Original version

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

The Food Chain

Factual: Food & Drink

Examining what it takes to put food on your plate

The Food Chain examines the business, science and cultural significance of food, and what it takes to put food on your plate.

Why does Africa import a lot of food?

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service

BBC World Service News Internet

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

BBC World Service Australasia

BBC World Service South Asia

BBC World Service East Asia

The Food Chain: Why does Africa import a lot of food?

Magazines & Reviews

08/12/2022 GMT

BBC World Service - The Food Chain, Why does Africa import a lot of food?

We speak to food entrepreneurs about how Africa can be more self sufficient

We speak to food entrepreneurs about how Africa can be more self sufficient.

2022 has seen record food prices. Many African countries have been badly hit because they  import their staples – wheat, rice and oil. A lack of infrastructure and capacity in some countries means that food grown in Africa is often not processed into packaged food products, instead those items are imported from outside of the continent.  

In this programme we speak to two women who run food businesses in Zambia and Ghana, to talk about the impact of rising food costs, and whether this year’s food crisis could be the impetus for Africa to be more self-sufficient. Ruth Alexander is joined by Monica Musonda, founder and CEO of Java Foods, which manufactures fortified noodles and cereal products in Zambia and Yvette Ansah who owns two restaurants, Café Kwae and Kwae Terrace in Accra, Ghana, BBC West Africa business reporter Nkechi Ogbonna joins from Nigeria, Africa’s biggest economy by gross domestic product to talk about the impact of rising food costs there.  

Presented by Ruth Alexander. 

Produced by Beatrice Pickup. 

(Image: aerial view of a large ship transporting rice, unloading cargo onto smaller ships. Credit: Getty/BBC)

Accessibility links

Programme Index

The Food Chain

Why does Africa import a lot of food?

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

About BBC World Service