Equity in Global Food Systems Change: A Cross-Country Analysis of the Drivers of Food Insecurity
Abstract
Since the middle of the 20th century, policy makers have prioritized high agricultural
productivity to maximize the production of a handful of staple crops used in the production
of ultraprocessed foods and animal products. As a result, our food system produces
large externalities for public health and the environment that are not currently priced
in the market. Among many calls for change to this mode of production, there are also
valid concerns about the impacts of such change on food security. This study sought
to contribute to the debate around this topic by analyzing the relationship between
food prices and food insecurity at the country level. Through multiple regression
analysis, we find that higher food prices are associated with larger increases in
food insecurity rates in lower-income settings than in higher-income settings. We
also find that several others factors, such as GDP per capita, poverty rate, portion
of rural population, and portion of population under 15 years old are significantly
associated with food insecurity. These results suggest that focusing policy efforts
on non-price related drivers of food insecurity may be effective in combating it,
especially in higher-income settings – while offering the important added benefit
of minimizing public-health and environmental damage.
Type
Master's projectDepartment
The Sanford School of Public PolicyPermalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/22756Citation
D'Angelo Campos, Aline (2021). Equity in Global Food Systems Change: A Cross-Country Analysis of the Drivers of
Food Insecurity. Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/22756.More Info
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