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Knowledge4Policy
Knowledge for policy

Supporting policy with scientific evidence

We mobilise people and resources to create, curate, make sense of and use knowledge to inform policymaking across Europe.

  • Publication | 2016

Investing in rural people in Sierra Leone

Global Food and Nutrition Security

Rural poverty in Sierra Leone is widespread and deep. About 26 per cent of the people are food-insecure and cannot afford a basic diet, while 75 per cent live below the poverty line. Poverty is directly linked to the problems faced in agricultural production and commercialization. Food insecurity is more pronounced in households headed by women than in those headed by men. Widespread regional disparity exists in the incidence of poverty, with rural areas − where two thirds of the population live − being the hardest hit. Geographically, poverty is most severe in the eastern part of the country. The main poverty indicators are food insufficiency, poor housing, poor health, high infant and maternal mortality, high illiteracy rate, limited access to clean water and very low incomes.