Diets in West Africa: diversification, urbanization, and nutritional challenges

In recent years, food consumption in West Africa has undergone profound transformations, such as the decline of self-production, increased reliance on markets, the growth of processed foods, and the multiplication of supply outlets. Drawing on a wide range of data, particularly from household surveys and studies conducted in several countries in the region, the Sahel and West Africa Club (SWAC/OECD) has published a study providing an overview of these changes[1]. Jill Bouscarat (junior policy analyst) and Alban Mas Aparisi (economist, associate researcher at the “Les Afriques dans le monde” laboratory at Sciences Po Bordeaux), two of the authors of this study discuss with the FARM Foundation the main findings and future perspectives.

Copyright (c) 2025 Tolu Owoeye

How would you describe current dietary patterns in West Africa, and what major changes have occurred compared to the 2010s across the region?

Alban: We have observed three major shifts in West African food systems over the past two decades.

First, there has been a monetization of diets. At the heart of this transformation is the increasing role of markets in household food supply.

In 2000, nearly two-thirds of West Africa’s population lived in rural areas. That rural majority is now a thing of the past: today, more than half the population lives in urban areas—a trend that is expected to continue. Urban dwellers source almost all their food through the market. The share of the regional workforce employed in agriculture has dropped from 57% to 42% over the past 20 years—and in some countries, such as Senegal and Ghana, it has fallen to around 30%.

Even in rural areas, market reliance has grown considerably. The rise in non-agricultural employment in rural zones has coincided with a decline in self-production for household consumption. Foods that were once emblematic of subsistence, like sorghum or millet, are now mostly purchased on the market.

This monetization trend is accompanied by a second major development: the structural diversification of consumption patterns. As food becomes increasingly commercialized, consumption turns into an economic opportunity. Supply chains now span national, regional, and global levels, bringing a broader array of products to market.

This also applies to food processing levels: the share of processed and ultra-processed foods has risen sharply. This trend reflects trade-offs driven by urbanization. With higher incomes and longer commutes, urban households—especially women, who bear the primary responsibility for food shopping and preparation—seek to reduce the time spent cooking meals.

Average share of food consumed in Mali, Nigeria, and Senegal, by stage of processing (%)

Source: OECD/SWAC, 2024

This transformation presents both risks and opportunities. The key risk lies in public health, particularly the negative nutritional impacts of some ultra-processed foods. The major opportunity lies in developing a regional agri-food economy centered on locally sourced, high-value products, such as cassava flour or fresh produce (vegetables, fruits, dairy), which also drive improvements in logistics. This “hidden middle”—comprising food processing, logistics, and food services—is growing rapidly and generating large-scale employment and income across the region.

A third and related trend is the diversification of consumption and food purchasing locations. Open-air markets are becoming less central as the main access point for food in West Africa. While the “supermarket revolution” seen in other parts of the continent remains marginal here, kiosks and street vendors are playing an increasingly important role, particularly in urban areas. Moreover, eating outside the home is becoming more common, especially at lunchtime, as commute distances increase.

Does this dietary diversification lead to better nutritional quality?

Jill: Not necessarily. Some of the changes linked to dietary diversification in West Africa are positive from a nutritional standpoint. In countries like Mali, for instance, fruit and vegetable consumption has increased significantly: fruit consumption has doubled in just four years, and vegetable consumption has risen from four to five days a week.

However, alongside this growth in the intake of nutritious foods, there has also been a marked increase in the consumption of foods high in fat, sugar, or those that are heavily processed.

Processed and ultra-processed foods are rapidly becoming more prevalent. In 2019, they accounted for nearly half of all food consumed weekly by households in Mali, Nigeria, and Senegal. While not all processed foods are nutritionally harmful (e.g., flours or dried tomatoes), ultra-processed foods often are. This raises serious concerns about the nutritional quality of diets. Economic liberalization and urban lifestyles are deeply altering eating habits, with increasing influence from global food giants (such as Coca-Cola, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Nestlé, and Frito-Lay), often at the expense of healthy eating.

These dynamics are occurring within a broader context defined by the “triple burden” of malnutrition—where undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and overnutrition coexist. In 2021, more than 58 million people in the region were underweight, while around 52 million were overweight or obese.

Obesity is rising quickly in urban areas, along with overweight rates: one-third of the urban adult population in West Africa is overweight, and 12% is obese. In Ghana, obesity has reached worrying levels: half of urban adults are overweight, and 20% are obese.

These figures highlight the need to refocus food policy and research agendas in the region around the goal of healthy eating—particularly by addressing food issues in urban areas.

Economic accessibility—defined as the relationship between food prices, incomes, and household purchasing power—is a major barrier to adopting healthy diets. Poorer households struggle to afford nutrient-rich foods—such as animal products, fruits, and vegetables—which remain relatively expensive compared to staples like cereals and starchy roots. Thus, dietary diversification does not benefit everyone equally. For much of West Africa’s population, healthy eating remains economically out of reach.

The broader food environment[2] also plays a crucial role in shaping consumption habits. Physical access to products, marketing strategies, food advertising, and consumer information all heavily influence what people in the region eat.

What share of household income is currently spent on food in West Africa?

Jill: In West Africa, households spend on average 55% of their income on food, with variations across countries: 56% in Mali, 65% in Nigeria, and 49% in Senegal. Even the wealthiest households allocate between 42% and 60% of their income to food. This underscores the central role that food expenditure plays in everyday life in the region.

This also makes households highly vulnerable to food price volatility: even a slight increase can significantly reduce the consumption of nutritious foods—often the most expensive—which are the first to be cut from household diets. The consequences can be long-lasting, especially for child nutrition. Structurally, the high food price inflation that began around 2020 has become one of the leading causes of food and nutrition insecurity in the region—beyond mere issues of food availability.

How do people in West Africa source their food today? What role does out-of-home eating play?

Jill: Urbanization, rising incomes, and changing lifestyles have greatly influenced both food habits and sourcing practices in the region. As Alban noted earlier, households now rely heavily on markets for their food supply. In major cities, over 90% of food is purchased from markets.

Sales outlets have diversified. While open-air markets remain essential, consumers now buy food from a wide range of sources: street vendors, kiosks, retail shops, and supermarkets. As cities expand and mobility-related inequalities grow—limiting access to large markets—small-scale vendors form a dense urban network that plays a central role. This differentiation matters because the type of outlet shapes the food offer. Open-air markets remain the main source for staples like tubers and vegetables, while dairy, eggs, and sweets are more often bought in shops. Street vendors play a key role in fruit supply, complemented by other outlets.

Share of food purchased in Mali and Senegal, by type of outlet (%)

Source: SWAC/OECD, 2024

Eating away from home is becoming increasingly common, particularly in urban areas. In 2018–2019, one-third of households in Mali, Nigeria, and Senegal reported that at least one family member ate lunch outside the home during the week. This trend reflects a lifestyle shift toward greater convenience and exposure to a wider variety of food options.

What about rural areas—are these changes affecting them as well?

Alban: The data show that these transformations are affecting rural areas too, although typically to a lesser extent than in urban zones.

First, market dependence, though lower in rural areas, is already significant: about 50% of food consumed in rural areas is purchased. This is supported by data from Mali, Nigeria, and Senegal, where between one-third and two-thirds of traditionally homegrown cereals—like millet and sorghum—are now bought from markets.

Second, dietary diversification is also taking place in rural communities. In Mali, for example, the average number of food groups consumed rose from 8 to 9.4 in ten years. However, this diversification is less pronounced for nutrient-rich products like fruits, vegetables, and animal-sourced foods—likely due to lower rural incomes. In contrast, the consumption of processed and ultra-processed foods is rising at a similar rate across rural and urban areas: in Mali and Senegal, their share in diets is now nearly equal in both contexts.

Finally, eating away from home is also expanding in rural zones. Around one-third of rural households in Mali, Nigeria, and Senegal have lunch out at least once a week—similar to urban levels (40%)—and between 8% and 17% eat dinner outside the home. When snacks and beverages are included, nearly three-quarters of rural households in these countries consume food or drink outside the home on a weekly basis.

[1] The note “Transformation of Diets and Food Environments in the Sahel and West Africa” was published by SWAC/OECD and produced by Véronique Theriault (Michigan State University), Jill Bouscarat (SWAC/OECD), Alban Mas Aparisi (SWAC/OECD), Philipp Heinrigs (SWAC/OECD), and Amidou Assima (Michigan State University).

[2] In this study, we define the food environment as composed of four dimensions: physical access; affordability; promotion, advertising and information; and food quality/safety, see HLPE 2017 report.

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