Publication: Improving Transport Connectivity for Food Security in Africa: Strengthening Supply Chains
Loading...
Published
2025-02-14
ISSN
Date
2025-02-19
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
Food insecurity is a persistent global problem affecting hundreds of millions of people each year. Transport Connectivity for Food Security in Africa: Strengthening Supply Chains confirms the complexity of the problem and focuses on the transport dimension to its resolution. The book explores critical links between transport, logistics, and food security in Africa, with the goal of enhancing the resilience of food systems. The book relies on a World Bank in-house Freight Flow and Transport Choice Model (FlowMax) to analyze the supply chains of key food commodities in Africa. It explores how transport deficiencies affect food production, distribution, and imports and, ultimately, food security. It is the first of its kind to answer six questions that are often asked in relation to food security on the continent: 1. Why does Africa have a “long food supply chain”? 2. How can regional economic blocks facilitate a more efficient exchange of food between countries? 3. What impedes the distribution of food within countries? 4. Does Africa have a transport infrastructure problem that impacts the food supply chain? 5. Do market distortions in transport services contribute to high costs of food in Africa? 6. What hampers investment in storage as one of the ingredients to the weaknesses of food supply chains on the continent? Using the FlowMax model, the book identifies weaknesses and opportunities for improvement along the entire food supply chain, from local production and consumption to international linkages, aiming for more resilient food systems. Recommendations focus on fostering international network connectivity, increasing regional integration, strengthening domestic logistics, and improving access to markets.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“World Bank. 2025. Improving Transport Connectivity for Food Security in Africa: Strengthening Supply Chains. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/42838 License: CC BY-NC 3.0 IGO.”
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Improving Food Security in Arab Countries(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2009)This joint working paper lays out a rationale and strategic framework for improving food security and managing food-price shocks in the Arab countries. The paper does not provide country specific policy and project recommendations. Such recommendations will follow from the country by country application of the framework, taking into account each country's political and cultural preferences, resource endowments, and risk tolerance. In 2007 and the first half of 2008, a sharp rise in agricultural commodity and food prices triggered grave concerns about food security, malnutrition and increased poverty throughout the world. While the threat of a prolonged food-price shock receded with falling energy and commodity prices and a weakening global economy in the second half of 2008, many factors underlying the volatility in food prices appear here to stay and will require careful management if the world is to avoid future food-price shocks. This paper suggests three critical strategies that, together, can serve as pillars to help offset future vulnerability to price shocks: a) strengthen safety nets, provide people with better access to family planning services, and promote education; b) enhance the food supply provided by domestic agriculture and improve rural livelihoods by addressing lagging productivity growth through increased investment in research and development; and c) reduce exposure to market volatility by improving supply chain efficiency and by more effectively using financial instruments to hedge risk.Publication Logistics, Transport and Food Prices in LAC : Policy Guidance for Improving Efficiency and Reducing Costs(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2009-08)This introductory section explains the rationale for the guidance note, reflecting on the relevance of food prices in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), their impact on the poor and the effect that logistics and transport costs have on those prices. Based upon that framework, the note provides an overview of the logistics and transport hurdles faced by importers and consumers in the region as food products move through the logistics chain. The final section of the report provides some policy guidance that could improve the efficiency of logistics systems in LAC and reduce the price of delivered foods.Publication Missing Food : The Case of Postharvest Grain Losses in Sub-Saharan Africa(Washington, DC, 2011-04)Low-income, food-deficit countries have become especially concerned about the global and national food situation over the past three years. While the proximate cause of this heightened concern was the surge in food prices that began in 2006 and peaked in mid-2008, concerns remain for other reasons, among them the higher market-clearing price levels that now seem to prevail, continuing price volatility, and the risk of intermittent food shortages occurring repeatedly far into the future. For lower-income Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries, ongoing contributing factors include persistently low productivity, difficulty adapting to climate change, financial difficulties (inability to handle the burden of high food or fuel prices or a credit squeeze), and increased dependence on food aid. Yet there is an additional, often-forgotten factor that exacerbates food insecurity: postharvest losses (PHL). They can and do occur all along the chain from farm to fork, which reduces real income for all consumers. This especially affects the poor; as such a high percentage of their disposable income is devoted to staple foods. This report is based on the desk study undertaken by experts of the U.K. Natural Resources Institute (NRI). Data were collected by direct contact (e-mail or telephone), with authorities holding information on past and current projects; by searching the Internet for details about projects; and by reviewing published and 'gray' literature. Data were also collected from the personal experiences of the NRI review team who had worked on numerous and diverse projects to reduce grain PHL in SSA over the last 30 years and from experts in the field. These experts were identified and asked to complete a questionnaire that would draw out their experiences to indicate the weakest links in the postharvest chain, the interventions that deserve to be prioritized for future action, and those that should be avoided. Of about 40 invited respondents, a total of 20 returned completed (or partially completed) questionnaires.Publication Transport Connectivity for Food Security in Africa(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-05-20)Food insecurity is a persistent global problem affecting hundreds of millions of people each year. Transport Connectivity for Food Security in Africa: Strengthening Supply Chains confirms the complexity of the problem and focuses on the transport dimension to its resolution. The book explores critical links between transport, logistics, and food security in Africa, with the goal of enhancing the resilience of food systems. The book relies on a World Bank in-house Freight Flow and Transport Choice Model (FlowMax) to analyze the supply chains of key food commodities in Africa. It explores how transport deficiencies affect food production, distribution, and imports and, ultimately, food security. It is the first of its kind to answer six questions that are often asked in relation to food security on the continent: 1. Why does Africa have a “long food supply chain”? 2. How can regional economic blocks facilitate a more efficient exchange of food between countries? 3. What impedes the distribution of food within countries? 4. Does Africa have a transport infrastructure problem that impacts the food supply chain? 5. Do market distortions in transport services contribute to high costs of food in Africa? 6. What hampers investment in storage as one of the ingredients to the weaknesses of food supply chains on the continent? Using the FlowMax model, the book identifies weaknesses and opportunities for improvement along the entire food supply chain, from local production and consumption to international linkages, aiming for more resilient food systems. Recommendations focus on fostering international network connectivity, increasing regional integration, strengthening domestic logistics, and improving access to markets.Publication Logistics in Lagging Regions : Overcoming Local Barriers to Global Connectivity(World Bank, 2011)This report is based on two case studies carried out in Brazil and India on the impact of various strategies to reduce the cost of trade for small-scale producers. Small scale producers especially those located in lagging regions in developing countries lack easy access to efficient logistics services. They are faced with long distances from both domestic and international markets. Unless the enterprises are able to consolidate traffic volumes they can be excluded from international supply chains. However, the process of consolidation is not without cost nor does it occur on its own accord. It is typically handled by outside parties in the form of intermediaries. The study was designed around the horizontal relationships between the small scale producers and their vertical connections to higher tier parties involved in the same supply chain. It analyzes the cooperative approach to linking producers, the role of itinerant traders, and a newer and innovative approach to the same problem through virtual integration of farmers using modern information communication technologies. These approaches were explored by studying two separate supply chains, sisal in Brazil and soybean in India, enabling the assessment of logistics patterns from the farm gate to onboard vessel at the export gateway. The assessment of logistics performance at the sub-national level is still evolving. The more widely used density-type indicators emphasize the infrastructure dimension of logistics but do not handle effectively the relationships and service quality attributes identified by the study. A model built around spatial and social networks is proposed to represent the horizontal and vertical attributes of logistics in lagging regions.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication Europe and Central Asia Economic Update, Spring 2025: Accelerating Growth through Entrepreneurship, Technology Adoption, and Innovation(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-04-23)Business dynamism and economic growth in Europe and Central Asia have weakened since the late 2000s, with productivity growth driven largely by resource reallocation between firms and sectors rather than innovation. To move up the value chain, countries need to facilitate technology adoption, stronger domestic competition, and firm-level innovation to build a more dynamic private sector. Governments should move beyond broad support for small- and medium-sized enterprises and focus on enabling the most productive firms to expand and compete globally. Strengthening competition policies, reducing the presence of state-owned enterprises, and ensuring fair market access are crucial. Limited availability of long-term financing and risk capital hinders firm growth and innovation. Economic disruptions are a shock in the short term, but they provide an opportunity for implementing enterprise and structural reforms, all of which are essential for creating better-paying jobs and helping countries in the region to achieve high-income status.Publication Argentina Country Climate and Development Report(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-11)The Argentina Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) explores opportunities and identifies trade-offs for aligning Argentina’s growth and poverty reduction policies with its commitments on, and its ability to withstand, climate change. It assesses how the country can: reduce its vulnerability to climate shocks through targeted public and private investments and adequation of social protection. The report also shows how Argentina can seize the benefits of a global decarbonization path to sustain a more robust economic growth through further development of Argentina’s potential for renewable energy, energy efficiency actions, the lithium value chain, as well as climate-smart agriculture (and land use) options. Given Argentina’s context, this CCDR focuses on win-win policies and investments, which have large co-benefits or can contribute to raising the country’s growth while helping to adapt the economy, also considering how human capital actions can accompany a just transition.Publication Classroom Assessment to Support Foundational Literacy(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-03-21)This document focuses primarily on how classroom assessment activities can measure students’ literacy skills as they progress along a learning trajectory towards reading fluently and with comprehension by the end of primary school grades. The document addresses considerations regarding the design and implementation of early grade reading classroom assessment, provides examples of assessment activities from a variety of countries and contexts, and discusses the importance of incorporating classroom assessment practices into teacher training and professional development opportunities for teachers. The structure of the document is as follows. The first section presents definitions and addresses basic questions on classroom assessment. Section 2 covers the intersection between assessment and early grade reading by discussing how learning assessment can measure early grade reading skills following the reading learning trajectory. Section 3 compares some of the most common early grade literacy assessment tools with respect to the early grade reading skills and developmental phases. Section 4 of the document addresses teacher training considerations in developing, scoring, and using early grade reading assessment. Additional issues in assessing reading skills in the classroom and using assessment results to improve teaching and learning are reviewed in section 5. Throughout the document, country cases are presented to demonstrate how assessment activities can be implemented in the classroom in different contexts.Publication Morocco Economic Update, Winter 2025(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-04-03)Despite the drought causing a modest deceleration of overall GDP growth to 3.2 percent, the Moroccan economy has exhibited some encouraging trends in 2024. Non-agricultural growth has accelerated to an estimated 3.8 percent, driven by a revitalized industrial sector and a rebound in gross capital formation. Inflation has dropped below 1 percent, allowing Bank al-Maghrib to begin easing its monetary policy. While rural labor markets remain depressed, the economy has added close to 162,000 jobs in urban areas. Morocco’s external position remains strong overall, with a moderate current account deficit largely financed by growing foreign direct investment inflows, underpinned by solid investor confidence indicators. Despite significant spending pressures, the debt-to-GDP ratio is slowly declining.Publication Business Ready 2024(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-03)Business Ready (B-READY) is a new World Bank Group corporate flagship report that evaluates the business and investment climate worldwide. It replaces and improves upon the Doing Business project. B-READY provides a comprehensive data set and description of the factors that strengthen the private sector, not only by advancing the interests of individual firms but also by elevating the interests of workers, consumers, potential new enterprises, and the natural environment. This 2024 report introduces a new analytical framework that benchmarks economies based on three pillars: Regulatory Framework, Public Services, and Operational Efficiency. The analysis centers on 10 topics essential for private sector development that correspond to various stages of the life cycle of a firm. The report also offers insights into three cross-cutting themes that are relevant for modern economies: digital adoption, environmental sustainability, and gender. B-READY draws on a robust data collection process that includes specially tailored expert questionnaires and firm-level surveys. The 2024 report, which covers 50 economies, serves as the first in a series that will expand in geographical coverage and refine its methodology over time, supporting reform advocacy, policy guidance, and further analysis and research.