Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/63303 
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
2006
Series/Report no.: 
WIDER Research Paper No. 2006/60
Publisher: 
The United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER), Helsinki
Abstract: 
The paper examines the state of food security in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), based on an analysis of a selection of indicators of food security and nutritional wellbeing during the period 1990-2002 within the context of the WTO Agreement on Agriculture. It argues that it may be advisable for those SSA countries with both static and dynamic comparative advantage in agriculture to pursue policies towards ‘food self-sufficiency’ as a means to attaining food security, considering their large rural farming population, at least until such time that international trade in agriculture is fully integrated into the WTO disciplines. This is particularly relevant in view of the fact that high agricultural protectionism in the north currently distorts price signals and thus the opportunity costs of allocating factors of production in these economies. The SSA countries that lack comparative advantage in agriculture may want to aim for a ‘food self-reliance’ strategy to attain food security.
Subjects: 
food security
WTO Agreement on Agriculture
Sub-Saharan Africa
special and differential treatment
JEL: 
Q18
N57
F1
F13
ISBN: 
9291908347
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size
192.26 kB





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.