Abstract
Assessing Food Security and Development Opportunities in Southern Sudan
Track: Sustainable Development and Humanitarian Affairs
Author
Southern Sudan has started its long-delayed development process and the government is preparing an agricultural development strategy to improve food security in the country. Despite the lack of primary data, we are able to make-do with publicly available data using GIS technology to come up with useful information in assessing the challenges and opportunities for agricultural development. We found that two-thirds of the country has below the national average per capita cereal availability, while 70% of rural population has calorie intake that is far below the 2,100 kcal/person/day international standard. Agricultural conditions are not the main constraints on areas with extremely low food availability; instead, few cultivated lands, low crop yields, and market inaccessibility are most important factors. A sound agricultural development strategy should be evidence-based and supported by rich knowledge of the country's geography, such as those areas we identified as food insecure, food deficit, and underutilized agricultural areas.
Renato Folledo
International Food Policy Research Institute
2033 K St NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20006
United States
Phone: 2028628112
Fax: 2024674439
E-mail: rfolledo@cgiar.org
Xinshen Diao
International Food Policy Research Institute
2033 K St NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20006
United States
Phone: 2028628113
E-mail: x.diao@cgiar.org
Liangzhi You
International Food Policy Research Institute
2033 K St NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20006
United States
Phone: 2028628168
E-mail: l.you@cgiar.org
Vidalina Alpuerto
International Food Policy Research Institute
2033 K St NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20006
United States
Phone: 2028624619
E-mail: v.alpuerto@cgiar.org
Cesar Guvele
USAID/USDA
342 Waters Hall
Department of Agricultural Economics
Manhattan, Kansas 66502
United States
Phone: 785-539-6452
E-mail: CGuvele@cox.com