Food security policy in Africa between disaster relief and structural adjustment

According to the FAO, one person in three in sub-Saharan Africa suffers from malnutrition, and one in seven is in danger of dying. Most African countries no longer seem capable of ensuring that their people have access to sufficient food. Given the failure of past efforts the objectives of food security policies and their effectiveness have to be reconsidered.

The book shows that the debate on food security policies has changed with the passage of time. The entitlement debate triggered by A. Sen had a major influence on this change. However, the bearing of socio-economic structures on the food security of African households and individual members of households are still not fully recognized.

African societies and economies are characterized by structural heterogeneity and insecurity. Inadequate physical and institutional infrastructure and the absence of market transparency contribute to the underdevelopment of markets. Furthermore, as there is often a pronounced gender division of labour and roles, the African household can hardly be described as homogenous, with common interests as regards the use of household resources.

It becomes quite evident that the significance of price policies and cash income have hitherto been overrated and other equally important aspects have been neglected, for example, the importance of the role of women for household food security.

The book argues for an adjustment of one-sided policies by focusing the analysis of food security on the people's scope for action while reducing their vulnerability and thus increasing the certainty of entitlements. Production for the market and cash income is only one element in determining scope for action. Equally important are changes in the subsistence economy, in the bargaining position of individual household members, and in the workload of women.

The analysis is underlined by detailed case studies in Tanzania.