Working Paper No. 17 of 2010 on Critical Issues on Food Security in the Nile Basin Countries: An Interventionist Trans-boundary Approach

Abstract

This study highlights critical issues on food security in the Nile Basin countries and priority investment areas to enhance food security. It presents the main causes of food insecurity at the household, national and regional levels. It outlines the social-cultural, economic and political relationships, processes, and their interaction with the environment in determining people’s livelihoods. The study recognizes other related work in the region, especially under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and brings together previous findings and recommendations relevant to the Nile basin for coordinated action. The study compares the main causes of food insecurity amongst nine Nile Basin countries. The identified problems are ranked according to their severity. Unstable food prices and poor infrastructure are ranked as most severe by eight and seven countries, respectively. This implies that governments in the region need to prioritize policies for improving market access in order to address food availability and affordability in the region. Low agricultural productivity and health issues emerge as most severe sources of food insecurity among six of the nine countries. Suggested eclectic interventions to address issues of food insecurity include increasing food production, expanding regional agricultural trade and devising policy instruments to address price fluctuations. An efficient regional trading system would also help in managing food insecurity issues at the regional level. There is need to carry out an inventory of the available and quality storage and transport in the region. Nile Basin countries need to embrace a regional approach to tackle food insecurity by sharing information and establishing a regional food reserve facility.