Market dynamics, global shocks, and supply chain constraints in agricultural commodity markets: Evidence from Northern Sierra Leone

This article examines the multifaceted interactions between global market forces, digital transformation, consumer behaviour shifts, and supply chain constraints in shaping agricultural commodity prices in Northern Sierra Leone. Drawing on primary survey data collected from 202 respondents across Yoni Chiefdom, Tonkolili District, in June 2025, the study employs a cross-sectional research design with chi-square analyses to investigate the relationships between occupational categories and market-related outcomes. The findings reveal that digital marketplace expansion (24.3%), changing consumer preferences (22.3%), and sustainability concerns (22.3%) constitute the dominant trends impacting local agricultural prices. While 62.9% of respondents reported that e-commerce has increased commodity prices, the local food movement emerged as the single most significant consumer trend (34.7%), followed by clean-label preferences (17.8%) and health-conscious buying (17.3%). International trade agreements (24.3%) and currency fluctuations (21.8%) were identified as the primary external market factors affecting local price dynamics. Critically, the chi-square analyses demonstrated statistically significant associations between occupation and the experience of market challenges (χ² = 13.990, df = 4, p = 0.007) and between occupation and adaptation of farming practices (χ² = 13.438, df = 4, p = 0.009). Despite these pressures, collaborative arrangements among agricultural stakeholders remain underdeveloped, with only 58.9% engaging in any form of collective action, predominantly through knowledge sharing (37.0%) and shared transportation (34.5%). The study contributes empirical evidence from an under-researched region to ongoing debates regarding food systems transformation in sub-Saharan Africa and offers policy recommendations for strengthening rural market integration, digital infrastructure, and cooperative frameworks to enhance food security and smallholder resilience.