Settlement outside Bujumbura © Alexandra Illmer

Food security in Burundi has been declining over the last two decades to the extent that production per capita has fallen by over 40%. The fragile profile of small farms, bad water management and lack of modern equipment has been no match for the impact of conflict-related disruption and high population growth. Population has increased since 1988 from 6 million to 8 million, this growth pattern distorted by the large number of refugees returning to their home villages from Tanzania. Land density is the second highest in Africa.

The consequence of these pressures is that every region of the country is prone to crisis as the vagaries of rainfall and drought cause harvests to fail. Burundi's food situation is described by the UN as "chronic insecurity" requiring constant attention. Typically, about 10% of the population requires food aid each year. Almost half of the population is chronically malnourished and over a third of all young children underweight. The weak economy was in no position to cushion the blow from rising costs of imported food during 2008 and poor households have suffered.

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