Rising Food Prices in the Sahel: The urgency of long-term action

Overview

While the worldwide financial crisis has diverted attention away from the food crisis for the poorest families in the Sahel the underlying problems have not gone away. For those with very limited means making ends meet, even without increasingly expensive food, is a constant challenge. This briefing note is based on a survey by Save the Children and Oxfam on the impact of
rising prices on household food security in five countries in the Sahel: Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Malivi. It summarises the impacts of rising prices, examines the local factors that have led to this situation and proposes short, medium and long term solutions.