Fuel–food nexus in urban areas: evidence from Burkina Faso

ABSTRACT This study examines the transmission of fuel prices to food security among households with motorcycles in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, combining quantitative and behavioural analyses. The results indicate that approximately 61.3% of households were affected by food insecurity between 2018 and 2019. This share comprises those experiencing meagre forms of food insecurity (24.8%), moderate food insecurity (28.3%), and the most severely affected (8.2%). One of the chief reasons for food insecurity is households’ high reliance on motorcycles as a primary means of transportation. Low-income levels and unproductive rides can reinforce exposure to such vulnerability. Besides, households react differently and asymmetrically to fuel price changes. Reactions to hypothetical fluctuations in fuel prices suggest a positive association between gradual increases in fuel prices and food insecurity. Households’ exposure to food insecurity is further bolstered when the head is a female, non-salaried, less educated, of low income, or from a large household.