Food in São Tomé and Príncipe

More than 65% of the population works in agriculture, much of it in subsistence production with limited productivity and diversification. Cocoa accounts for about 90% of exports, while domestic food supply relies on bananas, rice, cassava, maize, beans, tubers, vegetables, fruit and breadfruit. Fish, pork, chicken and small ruminants provide animal foods. Local production does not fully meet domestic demand, making imports central to the supply of rice, wheat, pasta, beans and other basic goods. Artisanal fishing is a major food source. São Tomé and Príncipe has a maritime economic zone of about 160,000 square kilometres, and aquatic foods provide more than half of protein consumption. Bonito, barracuda, pargo, vermelho, corvina, octopus and búzio are among the fish and seafood found in local trade. Fish may be sold fresh, salted or smoked, with Gamboa serving as a major landing and market location. São Tomé Island has the larger market and supply function, while Príncipe has a smaller and more regional food economy. Cooking commonly involves boiling, steaming, frying, smoking or salting. Rice, bananas, breadfruit, cassava and matabala often accompany meals. Calúlú, also written calulu, is a thick stew that may contain smoked fish or meat, leaves and herbs, and sometimes prawns or snails. Other foods associated with São Tomé include Ijogó, BláBlá, Izaquente, Kisaca, Feijão à moda da terra, matabala porridge, breadfruit with salt cod, pirão, octopus, omelettes and matabala fritters. Príncipe has distinctive dishes and products such as Molho no Fogo, Azagoa, Ufundi Maquita, Obobô, Bobofito, fried yams and Moqueca. Calúlú is also prepared in family and community settings and may appear at religious celebrations, weddings and funerals. People obtain food through markets, roadside and small retail trade, households, restaurants and hotels. Palayês are local market traders who help connect producers and buyers. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development, known as MAPDR, oversees agriculture, fisheries, livestock, rural development, food security and nutrition. Its fisheries directorate, the Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture, works with local producers, fishers and other organisations. On Príncipe, the agricultural delegation provides the island-level institutional link. Nutrition remains closely connected to food availability and diet diversity. The national diet is rich in carbohydrates and starchy foods, while diversification is limited. Available indicators report anaemia in about 65% of children under five, with the cited WHO figure from 2016, and modelled stunting of about 10%. Exclusive breastfeeding is reported at 63%, early breastfeeding initiation at 36%, and household use of iodised salt at 89%. National nutrition and food-security policies address these issues, but these indicators do not describe every household or current local condition. The national PNASE school meals programme provides institutional food access through schools rather than a universal food entitlement. Its target is about 50,000 children, roughly one quarter of the population. The state implements the programme with technical support from the World Food Programme, and the home-grown school feeding approach is planned through 2030. A 2023 pilot reached about 6,700 children in schools in Lembá, Cantagalo, Lobata and Mé-Zóchi and increased the local share of food purchases from about 5% to about 50%. Food safety is especially sensitive in fresh fish handling. Historically weak cooling and storage systems have allowed fish to remain unrefrigerated for long periods, while open sales can expose food to dust and insects. Fish kept with ice or other cooling, transported over short distances and sold on hygienic surfaces presents a safer handling pathway. Smoking or salting reduces some risks but does not make food automatically safe. Fisheries training and the 2024 Fisheries Management Plan address handling, food safety, catch data and monitoring. Food prices are exposed to import dependence and supply shocks. The national consumer price index measures price changes rather than a fixed national price level. Food and non-alcoholic beverages contributed 8.5% to the year-on-year change in São Tomé in May 2025, while the World Food Programme reported inflation of 25.2% in 2023 and national inflation was 14.4% in 2024. These figures use different periods and measures, so they should not be treated as one current food-price rate. Local food can also cost more than imported food when production, transport or storage costs are high. The MAPDR's Programa Mais Alimentos for 2025 and 2026 offers selected producers seeds, animals, tools and other inputs to strengthen local supply and lower market costs. It is targeted producer support, not a permanent general food benefit. Other food-system measures include irrigation, school purchasing from local producers, gardens, improved storage and preservation to reduce losses. An irrigation project in Camavo and Cantagalo supported more than 60 farmers across seven hectares. Sustainability efforts include the 2024 Fisheries Management Plan, the FISH4ACP programme for the coastal pelagic value chain, better data collection, improved handling and protection of fish stocks. National climate and land-degradation plans seek to reduce agrochemical use by 2030 and increase organic production, while the 2020 protocol titled “100% Organic São Tomé e Príncipe” supports that direction. Floods, droughts, heavy rain and other climate pressures can affect farming and fishing, and dependence on imported staples increases exposure to external shocks.