Which foods form the everyday food supply in Togo, and how does it differ by region?

Maize, rice, cassava, yam, sorghum, millet, fonio, legumes, fish and animal products form the main supply. Maritime and Plateaux areas have more maize, cassava, vegetables and coastal seafood, while Centrale, Kara and Savanes rely more on cereals, yam, legumes and livestock products.

How can households and food businesses reduce food-safety risks in Togo?

Use clean water, wash hands and utensils, separate raw and ready-to-eat food, cook food thoroughly, protect stored food and consume prepared food quickly or refrigerate it where possible. Food businesses also have hygiene and compliance duties, while relevant public responsibilities are shared among health, agriculture, hygiene and food-safety institutions.

Which institutions support food access and nutrition assistance in Togo?

ANSAT supports food-security stocks, market supply and emergency availability. WFP, UNICEF, health services and school-feeding programmes provide targeted assistance for groups such as crisis-affected households, displaced people, refugees, host communities and schoolchildren.

Why do food prices and access change during the year in Togo?

Prices depend on the market, location, portion, harvest and transport conditions, and access risks often rise during the June-to-August lean season. Flooding, insecurity and reduced production can interrupt supply, while the DNCF mercuriale provides reference price ranges rather than a universal retail price.

Which food practices can improve dietary variety and nutrition in Togo?

Combining staple foods with legumes, fish, meat, eggs, leafy vegetables and fruit improves dietary variety. Pregnant women, children during the first 1,000 days and children under five need particular attention, while diagnosis, treatment and supplementation should be handled by health services.

Food in Togo

Food in Togo combines locally produced staples, imported goods, household cooking, markets, street food and restaurants. Maize, rice, cassava, yam, sorghum, millet, fonio, legumes, fish and other animal products form the main supply, while regional availability and prices change with seasons, harvests and access conditions. Everyday meals include pâte or akoumé, fufu, djinkoumè, ablo, gaou and sauces made with peanuts, tomatoes or leafy vegetables.

Tip

Build regular meals around locally available staples, then add legumes, fish, meat, eggs, leafy vegetables or fruit where your budget and market access allow. Treat water, preparation, storage and freshness as safety decisions, especially for ready-to-eat food. During the June-to-August lean season or local disruptions, compare prices early and keep realistic alternatives for foods that become scarce.

byAfi&Koffi

Agriculture employs about 60% of Togo’s workforce and supplies much of the country’s food. Local production includes maize, rice, cassava, yam, sorghum, millet, fonio, beans and other legumes, alongside fish, meat and other animal products. Imports and urban trade supplement household production. Cereal output reached approximately 1.7 million tonnes in 2025, around 15% above the five-year average, and the general 2026 harvest outlook is favorable. Insecurity, labour and input costs and reduced cultivated areas still restrict access in parts of the Savanes region. Food patterns differ by region. Maritime and Plateaux areas produce maize, cassava and vegetables and have access to coastal fish and seafood. Centrale, Kara and Savanes rely more heavily on maize, sorghum, millet, yam, legumes and livestock products. Household income, season and local transport affect what people can buy. Lomé offers the widest culinary choice, while restaurants and hotels in other areas may prepare local dishes on request. Common preparation methods include boiling, pounding, fermenting maize or cassava, steaming ablo and frying bean beignets such as gaou. Thick or spicy sauces accompany staple foods, including peanut, clear, tomato, adémè, gboma and kodoro sauces. Maquis are informal restaurants, buvettes are beverage-focused venues and markets remain central places for purchasing fresh food. Regional names and recipes can differ for the same dish. Staple-heavy diets benefit from added variety through legumes, fish, meat, eggs, leafy vegetables and fruit. Dietary diversity is especially relevant during pregnancy, the first 1,000 days of life and childhood. UNICEF data report stunting among 22% of children under five in 2022, wasting among 6% in 2017 and exclusive breastfeeding at 64%; Savanes and Kara face particular nutrition concerns. Screening, treatment and supplementation belong with health services rather than general food guidance. Food-safety risks include unsafe water, sanitation gaps, contact between raw and ready-to-eat food, storage pests, adulteration and poor processing. Households and food businesses can reduce these risks by using clean water, washing hands and utensils, separating raw ingredients, cooking food thoroughly, protecting stored food and consuming prepared food quickly or refrigerating it where facilities exist. The Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health, services d’hygiène, the Institut National d’Hygiène (INH), the Institut Togolais de Recherche Agronomique (ITRA), the Codex Contact Point and the Laboratoire National de la Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments (LaNSA) share relevant responsibilities. LaNSA was established in 2025 and inaugurated in 2026 for microbiological, physicochemical and quality surveillance. Hygiene and hazard-control training, including good hygiene practices and HACCP, is being developed in 2026. No nationwide restaurant certification list has been verified here. General food purchases and preparation are open to households, but public assistance is targeted by programme. ANSAT supports food-security stocks, market supply and emergency availability. WFP provides crisis food or cash assistance, school meals and home-grown feeding, while UNICEF and health services support nutrition screening and assistance. Eligibility can focus on crisis-affected people, internally displaced people, refugees, host communities or schoolchildren. A school-feeding pilot covers 50 public primary schools and more than 17,000 pupils. Prices are quoted in XOF, also called FCFA, and vary by market, portion, location and date. FAO reported local maize prices as stable or declining from March to June 2026, with year-on-year decreases of about 25% to 40%; imported rice was stable or declining and close to 15% lower year on year. The DNCF mercuriale is a reference schedule with lower, average and upper prices, not a universal retail tariff. Access risks commonly increase during the lean season from June to August, and flooding or insecurity can interrupt supply. Most production depends on rainfall. Drought, floods, soil depletion, deforestation and pests threaten supply. Responses include certified seed, irrigation and water management, agroforestry, soil conservation, better storage, lower post-harvest losses, local processing and more sustainable fish and livestock practices. ProMAT 2025–2034 plans irrigation and drainage on 7,200 hectares and sustainable management on 50,000 hectares, but higher productivity can also increase pressure on land, water and ecosystems.