Although considered to be the grain basket of Niger, the Madarounfa region has recorded a high rate of malnutrition that even exceeds the critical threshold of 2%. This study shows that malnutrition is a complex phenomenon involving multiple causes that cannot be reduced to a simple shortage of grain or economic issues. Moreover, it is important to note that, faced with the 2005 food crisis, the region's population developed various strategies to capture food aid. Rather than being experienced as a problem by local populations, malnutrition has in fact provided a "solution": not only has it helped to highlight the food crisis, but also, thanks to the food rations provided via the nutritional rehabilitation centers, it has enabled many families to improve their daily life and in some cases to survive.