Rising Food Prices in Sub-Saharan Africa : Poverty Impact and Policy Responses

Rising Food Prices in Sub-Saharan Africa : Poverty Impact and Policy Responses

The increase in food prices represents a major crisis for the world's poor. This paper aims to review the evidence on the potential impact of higher food prices on poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, and examines the extent to which policy response...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors:	Wodon, Quentin, Zaman, Hassan
Format:	Policy Research Working Paper
Language:	English
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2012
Subjects:	ACUTE MALNUTRITION ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS AGRICULTURAL INPUTS AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AGRICULTURAL WAGE AGRICULTURAL WAGES AGRICULTURE ANTI-POVERTY ANTI-POVERTY INTERVENTIONS AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD INCOME BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE BENEFICIARIES BENEFICIARY BENEFIT LEVELS BREAD BULLETIN CALORIC INTAKE CALORIE INTAKE CASH TRANSFERS CENTER FOR POPULATION CEREALS CHANGES IN POVERTY CHILD DEVELOPMENT CHILD NUTRITION CHRONIC POVERTY CITIZENS CIVIL CONFLICT CONFLICT CONSUMER PRICES CONSUMER SUBSIDIES CONSUMER SUBSIDY CONSUMPTION AGGREGATE COPING STRATEGIES CREDIT MARKETS CREDIT SCHEME CREDIT SCHEMES CULTURAL CHANGE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DEVELOPMENT POLICY DIET DIRECT TRANSFERS DOMESTIC PRICES DROUGHT EARLY CHILDHOOD ECONOMIC CRISES ECONOMIC CRISIS ECONOMIC GROWTH EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT EGGS EMERGENCY FOOD FAMILY WELFARE FARM PRODUCTIVITY FARMERS FEEDING PROGRAMS FINANCIAL CRISIS FLOUR FOOD AID FOOD AID PROGRAMS FOOD CONSUMPTION FOOD DISTRIBUTION FOOD EXPENDITURE FOOD EXPENDITURES FOOD FOR WORK FOOD IMPORTS FOOD INSECURITY FOOD ITEMS FOOD MARKETS FOOD NEEDS FOOD POLICY FOOD POLICY RESEARCH FOOD PRICE FOOD PRICE INFLATION FOOD PRICE POLICIES FOOD PRICE STABILIZATION FOOD PRICES FOOD PRICING FOOD PRODUCTION FOOD RATION FOOD SECURITY FOOD SHORTAGES FOOD STAPLES FOOD STOCKS FOOD SUBSIDIES FOODGRAINS FUTURE EARNINGS HEALTH SERVICES HOUSEHOLD INCOME HOUSEHOLD LEVEL HOUSEHOLD SURVEY HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS HOUSEHOLD VULNERABILITY HOUSEHOLD WELFARE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IFPRI IMPACT OF SHOCKS IMPACT ON POVERTY IMPACT ON POVERTY REDUCTION INCOME INCOME DISTRIBUTION INCOME DYNAMICS INCOME GROWTH INEQUALITY INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE IRRIGATION LABOR MARKETS LABOR SUPPLY LANDHOLDINGS LEVEL OF POVERTY LIVING COSTS LOCAL FARMERS LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTION LOW WAGES LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES MAIZE MALNUTRITION MARKET PRICES MEANS TESTING MEAT MILK NATIONAL LEVEL NEW POOR NUTRITIONAL NEEDS NUTRITIONAL PROGRAMS NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTATION POLICY DECISIONS POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER POLICY RESPONSE POLITICAL ECONOMY POOR POOR AREAS POOR BENEFIT POOR CHILDREN POOR CONSUMERS POOR COUNTRIES POOR DISTRICTS POOR HOUSEHOLDS POOR INDIVIDUALS POOR PEOPLE POOR PRODUCERS POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT POPULATION GROUPS POPULATION SUBGROUPS POST-CONFLICT COUNTRIES POTATOES POVERTY ANALYSIS POVERTY ASSESSMENTS POVERTY DYNAMICS POVERTY ESTIMATES POVERTY IMPACT POVERTY INDICATORS POVERTY LEVELS POVERTY LINE POVERTY LINES POVERTY MAP POVERTY MAPPING POVERTY MAPS POVERTY MEASURES POVERTY RATE POVERTY REDUCTION POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGIES POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY PRICE ELASTICITY PRICE STABILIZATION PRODUCTION RATIO PRODUCTIVE ASSETS PROGRESS PROTEIN PUBLIC RESOURCES PUBLIC SAFETY NET PUBLIC WORKS PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMS RATIONS REFUGEES RESERVATION WAGE RESPECT RETURNEES RICE RURAL RURAL AREAS RURAL DWELLERS RURAL HOUSEHOLD RURAL HOUSEHOLDS RURAL LEVEL RURAL POOR RURAL WELFARE SAFETY NET SAFETY NET PROGRAMS SAFETY NETS SAVINGS SCHOOL FEEDING SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMS SCHOOLING SECONDARY EDUCATION SHOCK SMALL LANDHOLDINGS SOCIAL IMPACT SOCIAL PROTECTION SOCIAL SAFETY NET SOCIAL UNREST SOUTH ASIAN STAPLE FOODS SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA SUBSIDIZING SUGAR TARGETING TERTIARY EDUCATION TRANSFER PROGRAMS TRANSFERS IN CASH TUBERS UNEMPLOYMENT UNSKILLED WORKERS URBAN AREAS URBAN DWELLERS URBAN POPULATION URBAN POVERTY VITAMINS VULNERABLE GROUPS VULNERABLE MEMBERS WAGE RATE WAGE RATES WFP WHEAT WORKFARE WORKS PROGRAM WORKS PROJECTS WORLD FOOD PROGRAM WORLD POPULATION
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2008/10/9899936/rising-food-prices-sub-saharan-africa-poverty-impact-policy-responses http://hdl.handle.net/10986/6938

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Summary:	The increase in food prices represents a major crisis for the world's poor. This paper aims to review the evidence on the potential impact of higher food prices on poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, and examines the extent to which policy responses will benefit the poor. The paper shows that rising food prices are likely to lead to higher poverty in sub-Saharan Africa as the negative impact on net poor consumers outweighs the benefits to poor producers. A recent survey shows that the most common policy response in sub-Saharan African countries is reducing taxes on food while outside the region price controls or targeted consumer subsidies are the most popular measure. Sub-Saharan African countries also have a higher prevalence of food-based safety net programs which are being scaled up to respond to rising prices. The review suggests that the benefits from reducing import tariffs on staples may accrue largely to the non-poor. Social protection programs show more promise, but geographic targeting is likely to be crucial in ensuring that benefits reach the neediest. The paper also argues that anti-poverty interventions ought to retain their focus on rural areas where poverty remains highest even after taking into account the adverse impact on the urban poor due to the rise in food prices.

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