Rice in West Africa: Dynamics, policies and trends

Abstract

Rice is a staple in the African diet. The commodity accounts for 25% of overall cereal consumption, second only to maize. Over the past 20 years, West Africa has specifically experienced a large surge in rice consumption. Although local production has progressed, through the expansion of planted areas and improvement in yields, Africa's rice production remains insufficient to cover the rising needs that are driven by demographic growth, the increase in per capita consumption and urbanization. The continent, that was 80 per cent self-sufficient for rice in the 1960s, now covers only 60 per cent of its needs. Import volumes have boomed over the past 20 years, especially in West Africa. Due to its dependence on external supply sources, West Africa is exposed to instability on the international market. The 2008 price crisis constituted a significant shock, especially for the most deprived strata of the population. The crisis, however, led to positive reactions by private and public actors, including the adoption of new policies to support and develop domestic rice production. More or less ambitious initiatives were launched, and met with some initial success. However, the trend is weakening as rice imports have been increasing anew since 2010. Today, West Africa remains the major rice importing region, accounting for 20% of global imports.