While adapting to the rapidly geopolitical changes, Africa has to review its relations with external partners over food security from diverse perspectives. In the current economic context, Africa can demonstrate concern by analyzing distinctive challenges its agricultural sectors currently faces, redesign agricultural production models based on the available resources. In the short term, advocating for food security and debating aspects of adopting import substitution sound as perfect economic measures for Africa. Ensuring economic sovereignty has always been the primary goal since attaining political independence. But, at quick glance, most of these African countries have remained heavily dependent on imports, even a common agricultural item that can be produced locally, and ultimately cutting down budget.

The case in point here is the Republic of Benin. With an estimated population of 14.8 million people, the Republic of Benin situation on the Gulf of Guinea along West Africa, sharing borders with Togo and Nigeria, has an arable land. Its demography shows approximately 45% of the population live urban areas, but the remaining 55% in the rural regions of the country where agriculture is the dominate occupation. A relatively young people, with a medium age of 18 years, and even up to 25 years are very vibrant to undertake modern farming with support from the government. 

With sizeable mechanized farming, Benin can produce, at least, to satisfy food requirements and ensure its food security. But it simply cannot due to policy failures. Experts describe Benin as a food-deficit country. Benin has had precarious food and nutrition situation for several years, despite having a stable democracy in the region and in Africa. 

Research by this author indicates that Benin heavily imports food because its domestic production, mostly subsistence farming, isn’t enough to feed its population, relying significantly on staples like rice, poultry, fish, and wheat from countries like Russia, India, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Benin’s Main Food Suppliers:

Basic research shows that during the year of 2024, Benin imports from India worth $658 million, imports from China worth over $500 million, and these include goods such as rice, meat and poultry,........

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