Liberia’s Food Security In Question: Where Are The Emergency Food Reserves?

Three years after adopting a national food-reserve policy, the Boakai government faces questions about funding, implementation and the country’s readiness for a prolonged disruption in international food supplies.

MONROVIA, LIBERIA — As Western governments encourage citizens to stockpile food and essential supplies against possible emergencies, Liberia faces an important national security question: How long could the country feed its population if international food shipments were suddenly disrupted?

The growing concern over global conflicts, cyberattacks, climate disasters and supply-chain disruptions has pushed governments in Europe and elsewhere to strengthen emergency preparedness.

For Liberia, the concern is particularly serious because the country remains heavily dependent on imported rice, its principal staple food.

Interestingly, Liberia already has a policy intended to address this vulnerability.

On April 5, 2023, the government adopted Executive Order No. 118, establishing guidelines for managing national food reserves. The order provided for maintaining emergency food stocks to address shortages, natural disasters and disruptions to food supplies.

It also required annual government budget allocations to replenish the reserves and assigned the Ministry of Agriculture responsibility for developing procurement, storage, monitoring and distribution procedures.

However, more than three years later, an important question remains: How much food is physically available in Liberia’s national emergency reserves, and how long could those stocks sustain the population?

Publicly accessible information does not establish the current quantities, financial value or coverage period of the national reserves. This does not prove that the reserves are empty, but it raises legitimate questions about implementation and transparency.

LIBERIA’S IMPORT DEPENDENCE

The country’s exposure becomes clearer when rice consumption is examined.

The Food and Agriculture Organization estimated in 2025 that Liberia’s annual rice demand was approximately 650,000 metric tons, while domestic production of milled rice was about 240,000 metric tons.

The Ministry of Agriculture subsequently reported that domestic production meets only 35 to 40 percent of national demand, while rice imports exceeded US$75 million during the first half of 2026.

A prolonged interruption in international shipments could therefore expose the country to rising food prices, shortages and increased hardship for households.

The World Food Programme’s 2026–2030 country strategy also identifies food-import dependence, price volatility, weak infrastructure and climate-related shocks as major threats to Liberia’s food security.

WHERE IS THE IMPLEMENTATION?

In January 2026, Liberia published a Preparedness Plan for Food and Nutrition Security Crises, intended to strengthen early warning systems and government coordination during food emergencies.

The Ministry of Agriculture has also announced a US$370 million agricultural investment portfolio, presented in Rome in October 2026. The proposed investments include US$243 million for rice, US$70 million for cocoa, US$32 million for cassava and US$25 million for maize.

While these proposals demonstrate the government’s stated ambition to strengthen domestic production, investment announcements alone cannot guarantee food availability during an emergency.

The government must explain which projects have secured financing, what has been implemented and how much additional food production is expected.

More importantly, the Ministry of Agriculture should disclose whether Executive Order No. 118 has been fully implemented, how much money has been appropriated and spent on national food reserves, and whether functioning storage facilities exist across the counties.

WHAT LIBERIA SHOULD DO

The Boakai administration should immediately conduct and publish a comprehensive audit of national emergency food reserves.

The assessment should establish:

– The actual quantities of rice and other essential commodities in government storage.

– The amount of public money allocated and spent on food reserves since 2023.

– The locations and conditions of national and county storage facilities.

– How long existing stocks could support the population during an interruption in imports.

– The arrangements for replenishing and distributing emergency supplies.

The General Auditing Commission should examine procurement, storage and inventory management to ensure accountability.

The government should also establish realistic emergency food-stock targets covering 21 days, 30 days or longer, based on national consumption requirements.

At the same time, investment in domestic rice production, irrigation, farm mechanization, feeder roads and agricultural storage must accelerate.

THE LEGISLATURE MUST DEMAND ANSWERS

The National Legislature should summon officials of the Ministries of Agriculture and Finance, the Ministry of Commerce and the National Disaster Management Agency to explain the country’s emergency food-security arrangements.

Lawmakers should demand documentary evidence of budget allocations, actual expenditures, available food stocks and emergency distribution capacity.

This issue should not become a political dispute between administrations. The food-reserve policy was adopted in 2023, while the current government has responsibility for demonstrating its implementation and strengthening national preparedness.

THE QUESTION THE BOAKAI GOVERNMENT MUST ANSWER

If international rice shipments stopped arriving tomorrow, how many days could Liberia feed its population using existing government emergency reserves?

How much money has been spent building those reserves, and where is the food?

These are not questions that should be answered with political assurances. They require verifiable figures and public accountability.

Western governments are preparing their populations for possible emergencies, even without evidence that a global catastrophe is imminent. Liberia should adopt the same precautionary approach, taking into account its economic realities and dependence on imported food.

Liberia must not wait for international supply chains to collapse before discovering whether it can feed its people. Food security is national security, and emergency preparedness must be demonstrated through actual reserves, adequate funding and measurable results.