Drivers of household food availability in sub-Saharan Africa based on big data from small farms

Achieving sustainable food security (i.e., the basic right of people to produce and/or purchase the food they need, without harming the social and biophysical environment) is a major challenge in a world of rapid human population growth, large-scale changes in economic development and in the face of climate change.

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), production on smallholder farms is critical to the food security of the rural poor and contributes the majority of food production at the national level.

National policies and local interventions have pro- found impacts on the opportunities and constraints that affect smallholders.

However, policy frameworks that aim to improve food security and rural livelihoods in the developing world face many uncertainties and often fail.

The formulation of effective policies needs adequate information on how different options affect the complex issues surrounding food security and sustainable development.