What feeds protest participation in sub-Saharan Africa? An empirical analysis

Abstract

Globally, there is a growing concern about the future of food security and its influence on social cohesion; however, these concerns vary both within and across countries. Previous research has focused on one dimension of food security to explain protest participation. Using Afrobarometer data from 31 sub-Saharan African countries across four waves of surveys from 2005 to 2015, we employ a multilevel model to account for all four dimensions of food security: availability, access, utilization and stability. We find that: (i) a negative relationship exists between higher cereal production and protests; (ii) individuals in countries with higher access to hygiene facilities are less likely to protest, and (iii) high domestic food price variability increases the likelihood of protests. These findings suggest a complex relationship between each dimension of food security and social unrest. Addressing these deficiencies can not only improve food security in the region, but can also lower some of the expected adverse impacts from a changing climate.