AGRICULTURE FAMILIALE FACE AUX DÉFIS DE LA SÉCURITÉ ALIMENTAIRE DES MÉNAGES DANS LES PAYS DU SUD

Abstract

Niger, a Sahelian country, is desert on three quarters of its surface. Moreover, on the strip of barely 200 km wide north of the borders that Niger shares with Benin and Nigeria, the conditions for the exercise of agriculture are difficult because of the insufficiency and the irregular rainfall and also low soil fertility. The yields of the dominant rainfed crops in Niger (millet, sorghum, cowpeas and groundnuts) are generally low, and the possibilities of extension of these crops seem a priori limited in the face of a growing population. The eight regions of Niger, 85% rural, find their livelihood in family farming. This agriculture and livestock are the two udders of the Nigerien economy and contribute to GDP at 40%. This paper looks for the food security challenges faced by family farming in southern countries, particularly in the Tahoua region of Niger.