The quality of local products in the face of the challenges of food sovereignty: the case of local rice

Abstract: Food sovereignty is currently a major challenge for developing countries, especially in Africa, where rice is a staple food. In Senegal, among the most imported cereals, rice holds a significant place. The quantity consumed each year is rapidly evolving, estimated at around 206,000 tons in 2007, with the assumption that this demand will continue to grow due to accelerated urbanization and a rapidly increasing population, creating a deficit ranging between 66 and 76% that needs to be filled (Hathie and Ndiaye, 2015). To fill this deficit, Senegal imports enormous quantities of rice (7 to 8% of total imports (ANSD, 2007), and these imports have harmful effects on the Senegalese trade balance, resulting in a significant loss of foreign currency, as Senegal loses every year, approximately 191 billion in terms of rice imports. However, achieving food sovereignty is not limited to increasing national rice production. It is also about ensuring the quality of local rice capable of competing with imported rice, in order to convince consumers to fully adopt it. The objective of this article is to determine the determining factors of the quality of local rice and to show how Senegalese households appreciate the quality of local rice. For so doing, two samples of 225 and 258 (the first for the exploratory phase and the second for the confirmatory phase) are analyzed using SPSS and AMOS software. The results reveal three essential criteria that determine consumer choice and allow them to appreciate the quality of local rice.