Cover_Rebuilding West Africas Food Potential

Chapter 1. West Africa staple food systems: An overview of trends and indicators of demand, supply, and trade 17

Figure 10. Available land per capita in West Africa and other regions (ha per capita)

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators; authors’ calculations

B. What food does West Africa produces?

The major food crops produced in West Africa are reported in Table 3 and in Figures 11 and 12. We see
from Table 3 the predominance of cereals and roots and tubers in the top 10 crops, but also a variety of
other cash crops, fruits and vegetables in the top 20. The region also has a extensive livestock production,
averaging over 216 million head of cattle, 69 million head of sheep and goats and over 450 million head
of chicken for the period 2005-2010. In Figure 11, we see the geographical distribution of the major food
crops, with the Sahel countries dominated by cereals (sorghum, millet, maize, rice and fonio); further south
in the coastal countries we also find roots and tubers (cassava, yams and plantain).

Figure 11. Geographical distribution of the major food crops in West Africa

Source: Bureau Issala, Chaléard J.L. and SWAC; extracted from Blein et al. (2008)

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1961196319651967196919711973197519771979198119831985198719891991199319951997199920012003200520072009

World

Middle East & North Africa (all income levels)

Lan America & Caribbean (all income levels)

West Africa