Alleviating Transitory Food Crises in Sub-Saharan Africa: International Altruism and Trade

Abstract

The donor community has responded to unexpected or transitory drops in domestic food production in many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. An empirical framework estimates and analyzes the correlation between this food aid and domestic production. Both emergency food aid and commercial imports are used to offset the effects of negative output shocks in Sub-Saharan African countries—the major recipients of global emergency food aid. On average every one-ton drop in cereal production is offset by the delivery of 0.8 tons of cereal and dairy products from abroad (over four years). Most food aid arrives within a year of a shock, and correlation of shocks over time along with the differences between crop years and calendar years may explain the link between aid and production. The economic and political considerations also determine the global response to the emergency food needs of countries in Africa. The international response is not contingent on the form of government or the level of political and human rights violations. Poorer countries and those with well-established non-emergency food aid programs receive larger amounts of emergency aid when needed.

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