Abstract
Food crop production in Sierra Leone is dominated by rice. It is cultivated by almost all small-scale farmers and consumed in all Sierra Leonean households irrespective of income levels. This underscores the importance attached to rice as a major staple crop. Sierra Leone is a rice deficit nation. Available statistics indicate that between 1970 and 2000, the country was self-sufficient in rice production only in 1975. Between 1979 and 2000, annual domestic paddy production fell from 504,000 to 200,000 Mt. During the same period, the volume of imported rice to fill domestic production shortfalls increased from 30% to 60% of total rice consumption. The 1991-2002 civil war and associated insecurity throughout the rural areas resulted in a dramatic fall in production throughout the 1990s. Since the cessation of armed hostilities in 2002, the recovery of rice production in Sierra Leone has been impressive although self-sufficiency remains elusive. A peculiar feature of food availability in Sierra Leone (especially in rural communities) is its seasonality. Typically, there is widespread food scarcity in farming communities between the months of July and September each year. This seasonal food shortage is commonly referred to as the “hunger season." A plethora of explanations exist for the occurrence of the hunger season. The most frequently cited include insufficient supplies in store due to poor harvest; a lack of skills in storage; and crop loss due to inefficient processing/preservation techniques. This paper argues that apart from the production related explanations (such as insufficient supplies in store due to poor harvest; a lack of skills in storage; and crop loss due to inefficient processing/preservation techniques), several socio-cultural factors need to be considered in accounting for food insecurity in Sierra Leone. Keywords: Socio-cultural, food insecurity, food production, Sierra Leone DOI : 10.7176/DCS/9-10-07 Publication date :October 31 st 2019
Highlights
In Sierra Leone possesses substantial mineral, agricultural, fishery and other natural resources but poverty is pervasive in this least-developed country and food insecurity is a major problem in both rural areas, where the majority of the population live, and in urban centres where a high percentage of the population are unemployed and chronically poor
Significant improvements in economic growth have taken place since the end of the civil war but strong evidence still remains that food insecurity, hunger and malnutrition are significant on-going problems among a large percentage of households especially in rural areas
This paper argues that apart from the production related explanations, several socio-cultural factors need to be considered in accounting for and addressing food insecurity in Sierra Leone
Summary
In Sierra Leone possesses substantial mineral, agricultural, fishery and other natural resources but poverty is pervasive in this least-developed country and food insecurity is a major problem in both rural areas, where the majority of the population live, and in urban centres where a high percentage of the population are unemployed and chronically poor. The 1996 World Food Summit defined food security as a state where “all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious foods to meet their dietary needs and food preferences to lead an active and healthy life”. The main constraints to agricultural production and productivity include low availability of improved planting materials, the general unavailability of agro-chemicals (fertilizer, pesticides, etc), the use of rudimentary farming tools, high post-harvest losses (due to inefficient processing equipment and inadequate storage) and the paucity of market outlets resulting from poor road infrastructure. This paper argues that apart from the production related explanations, several socio-cultural factors need to be considered in accounting for and addressing food insecurity in Sierra Leone. There is a tendency for more tubers to be consumed
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