Cereal Banks

This solution was shared by PRE-LAUNCH RESEARCH TEAM , 14 May 2021

Print date: 21 March 2025 13:58

Description of the innovative solution

Community building Sharing economy Staple food Desert agriculture Indigenous crops Traditional food Perishable food

Prices of cereals fluctuate a lot depending on seasons and potential food system shocks, such as droughts, pests, and diseases. Cereal banking is a community-based risk management strategy that involves buying food during harvest when prices are low and storing it for consumption during tough seasons when food prices are high. The purpose is to smooth availability and consumption patterns in rural communities and households throughout the year. Cereal banks have been already introduced in several regions seriously affected by climate change and food insecurity. Cereal Banks can provide the local communities, mostly living in rural areas, with the opportunity to trade their productions in more advantageous periods. This system will be helpful to strengthen the country’s organizational, logistic and infrastructural effectiveness.

Primary users

Small & medium commercial farmers
Low/Middle income households
Rural consumers
Local government (municipalities)
Non-Government Organizations

Dietary impact

Cereal banks enable farmers to afford and constantly consume cereal and grains at a relatively low price year-round. This would tremendously improve low-income communities’ dietary health as cereals are the main source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Planetary impact

Grains can be generally environmentally friendly and efficient crops to grow, as it requires relatively little water compared to other crops. It is reported that the water intake for grain production is 0.51 liters of water per calorie of grains, compared to 2.09 liters for fruit and 1.34 liters of vegetables. Therefore, the presence of cereal banks can further push communities in adopting an efficient, yet nutritious diet.

Equity impact

Smallholder farming communities in developing countries are constantly facing climatic and abiotic challenges that prevent them from producing maximum crop yield. As a result of this, their financial condition is very unstable and most of them are unable to meet basic needs like sanitation, healthcare, education, or food. Cereal banks help address the social disparity happening in society by democratizing access to affordable and quality food so that low-income communities can be food secured.

Main concerns

Cereal banks must be well-constructed and maintained for both food storage and equitable distribution, otherwise they represent several major potential risks in terms of vulnerability for food safety and loss (to pests or a rodent infestation, spoilage, etc) as well as causing conflicts during times of stress / at the time of reliance on banked resources. This can be devastating news given a large amount of investment multiple types of local stakeholders may have contributed (time, resources, social capital and truct, crop yield itself, etc.).

Supply chain segment

Financial aspects

Maturity level

Mainstream

Criteria

Food affordability

SDG target

SDG 2: Zero Hunger SDG 10: Reduced Inequality SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

Context

Rural

Examples and additional resources

Real-world examples

See this solution in action in different contexts and settings around the world

Cereal Bank in Mali

Project information

Cereal Banks have allowed rural communities in Mali to purchase grain at low cost during challenging seasons.

Mali

nrc.no/news/2018/...ty-in-mali/

Shared by PRE-LAUNCH RESEARCH TEAM

Additional resources

Learn more about this solution through studies, articles, business cases, and other information

Are cereal banks best option to fight hunger?

News article, popular press or blog post

This article raises some concerns and doubts about the use of cereal banks in low-income communities in Africa.

thenewhumanitarian.org/fr...545