Use the links in this page to see all the cross-references and discussions about food systems, agriculture and food security across all the sections

Additional background

About agriculture & the agri-food industry

Agriculture Historically, one of the main driver of growth in Sudan has been agriculture. This remains true, even with challenges such as the migration of young males to urban areas for service sector employment. The agricultural sector contributes approximately 1/5 of GDP and employs about 2/5 of the labor force [153]. In total, 2/3 of households in Sudan rely on the agricultural sector for their livelihoods. Additionally, the sector accounts for more than half of exports in volume [88].

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Industry The industrial sector contributed 1/5 of the GDP in 2022, making it relatively small compared to the agricultural and services sectors. It is primarily driven by ore mining and oil, followed by manufacturing. Within the manufacturing sector, the food sub-sector accounts for up to 7/10 of all manufacturing activity, and more than 1/3 of all large enterprises in the country are engaged in agricultural manufacturing. Overall, the agri-food system component is estimated to constitute 1/3 of Sudan's economy [169].

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About food prices and food subsidies

‼︎ Because of its reliance on food imports and subsidies, food prices in Sudan have historically played a significant role in driving inflation [79]. Food prices also typically fluctuate substantially in Sudan over the course of the year [30]. See also Impact Analysis > … > Food systems

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Governments in Sudan need to balance the need for fiscal sustainability with the goal of ensuring food security for all segments of the population, which is a complex task. Food subsidies in Sudan have played a significant role in ensuring affordable food prices for the population, particularly for staple crops such as wheat. However, in 2018, the government suspended wheat subsidies, leading to a burden of food price increases that fell disproportionately on the urban poor. While the rich typically spend more on food, the share of food in their overall consumption is lower compared to the poor. Wheat and wheat-based products, especially bread, play a more prominent role in the consumption bundles of the better-off and the urban population, while sorghum and millet play a more significant role in the consumption bundles of the poor, especially in rural areas.

?! The increase in prices since the beginning of the crisis seem to vary a lot by location and to affect in particular fuel and food. Between April and August, prices of basic commodities such as bottled water, food, and fuel have increased by 40-60% month-on-month in conflict-affected areas. In May, prices of specific food and NFI items in some locations were already by up to 135% compared the the previous month and some fuel prices were reported to have increased by up to 1000% month-on-month [1].

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About food systems

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food systems The economic dynamics of the current crisis are likely to affect the agricultural value chains and related food systems the most [18]. In short, food consumption systems will be affected on the demand side because people don't have money to buy food (and to a lesser extent because it is difficult to transport food items to markets). Food production systems will be affected on the supply side due to the lost planting season. Therefore, we can anticipate both short-term and long-term problems and risks of high food insecurity. This year, there were low imports at a key moment of the planting season, resulting in a scarcity of agricultural inputs (seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, etc.). As a result, these inputs were more expensive than usual. Additionally, market disruptions in Khartoum (the largest market for domestic production) have also reduced farmers' access to cash. The majority of them depend on the sale of previous harvests to buy agricultural inputs (seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides) for the new planting season. As a result, there will be no planting for this year or very little, which will affect food availability in the future [88] [89].

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