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Food Insecurity: Causes, Consequences and Remedies

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A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Security and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2023) | Viewed by 38539

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Prof. Dr. Louise Manning

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The Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Technology, University of Lincoln, Riseholme Park, Lincoln LN2 2DP, Lincolnshire, UK
Interests: food safety; food security; food fraud; food crime; foodscape; food integrity; food defense
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Food insecurity affects all communities worldwide as many find it difficult to consistently access nutritious, affordable food. This problem is exacerbated by conflict, political insecurity, climate change, and global shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

This Special Issue seeks to develop a collection of innovative, contemporary research that considers the causes, consequences and remedies for food insecurity at an individual, household, community, regional, or even global scale. Multiple socio-economic factors influence food insecurity, particularly nutrition insecurity; these will be explored within the research papers, alongside the contemporary politico-environmental factors that also play a part.

This Special Issue welcomes contributions from researchers across the world who are considering how to address food insecurity and what mechanisms are of the greatest benefit in reaching the sustainable development goals, especially SDG1: no poverty; SDG 2: zero hunger; SDG 3: good health and wellbeing, and SDG 10: reducing inequalities.

Prof. Dr. Louise Manning
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

food security
food insecurity
poverty
SDGs
causes
consequences
production
self-sufficiency
global
trade

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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27 pages, 5425 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Holistic Analysis of Food Security Situation of Households Engaged in Land Certification and Sustainable Land Management Programs: South Wello, Ethiopia

by Bichaye Tesfaye, Monica Lengoiboni, Jaap Zevenbergen and Belay Simane

Foods 2023, 12(18), 3341; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12183341 - 6 Sep 2023

Viewed by 2919

Abstract

Land degradation, food and tenure insecurity are significant problems in the northern highlands of Ethiopia, particularly in the region known as the country’s famine corridor. Addressing these twine issues in the region has become a focal point for both local and international organizations, underscoring the significance of preventive measures. Since 2000, the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) has been implementing sustainable land management and certification programs. This study aims on households involved in these programs, specifically in Dessie Zuria and Kutaber Woredas, South Wello Zone (SWZ). The primary objectives of the research were to assess households’ current food security status, identify factors influencing their food security, and classify coping and survival strategies employed by households during food shortages. Primary and secondary sources have been used to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. Quantitative data were collected from surveyed households and analyzed USING SPSS software version 26, whereas qualitative data were transcribed, grouped, and interpreted in line with the aim of the research. Three food security models, namely the Household Food Balance Model, Months of Adequate Household Food Provisioning, and Household Dietary Diversity Score, were employed to evaluate food security. Consequently, a significant percentage of the surveyed households, amounting to 88.3%, 35.6%, and 93.8%, were found to experience food insecurity according to the respective models. Rainfall shortages and variability, crop pests and diseases, shrinking farm plots, and land degradation are among the identified food security determinants. During dearth periods, households deploy a variety of coping and survival strategies. To mitigate food insecurity stemming from both natural and socio-economic factors, the research suggests several recommendations. These include advocating for tenure policy reforms by the GoE, and the local governments should promote the adoption of efficient land management practices, instituting a land certification system based on cadasters, encouraging family planning, boosting investments in education and literacy, raising awareness and providing training in climate-smart agriculture techniques, educating communities on optimal grain utilization, saving, trade, and storage methods, facilitating opportunities for income generation through off-farm and non-farm activities, and offering support for crop and livestock diversification. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Insecurity: Causes, Consequences and Remedies)

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18 pages, 2383 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Understanding Global Rice Trade Flows: Network Evolution and Implications

by Wei Chen and Xiquan Zhao

Foods 2023, 12(17), 3298; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12173298 - 2 Sep 2023

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5304

Abstract

Rice holds a significant position as one of the world’s most important food crops, and international trade plays a crucial role in regulating rice supply and demand. Analyzing the structural evolution of the global rice trade from a network perspective is paramount for understanding the global rice-trade supply chain and ensuring global food security. This study utilizes international rice-trade data from 2000 to 2021 and employs various network analysis methods to depict the spatial and temporal patterns of the global rice trade, examines the network topologies of the global rice trade, and reveals the impacts of its evolution on food security. The research findings are as follows: (1) Global rice-trade scale has increased over time, indicating a relatively stable development with the gradual formation of complex rice-trade networks. Since 2000, the global rice-trade networks have shown increasing density characterized by Asia as the primary export source and Africa as an important import market. (2) Network analysis indicators demonstrate a growing trend in the size and density of the global rice-trade networks, along with increasingly optimized network structures and improved network connectivity efficiency. Core positions in the networks are occupied by Thailand, Vietnam, India, China, Pakistan, and the United States, while import partners in European and American countries, such as Germany, France, UK, Canada, The Netherlands, and Belgium, show greater diversification. Asia, Europe, and North America form agglomeration regions for rice-exporting countries. Additionally, importing and exporting countries in the global rice-trade networks exhibit certain geographical concentrations. (3) The network backbones of the global rice trade are continuously evolving and being refined, characterized by dominant large rice-exporting countries in Asia and prominent developed countries in Europe and North America. The backbone structures revolve around India as the core, Thailand and Pakistan as the second cores, and critical nodes represented by Italy, the United States, China, and Vietnam. Regional backbone networks have also formed in Asia and Europe. Based on these findings, this paper clarifies the complex network characteristics of the global rice trade and offers insights to promote international rice-trade cooperation and safeguard global food security. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Insecurity: Causes, Consequences and Remedies)

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25 pages, 6339 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Predicting the Potential Impact of Emergency on Global Grain Security: A Case of the Russia–Ukraine Conflict

by Yuan Xu, Zhongxiu Wang, Wenjie Dong and Jieming Chou

Foods 2023, 12(13), 2557; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12132557 - 30 Jun 2023

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2818

Abstract

Global emergencies have a profound impact on exacerbating food insecurity, and the protracted Russia–Ukraine conflict has emerged as a significant driver of a global food crisis. Accurately quantifying the impact of this conflict is crucial for achieving sustainable development goals. The multi-indicator comprehensive evaluation approach was used to construct a grain security composite index (GSCI). Moreover, econometric model was used to predict the potential impacts of the conflict on global grain security in 2030 under two scenarios: with and without the “Russia-Ukraine conflict”. The results conclude that global food prices reached unprecedented levels as a consequence of the conflict, leading to notable fluctuations in food prices, especially with a significant surge in wheat prices. The conflict had a negative impact on global grain security, resulting in a decline in grain security from 0.538 to 0.419. Predictions indicate that the influence of the conflict on global grain security will be substantially greater compared to the scenario without the conflict in 2023–2030, ranging from 0.033 to 0.13. Furthermore, grain security will first decrease and then increase under the sustained consequences of the conflict. The achievement of the 2030 sustainable development goals will encounter significant challenges in light of these circumstances. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Insecurity: Causes, Consequences and Remedies)

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17 pages, 5658 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Analysis of Socioeconomic Determinants of the Black–White Disparity in Food Insecurity Rates in the US

by Mya Price and Tia Jeffery

Foods 2023, 12(11), 2228; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12112228 - 1 Jun 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2115

Abstract

Previous research has not fully explored socioeconomic factors that influence the Black–White food insecurity disparities at the state and county levels in the United States. The goal of this study was to identify socioeconomic determinants associated with the Black–White food insecurity gap in the US at the state and county levels with rigorous quantitative investigation. The 2019 Map the Meal Gap dataset and multivariate regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with the prevalence of the Black–White disparity in food insecurity rates. Unemployment rate and median income gaps were found to be the strongest predictors of the Black–White disparity in food insecurity and the Black food insecurity rates in both state- and county-level models. Specifically, a 1% increase in Black unemployment rate compared with White unemployment rate was associated with a 0.918% and 0.232% increase in the Black–White disparity in food insecurity on average at the state and county levels, respectively. This study highlights the potential root causes of food insecurity and significant socioeconomic determinants associated with the Black–White food insecurity gap at the state and county levels in the US. Policymakers and program creators should implement action plans to address the income disparities and reduce unemployment rates among Blacks to eradicate this gap and ensure equity in food access between Blacks and Whites. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Insecurity: Causes, Consequences and Remedies)

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17 pages, 294 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Leveraging Food-Related Values for Impact in Community Nutrition Education Programs (Interventions)

by Terrence Thomas, Cihat Gunden and Befikadu Legesse

Foods 2023, 12(4), 714; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12040714 - 7 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2066

Abstract

This study draws attention to the potential benefits of leveraging food values to amplify the impact of nutrition education programs. The study has collected data via a telephone survey from 417 randomly selected residents in Guilford County in the state of North Carolina. In our analysis, we have identified and used three underlying dimensions (ethical, social environmental and sensory) that summarize and capture the meaning of food-related values instead of a list of food values commonly used in the literature. Researchers have then used these dimensions as clustering variables to produce three segments from the data: value-positive, value-negative, and hedonic. Results show that residents in the value positive segment had positive perceptions of all values, those in value negative segment had negative perception of all values, and those in the hedonic segment had only positive perception of sensory values. A key finding is that value-positive residents have healthier food-related lifestyles and food-related behaviors than residents in the other segments. Interventions should focus on value-negative and hedonic residents and emphasize value-based education tailored to strengthening social/environmental and ethical food values. To ensure success, interventions should graft healthier lifestyle habits and behaviors on familiar behaviors and lifestyle. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Insecurity: Causes, Consequences and Remedies)

18 pages, 2111 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Is a Food Shortage Coming to the Western Balkans?

by Tatjana Brankov and Bojan Matkovski

Foods 2022, 11(22), 3672; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11223672 - 16 Nov 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2984

Abstract

In the wake of the international food crisis, many countries are paying more attention to food self-sufficiency to protect themselves from instability in the global food markets. Western Balkan region and the rest of the world are facing an array of challenges, including inflation and rising food prices. Recognizing the importance of producing sufficient food to cover a country’s needs in circumstances of increasing risk of trade disruptions due to war or political tensions, this article aims to find the level of food self-sufficiency in the Western Balkan countries. The self-sufficiency ratio is calculated for different food groups and individual products over a 14-year period (2006–2019) based on the FAO data and calculation method. Also, using panel data, the impact of different factors—arable land, rural population, fertilizers efficiency, temperature change, precipitation, and GDP per capita change—on cereals self-sufficiency is estimated. Results showed that in the covered pre-crisis period, the Western Balkans achieved a satisfactory level of food self-sufficiency, suggesting that the region is ready to respond to future challenges. Four indicators positively and significantly affect cereal self-sufficiency: arable land, rural population, fertilizers efficiency and GDP per capita change, while one indicator—temperature change—had a negative and significant effect. This article can serve as a basis for post-crisis research on the topic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Insecurity: Causes, Consequences and Remedies)

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14 pages, 655 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Food Insecurity in the Households of Polish Elderly: Diversity in the Perception of Its Causes by Demographic and Socioeconomic Characteristics

by Robert Gajda, Marzena Jeżewska-Zychowicz, Marzena Styczyńska and Małgorzata Agnieszka Jarossová

Foods 2022, 11(20), 3222; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11203222 - 15 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1840

Abstract

The aging of societies and the quality of life of the elderly may be accompanied by food insecurity. The aim of the study was to find the relationships between the perceptions of various causes of food insecurity, i.e., financial, social, health, and spatial, and then between those and the selected sociodemographic characteristics. The survey was conducted in late 2018 and early 2019 among 760 people aged 65 and older in two regions of Poland. Factor analysis with the use of principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify the main causes of the prevalence of food insecurity. Cluster analysis using Ward’s hierarchical classification and logistic regression analysis were used to assess the relationship between the identified reasons for food insecurity, demographic characteristics, and socioeconomic status (SES). Two groups of causes that favor the experience of food insecurity among the elderly were identified, i.e., economic–social reasons and spatial–health reasons. They relate to such situations of food insecurity as concerns about food shortages, lack of staple foods, limited size or frequency of meals, and skipping meals. The high importance of economic–social (HE-S) reasons was associated with the low importance of spatial–health (LS-H) reasons, and conversely, the high importance of spatial–health (HS-H) causes was associated with the low importance of economic–social (LE-S) causes. HE-S and LS-H reasons were combined with low SES and residence in a city of more than 100,000 inhabitants. HS-H causes, on the other hand, were associated with LE-S causes and living in rural areas or towns of fewer than 100,000 inhabitants, as well as high SES. This specificity should be considered in the development of strategies and interventions aimed at reducing the phenomenon of experiencing food insecurity in the elderly population. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Insecurity: Causes, Consequences and Remedies)

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31 pages, 6708 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dynamic Impacts of External Uncertainties on the Stability of the Food Supply Chain: Evidence from China

by Jingdong Li and Zhouying Song

Foods 2022, 11(17), 2552; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11172552 - 23 Aug 2022

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3017

Abstract

The food supply chain operates in a complex and dynamic external environment, and the external uncertainties from natural and socio-economic environment pose great challenges to the development of the food industry. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia–Ukraine conflict have further exacerbated the vulnerability of the global food supply chain. Analyzing the dynamic impacts of external uncertainties on the stability of food supply chain is central to guaranteeing the sustainable security of food supply. Based on the division of food supply chain and the classification of external uncertainties, the TVP-FAVAR-SV model was constructed to explore the dynamic impacts of external uncertainties on food supply chain. It was found that the impacts of external uncertainty elements were significantly different, the combination of different external uncertainty elements aggravated or reduced the risks of food supply chain. And some uncertainty elements had both positive and negative impacts in the whole sample period, as the magnitude and direction of the impacts of various uncertainties in different periods had time-varying characteristics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Insecurity: Causes, Consequences and Remedies)

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Review

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21 pages, 2581 KiB

Open AccessReview

How the War in Ukraine Affects Food Security

by Walter Leal Filho, Mariia Fedoruk, João Henrique Paulino Pires Eustachio, Jelena Barbir, Tetiana Lisovska, Alexandros Lingos and Caterina Baars

Foods 2023, 12(21), 3996; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12213996 - 31 Oct 2023

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 9736

Abstract

The war in Ukraine has caused severe disruption to national and worldwide food supplies. Ukraine is a major exporter of wheat, maize, and oilseeds, staples that are now suffering a war-triggered supply risk. This paper describes the background of the problem and illustrates current trends by outlining some of the measures that may be deployed to mitigate the conflict’s impacts on achieving SDG 2 (Zero hunger), especially focusing on ending hunger, achieving food security, improving nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture. In order to understand the main research strands in the literature that are related to food security in the context of wars, the authors adopted a bibliometric literature review based on the co-occurrence of terms technique, conducted with 631 peer-reviewed documents extracted from the Scopus database. To complement the bibliometric assessment, ten case studies were selected to narrow down the food insecurity aspects caused by the war in Ukraine. The co-occurrence analysis indicated four different thematic clusters. In the next stage, an assessment of the current situation on how war affects food security was carried out for each one of the clusters, and the reasons and possible solutions to food security were identified. Policy recommendations and theoretical implications for food security in the conflict context in Ukraine were also addressed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Insecurity: Causes, Consequences and Remedies)

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Other

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18 pages, 1253 KiB

Open AccessPerspective

Food Insecurity: Is Leagility a Potential Remedy?

by Aleksandra Kowalska, Sophia Lingham, Damian Maye and Louise Manning

Foods 2023, 12(16), 3138; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12163138 - 21 Aug 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2359

Abstract

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Ukraine–Russian conflict, both significant geo-political and socio-economic shocks to the global food system and food insecurity has risen across the world. One potential remedy to reduce the level of food insecurity is to move from a lean just-in-time food system to one where there is more resilience through greater agility both in routine supply operations and also in the event of an emergency situation. The aim of this critical perspectives paper was to firstly reflect on the concepts of lean, agility, and ‘leagility’. Then, this study considered the ability of individual organisations and the whole food system to be resilient, adaptive, enable the elimination of waste, reduce inefficiency, and assure the consistent delivery to market requirements in terms of both volume, safety, and quality. Promoting the concept of leagility together with advocating resilient, sustainable practices that embed buffer and adaptive capacity, this paper positions that increasing digitalisation and improving business continuity planning can ensure effective operationalisation of supply chains under both normal and crisis situations, ultimately reducing the risk of food insecurity at personal, household, and community levels. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Insecurity: Causes, Consequences and Remedies)

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