Agricultural policy and food security in Liberia

Improving access to food through broad-based participation in income-generating activities in key agricultural supply chains, together with the development of safety nets that protect the welfare of Liberia's diverse types of vulnerable individuals and households represent two of the major food security challenges facing the Liberian government after fourteen years of civil conflict. Responding to these challenges will depend largely on how the government responds to five major challenges in transitioning from an emergency situation to one focused on longterm development: 1) resettling IDPs and reintegrating ex-combatants; 2) reducing the real cost of food; 3) improving macroeconomic management and governance; 4) generating broad-based growth in rural incomes through smallholder development; and 5) developing public sector capacity to analyze, plan, prioritize, coordinate and monitor policies and programs. Success in addressing these issues may depend largely on the ability to go beyond strictly technical responses to develop innovative actions that take into account the numerous and complex socio-political factors existing in the country in the post-conflict period.