Food in Gambia

The Gambia's food supply is established but fragmented across households, farms, markets, street-food sellers, restaurants and hotels. The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Security supports food crops, vegetables, livestock, fisheries, aquaculture and value chains through the Gambia National Agricultural Investment Plan II for 2019–2026. Domestic production supplies about half of national food requirements, while imports supply roughly the other half. Rice is the most consumed cereal, so import dependence, exchange rates and transport costs can affect availability and household budgets. Fish is a central source of animal protein. Groundnuts, millet, maize, sorghum and okra are also widely used. Common dishes include Domoda, a peanut stew; Benachin, a rice dish also known as Jollof rice; Yassa, usually prepared with marinated chicken or fish; Superkanja, an okra stew; and Chura-Gerté, a sweet rice porridge. Drinks and juices may include bissap, wonjo, baobab, ditakh and kaba. Many households eat three meals a day. Breakfast is often bought from street-food sellers, and food sharing from a communal bowl remains culturally relevant. Rice appears in about 99% of households, bread in 97% and vegetable oil in 91.4%. The average reported energy supply is about 2,135 kilocalories per person per day, with carbohydrates providing about 61% of energy. The Ministry of Health's 2023 Food-Based Dietary Guidelines and the National Nutrition Agency promote varied, safe and locally available foods, fortification and hygiene. Dietary diversity remains low. The reported minimum acceptable diet for children aged 6–23 months was 14%, while grains were consumed by about 86–96% of children in that age group. Breastfeeding is widespread, but exclusive breastfeeding was reported at 54% in 2019. These figures describe population nutrition patterns and do not replace individual medical advice. Public school meals are coordinated by the School Feeding Unit of the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education with the World Food Programme. Targeted public pre-primary and primary schools in vulnerable regions and districts serve children aged 2–13 years a hot mid-morning meal five days a week, with a target of at least 40% of daily energy and micronutrient needs. Schools with fewer than 200 pupils may buy food locally through a cash-transfer arrangement. As of 2022, no official national nutrition standards for school food had been identified; school gardens, poultry and fishponds can supplement the programme. Food access differs by region. The urban and coastal tourism corridor generally offers more restaurants and hotels, while upcountry households rely more heavily on local production, markets and seasonal supplies. Food insecurity was highest in the Central River Region at 24.1–29.8% in the cited 2021 profile, followed by the Lower River Region and West Coast Region at 15.8% each. These figures do not provide a current menu or price map. Prices and portions vary by place, season and seller. The lean season commonly lasts four to six months and often overlaps with the rainy season. The Gambia Bureau of Statistics food and non-alcoholic beverages index reached 206.23 in July 2026, using January 2020 as 100. During the 2025 lean season, about 244,000 people were reported to face acute food insecurity, and local rice prices in October 2025 were about 10% higher than a year earlier. The Food Safety and Quality Authority, abbreviated FSQA, is the national competent authority for food, water, beverages and animal feed across local, imported and exported products. The Food Safety and Quality Act 2011 has operated since 2013. Food businesses need registration and licensing with FSQA, and registration was open in 2026. The Gambia Standards Bureau sets standards. Food Fortification Regulations 2020 cover wheat flour, edible fats and oils, and salt. Groundnuts and groundnut products are subject to regulations issued in 2023. The current inspection fee for an imported container is D1,500; other fees and obligations should be checked for the specific activity. Hygiene and contamination risks deserve particular attention with street food, fast food, perishable products and complementary foods. Rainfall variability, climate change, salinity, rising sea-level pressure, post-harvest losses and weak marketing and cold-chain infrastructure affect food security. Current policy gives attention to resilient value chains, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, natural-resource management and replacing some imports with local production. Palm-wine tapping remains a food and drink practice under UNESCO safeguarding for 2024–2026, while deforestation, bush fires and cheap imported liquor create related sustainability pressures. A practical food choice therefore involves more than the dish itself: availability, safe preparation, seasonal price, storage and the local source all affect the result.