Food insecurity is a major challenge for Niger and for many African countries. The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors affecting household food security in Niger. Based on survey data covering 500 households, drought, high food prices, poverty, soil infertility, disease and insect attacks are reported by the respondents to be the main causes of food insecurity. The empirical results from logistic regression revealed that the gender of the head of household, diseases and pests, labor supply, flooding, poverty, access to market, the distance away from the main road and food aid are significant factors influencing the odds ratio of a household having enough daily rations. Another important finding is that female headed households are more vulnerable to food insecurity compared to male headed households. The findings of this study provide evidence that food insecurity continues to affect the Nigerien population.

This paper investigates price transmission from international and regional markets to Niger domestic grain markets using monthly wholesale prices. Cointegration and error correction models were employed to analyze the degree of price transmission. Tests of causality were also performed. In general, the results showed that grain markets in Niger respond to negative and positive shocks in regional and international markets differently. Maize and rice markets have high speed of adjustments to world prices compared to millet and sorghum markets. The speed of adjustment of prices to the long-run equilibrium varies between 30 percent, 35 percent, 48 percent and 40 percent respectively for millet, sorghum, maize and rice prices. Nigeria, Burkina-Faso, Mali, Togo and Vietnam markets have shown significant transmission in Niger markets. Supply and demand shocks in these markets will definitely affect Niger food prices. Based on this analysis, we suggest that Niger should develop a proper trade policy with its neighboring countries to facilitate regional market integration. This will enable Niger to import cereals from regional surplus-producing areas to supply its food shock regions to reduce the negative impacts of price shocks on households. For rice, Niger should encourage local production to limit high dependence on international markets.

The United States leads the world in agricultural biotechnology research, adoption, commercialization, and exports. Our biotech commodities are highly dependent on international markets. Thus, any biotech policy changes by key importing countries may affect U.S. agricultural biotech product exports. This article identifies key markets for U.S. agricultural exports including biotech commodities and discusses current and proposed biotech policies in key markets for U.S. agricultural exports focusing on Canada, Mexico, Japan, the European Union (EU), and China. Among these markets, labeling of biotech products is voluntary in Canada and Mexico but is mandatory in Japan, the EU, and, most recently, in China. For the EU, U.S. corn exports were almost completely shut out, while U.S. soybean exports also declined because of the EU's biotech policies. The World Trade Organization dispute filed by the United States has yet to be finalized. China's biotech regulations raised concern by U.S. agricultural exporters. However, through U.S. Department of Agriculture education programs, U.S.–China negotiations, and China's domestic soybean shortage, China's biotech regulations do not appear to have had long-run impacts on U.S. soybean exports to China.

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