Global wheat prices are so high that African consumers are starting to ditch the grain from their diet.

Food producers in Kenya, Egypt, the DRC, Nigeria and Cameroon say they’re mixing cheaper alternatives into their breads, pastries and pastas. Local rice, manioc flour and sorghum are substituted for wheat, which has spiked about 40% this year as Russia’s invasion squeezed exports from Ukraine, one of the biggest shippers.

These domestic crops are less exposed to trade disruptions and global inflation, thus offering some protection from food prices that remain near record levels...