Food Accessibility in Grand Lomé, Togo: A Household Perception Analysis

Abstract

In West Africa, 110 million urban dwellers do not have access to sustainable food. 22 million are underweight and the majority are overweight. The aim of this study is to identify the obstacles to food accessibility in Grand Lomé, Togo. A questionnaire was administered to 963 randomly sampled heads of households. Qualitative data were collected through group and individual interviews, as well as field observation. Excel spreadsheet and R-Studio software were used to process and analyze quantitative data, while verbal statements collected via interviews were subjected to content analysis. The results reveal, firstly, inequalities in physical access to food: the Fisher test applied to the data at the 5% threshold (p-value < 1.509e-07), indicates that perception of distance from food markets is strongly linked to place of residence. Secondly, low purchasing power and high food prices mentioned respectively by 88.34% and 72.25% of respondents, are the primary causes of food insecurity. In fact, economic poverty particularly affects large families and those whose heads of household work in the craft and trade sectors. More than half of all respondents cite the high cost of animal products, tubers/roots and fruit, while the reasons for this vary according to the respondent’s level of education. The acquisition of “tubers/roots”, “livestock products” and “dairy products” is more conditioned by the proximity of food shops, while that of “cereals/legumes”, “vegetables” and “beverages” depends on the price and purchasing power of the household. This information is crucial for plan- ning actions to combat food inequalities in this urban area.