AGRICULTURE FAMILIALE FACE AUX DÉFIS DE LA SÉCURITÉ ALIMENTAIRE DES MÉNAGES DANS LES PAYS DU SUD: CAS DE LA RÉGION DE TAHOUA AU NIGER

Résumé

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.