Food security and sustainable development. West Africa case study

The authors examine food security and sustainable development in West Africa. The research exploits the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) definition of food security which suggests four dimensions: availability, accessibility, utilization, and stability. A consolidated food security index is constructed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) based on publicly available country-level data from 2001 to 2022. The findings show significant variability in food security across the region, with notable challenges in stability pillar. The authors underscore the importance of enhancing regional cooperation, improving political stability, and targeting policies to improve food security and guarantee sustainable development.