Tag: food security

This article examines the performance of ten food security indicators across 91 countries in the world, categorised by their income levels, to identify differences and similarities. The variations and covariations observed in a multivariate way are outlined through Biplot plots that summarise the results of a Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The results show a direct link between the economic factors of the countries, food security, nutrition, and its derivatives. High-income countries are the best place for their populations to access a nutritious and quality food supply to meet the dietary energy needs needed for an active life. In contrast, low- and lower-middle-income countries still have critical indicators of the prevalence of severe or moderate food insecurity, malnutrition, and other related diseases, such as anaemia.

This exploratory article focuses on the factors influencing recent food price inflation in Latin America. The onset of the pandemic has significantly heightened concerns regarding food price inflation. Quarantines, mobility restrictions, and uncertainty all occurring in quick succession have led to substantial disruptions in both local and global value chains. Furthermore, the Ukraine-Russia conflict has exacerbated the existing inflationary situation, introducing additional interruptions and disturbances to agribusiness value chains. Drawing upon empirical research, this article examines the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the subsequent Ukraine-Russia conflict on food price inflation in Latin America. It also assesses the policy measures implemented by countries and provides future projections in this regard. Regional food inflation processes have prompted concerns regarding the vulnerability of food security and the weakness of supply chains in the region. It is crucial to consider the relationship between these processes and the overall price level of the economy. The evidence indicates that food prices have experienced more pronounced increases compared to the rest of the economy, suggesting a surge in prices relative to other consumer goods. This has directly impacted agricultural producers and end consumers of food.

The study analyses the determinants of food availability and access, and the causes of unsustainable food access in Ghana using three models. Regression results show that the effects of energy price, domestic and foreign interest rates, domestic prices and exchange rate on food availability are negative, while the effects of crop yield, arable land, liberalisation of agricultural trade and real income are positive. The analysis further shows the unique effects of energy price and human capital exceed their common effects. However, the common effects of domestic and foreign interest rates, inflation, crop yield, arable land, exchange rate, liberalisation of agricultural trade and income exceed their unique effects. The access model shows that the effects of domestic interest rate, exchange rate and oil price are negative. The unique effect of oil price exceeds the variable’s common effect. However, the common effects of exchange rate, interest rate and income exceed their unique effects. The stability model shows that good news and higher incomes enhance sustainable food access. However, higher oil price and depreciation of the local currency distort sustainable food access. The policy implication is that government should jointly target variables with higher common effects when addressing food access and availability. Withdrawal ...