Despite differences in pace and sequencing of adjustment programmes, economic liberalization has had far-reaching effects on the structure and the relative importance of actors involved in the supply and distribution of food in most African cities. Market reforms called for significant changes in the role of public and private sector agencies in food supply and distribution. Most public trading and marketing organizations previously responsible for marketing local and imported goods have been eliminated or privatized, while the private sector have now taken centre stage in food supply systems in many African cities. In Guinea, for instance, traders no longer need a licence or permit to import and/or distribute foodstuffs and are only required to submit import applications to banks. In Senegal and Burkina Faso, the role of the Ministry of Trade in food supplies is limited to drawing up and applying regulations for the whole trade sector.
Major problems have arisen, however, as a result of these changes largely because of capacity constraints which limit the ability of the private sector to operate an efficient food supply chain. The public sector is similarly constrained in performing its facilitating role of supporting private initiative and coordinating an effective food supply policy for cities. Many actors face a variety of problems in performing their essential functions, including financing, purchasing, storage, transport, sales, coordination and planning.
In this paper these problems are analysed from the perspective of the various actors. There is no pretence that this is an exhaustive study of the problems facing actors in food supply and distribution systems (FSDSs) in Africa. The authors have, however, attempted to give as full an account as possible of the constraints described to them by the actors in the course of various study missions in Africa. It begins by introducing the actors and their roles in urban FSDSs in Chapter 1. In Chapter 2 problems faced by various actors in urban FSDSs are discussed and the conclusions and recommendations are set out in Chapter 3.
