminary costing
out of response for
WFP in West Africa
July 2008: Lean season
interventions in direct
response to HFP. Assessments
continue (Senegal, Niger).
End 2008: Food
and crop
assessments,
continuation of
impact assessment
work and roll out of
post-lean season
response
Assessments
Urban
Done
Ongoing
Response
WFP response
WFP Response
including cash/vouchers
Response
• Expansion of existing programs
• Introduction of new programs, with specific reference to
urban areas.
• Advocacy against trade barriers
• ‘Purchase for progress’
WFP response by country (2008-2009)
Country
Benin
Burkina Faso
Cote d'Ivoire
Ghana
Guinea
Liberia
Mali
Mauritania
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Total
Beneficairies
314 665
430 000
331 250
406 000
585 000
215 200
84 200
437 093
1 186 892
337 700
4.3 million
Planned distributions (mt)
6 181
8 926
12 525
7 049
19 271
10 371
3 363
9 982
22 171
15 752
115 591
Total cost (USD million)
5,6
24,7
14,2
7,9
19,3
18,2
4,3
12,3
27,7
19,2
153,4
Government policies
Policy measure
Downside
Countries adopted
Control of prices and
margins
Disruption of supply
Senegal, Liberia
Subsidies
Disruption of market chain, very
demanding fiscally.
Senegal, Guinea
Tax breaks
Usually to small to result in a
price reduction for the consumer,
foregone revenue for the
government
Nearly all countries
Export restrictions
(de jure or de facto)
Harms food producers and
consumers in other countries
Burkina Faso,
Guinea Liberia, Mali
Challenges
• Adapting assessment and programmatic approaches to the
urban context.
• Building capacity to implement innovative program
modalities such as cash and voucher-based transfers.
• Moving from a ‘lean season’/emergency mindset to a
medium term planning horizon.
• Procurement of food in a fast-changing international market
Issues to monitor
• Main harvest in West Africa from now to the end of the
year. 2008 crop assesment process beginning in October
(CILSS, FAO)
• At what levels will prices for local coarse grains stabilize?
They remain to date well above long term averages.
• Will governments resist the temptation to protect their
national markets by restricting trade
• Impact of financial crisis
Thank you