The document discusses employment trends and opportunities in the food economy of West Africa. It notes that population growth, urbanization, and rising incomes will continue to change the size and structure of the food economy. Most current jobs in the region are in the food economy, particularly in rural areas, though urban food economies are also growing. Emerging opportunities include non-agricultural food economy jobs and off-farm work in rural areas. Policies need to better understand food flows and linkages between urban and rural areas to promote equitable access to food economy jobs.

1. FOOD ECONOMY EMPLOYMENT
POTENTIAL AND CHALLENGES
Paris, 16 June 2017
Philipp Heinrigs
Senior Economist, Sahel and West Africa Club
Secretariat

2. Situation, trends and drivers
Population growth,
urbanisation and income
growth will continue to drive
changes in the size and
structure of food economy.

3. The importance of food economy
employment
Most jobs in the region are
in the food economy.
Higher share of food
economy jobs in rural areas,
but signs of diversification.
Food economy also
important in urban areas.

4. The changing business of food
The growing importance of non-ag. activities
NigeriaNiger

5. Diversifying rural economies
Emerging off-farm opportunities in rural areas

6. Women specific activities
Women overrepresented in post-harvest activities, while
youth underrepresented.

7. Where are the jobs? How to promote access to
jobs?
Next step – territorial analysis
Size of urban food economy (USD billion)

8. Next step - food flows
Better policies depend on better understanding the
geography of food and urban-rural linkages.

9. High food prices in West Africa

10. Next step – the regional dynamics
Regional food market integration:
opportunities and constraints

11. Developing the (food) economy
Jeune Afrique, Business Barometer, May 2017
The private sector view on African growth.

12. Merci
Thank you
http://www.oecd.org/swac
www.oecd.org/swac/topics