World Food Programme

Response to higher food and fuel prices in West Africa

Timeline

July 2007:

WFP published paper on the macro impact of high food prices in West Africa

March 2008: Dakar Workshop on assessing the impact of HFP

May 2008: First assessments launched (Guinea, Burkina, Liberia)

July 2008: Lean season interventions in direct response to HFP. Assessments continue (Senegal, Niger).

August 2008:

Preliminary costing out of response for WFP in West Africa

End 2008: Food and crop assessments, continuation of impact assessment work and roll out of post-lean season response

January 2008:

WFP approves HFP response project in Mauritania

Assessments

Urban

Done

Ongoing

Response

WFP response

WFP Response including cash/vouchers

Response

• Expansion of existing programs• Introduction of new programs, with specific reference to

urban areas. • Advocacy against trade barriers• ‘Purchase for progress’

WFP response by country (2008-2009)

Country Beneficairies Planned distributions (mt) Total cost (USD million)Benin 314 665 6 181 5,6Burkina Faso 430 000 8 926 24,7Cote d'Ivoire 331 250 12 525 14,2Ghana 406 000 7 049 7,9Guinea 585 000 19 271 19,3Liberia 215 200 10 371 18,2Mali 84 200 3 363 4,3Mauritania 437 093 9 982 12,3Senegal 1 186 892 22 171 27,7Sierra Leone 337 700 15 752 19,2Total 4.3 million 115 591 153,4

Government policies

Policy measure Downside Countries adopted

Control of prices and margins

Disruption of supply Senegal, Liberia

Subsidies Disruption of market chain, very demanding fiscally.

Senegal, Guinea

Tax breaks Usually to small to result in a price reduction for the consumer, foregone revenue for the government

Nearly all countries

Export restrictions (de jure or de facto)

Harms food producers and consumers in other countries

Burkina Faso, Guinea Liberia, Mali

Challenges

• Adapting assessment and programmatic approaches to the urban context.

• Building capacity to implement innovative program modalities such as cash and voucher-based transfers.

• Moving from a ‘lean season’/emergency mindset to a medium term planning horizon.

• Procurement of food in a fast-changing international market

Issues to monitor

• Main harvest in West Africa from now to the end of the year. 2008 crop assesment process beginning in October (CILSS, FAO)

• At what levels will prices for local coarse grains stabilize? They remain to date well above long term averages.

• Will governments resist the temptation to protect their national markets by restricting trade

• Impact of financial crisis

Thank you