Integrating the Climate–Ecosystems Nexus into Public Policies and Regional Governance to Strengthen Food Sovereignty in West Africa and the Sahel
Abstract
West Africa and the Sahel face increasing vulnerability to climate shocks, ecosystem degradation, and institutional instability, which are persistently undermining regional food sovereignty. In this context, this study empirically examines the integration of the Climate–Ecosystems Nexus into national and regional public policies, assessing its impact on food sovereignty. The main objective is to determine the extent to which climate resilience, agricultural performance, and institutional quality influence states’ capacity to ensure sustainable food availability. The analysis is based on a dynamic panel model covering ten countries in West Africa and the Sahel over the period 2000–2023. Food sovereignty is measured using the FAO’s Average Dietary Energy Supply Adequacy (ADESA) indicator, which reflects the capacity of a national food system to meet the population’s dietary energy requirements. The model is estimated using the System Generalized Method of Moments (System GMM) to address endogeneity and account for the structural persistence of food systems. The explanatory variables include agricultural value added, climate variability, the ND-GAIN climate resilience index, agricultural methane emissions, and several governance indicators, including control of corruption, political stability, the rule of law, regulatory quality, and government effectiveness. These variables are complemented by macroeconomic control variables, namely inflation and population growth. The results reveal substantial inertia in food sovereignty, highlighting its structural and cumulative nature. Agricultural value added has a significant positive effect, confirming the central role of domestic production. Climate resilience emerges as a key determinant: countries better prepared to withstand environmental shocks are more successful in stabilizing food availability. Conversely, agricultural methane emissions negatively affect food sovereignty, suggesting a trade-off between production intensification and ecological sustainability. From an institutional perspective, political stability and control of corruption significantly improve food system performance, whereas more formal dimensions of governance exhibit indirect or statistically insignificant effects. These findings confirm the relevance of an integrated Nexus approach to public policymaking. Food sovereignty emerges as a multidimensional objective requiring coordination among agricultural strategies, climate adaptation, sustainable ecosystem management, and institutional consolidation. This study contributes to the literature by proposing a unified dynamic model of the Climate–Ecosystems Nexus applied to West Africa and the Sahel. It also highlights the importance of responsible investment and coherent regional policy frameworks in ensuring long-term resilience to climate and geopolitical shocks.
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BibTeX
@misc{toure2026integrating,
title = {{Integrating the Climate–Ecosystems Nexus into Public Policies and Regional Governance to Strengthen Food Sovereignty in West Africa and the Sahel}},
author = {Lassana Toure},
howpublished = {HAL},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05827036v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Integrating the Climate–Ecosystems Nexus into Public Policies and Regional Governance to Strengthen Food Sovereignty in West Africa and the Sahel
AU - Lassana Toure
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/20
PB - HAL
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05827036v1
AB - West Africa and the Sahel face increasing vulnerability to climate shocks, ecosystem degradation, and institutional instability, which are persistently undermining regional food sovereignty. In this context, this study empirically examines the integration of the Climate–Ecosystems Nexus into national and regional public policies, assessing its impact on food sovereignty. The main objective is to determine the extent to which climate resilience, agricultural performance, and institutional quality influence states’ capacity to ensure sustainable food availability. The analysis is based on a dynamic panel model covering ten countries in West Africa and the Sahel over the period 2000–2023. Food sovereignty is measured using the FAO’s Average Dietary Energy Supply Adequacy (ADESA) indicator, which reflects the capacity of a national food system to meet the population’s dietary energy requirements. The model is estimated using the System Generalized Method of Moments (System GMM) to address endogeneity and account for the structural persistence of food systems. The explanatory variables include agricultural value added, climate variability, the ND-GAIN climate resilience index, agricultural methane emissions, and several governance indicators, including control of corruption, political stability, the rule of law, regulatory quality, and government effectiveness. These variables are complemented by macroeconomic control variables, namely inflation and population growth. The results reveal substantial inertia in food sovereignty, highlighting its structural and cumulative nature. Agricultural value added has a significant positive effect, confirming the central role of domestic production. Climate resilience emerges as a key determinant: countries better prepared to withstand environmental shocks are more successful in stabilizing food availability. Conversely, agricultural methane emissions negatively affect food sovereignty, suggesting a trade-off between production intensification and ecological sustainability. From an institutional perspective, political stability and control of corruption significantly improve food system performance, whereas more formal dimensions of governance exhibit indirect or statistically insignificant effects. These findings confirm the relevance of an integrated Nexus approach to public policymaking. Food sovereignty emerges as a multidimensional objective requiring coordination among agricultural strategies, climate adaptation, sustainable ecosystem management, and institutional consolidation. This study contributes to the literature by proposing a unified dynamic model of the Climate–Ecosystems Nexus applied to West Africa and the Sahel. It also highlights the importance of responsible investment and coherent regional policy frameworks in ensuring long-term resilience to climate and geopolitical shocks.
ER -