Cereal Banks, At Your Service? : The Story of Toundeu-Patar: a Village Somewhere in the Sahel

Food security is one of the major concerns of people living in sub-Saharan Africa.

In recent years, cereal banks have become a widespread and popular response to the problem.

This book presents, in the form of a story, some of the main questions and issues surrounding the setting up and running of a cereal bank.

It includes, in the annexes, case studies of real cereal banks and information about such practical problems as price setting and simple accounting methods.

It is intended for development workers who are interested in the contribution that cereal banks can make to village-level food security, and for communities which wish to take control of their own food supply and lessen their dependence on the uncertainties of the market.

It has been produced by the Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN) in response to requests for information from ALIN members, and it is on their experience that much of it is based.