Abstract/Details

An empirical study of the economic determinants of food security

Kiawu, James Aaron.   Howard University ProQuest Dissertations Publishing,  2010. 3402788.

Abstract (summary)

This study investigates the relationship between food security and economic factors. Using the seemingly unrelated regression technique, the paper uses an unbalanced panel of 43 countries between 1992 to2008 to empirically analyze the relationship between indicators of food security (food gaps and food-insecure populations) as dependent variables and foreign trade, foreign aid, and financial development as explanatory variables. In two sets of regressions involving food security equations, openness to foreign trade (defined as the sum of imports and exports in gross domestic product), foreign aid, political stability and geographic dummies were found to be correlated with food security measures. Data are obtained from various sources including the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Penn World Tables. The paper concludes with policy recommendations specifically related to how the World Trade Organization can ensure a level playing ground for international trade among poor and rich countries so that developing countries can reap benefits from foreign trade in order to improve their food security situation.

Food security is defined as the availability of sufficient and affordable food to all peoples at all times needed for a healthy and productive lifestyle. Measures of food security range from the amount of food needed to reach a predetermined daily calorie requirement per person per day, to child and adult malnutrition statistics, to the population of the hungry. However, important economic factors alone, such as foreign trade, foreign aid and financial development, are not all conclusive in explaining food security. The study therefore further explores the role of political stability and physical agricultural infrastructure, such as irrigated area in total arable land, in food security outcomes across time and space.

Indexing (details)


Business indexing term
Subject
Economic theory;
Agricultural economics;
Economics
Classification
0501: Economics
0503: Agricultural economics
0511: Economic theory
Identifier / keyword
Social sciences; Development; Economics; Food; Security; Sociopolitical; Trade
Title
An empirical study of the economic determinants of food security
Author
Kiawu, James Aaron
Number of pages
152
Degree date
2010
School code
0088
Source
DAI-A 71/05, Dissertation Abstracts International
Place of publication
Ann Arbor
Country of publication
United States
ISBN
978-1-109-75246-5
Advisor
Wadhawan, Satish C.
Committee member
Hunte, Cyril K.; Nkonya, Ephraim M.; Palmer, Ransford W.; Serapiao, Luis B.; Wadhawan, Satish C.
University/institution
Howard University
Department
Economics
University location
United States -- District of Columbia
Degree
Ph.D.
Source type
Dissertation or Thesis
Language
English
Document type
Dissertation/Thesis
Dissertation/thesis number
3402788
ProQuest document ID
305205864
Copyright
Database copyright ProQuest LLC; ProQuest does not claim copyright in the individual underlying works.
Document URL
https://www.proquest.com/docview/305205864