Food Security最新文献

African agriculture faces an unprecedented challenge to ensure food and nutrition security while adapting to climate change and coping with land fragmentation due to population growth. This study assessed the performance of sole cereal (maize, sorghum, millet) and cereal-legume intercropping systems in terms of grain, energy and protein yield, determining the land requirements for energy and protein self-sufficiency at the household level. On-farm trials were established in two districts of Malawi (Dedza and Mzimba) to test twelve cropping systems on 72 farms for three consecutive cropping seasons, resulting in 2,530 yield records. The results revealed that crop yields were much higher in Dedza than in Mzimba, reflecting the better agro-ecological potential in the former. Sole maize yielded 2.8 t ha⁻¹ in Dedza while sole sorghum yielded 1.6 t ha⁻¹ and sole millet yielded 1.7 t ha⁻¹, and in Mzimba, sole maize yielded 2.0 t ha⁻¹, with sorghum and millet yielding 0.9 t ha⁻¹and 0.7 t ha⁻¹, respectively. Across both districts, maize-legume intercrops yielded an average cereal component of 1.7–2.4 t ha⁻¹. In comparison, sorghum-legume intercrops produced lower cereal yields ranging from 0.7 to 1.2 t ha⁻¹, while millet-legume intercrops ranged from 0.6 to 1.4 t ha⁻¹. Yet, the cereal-legume intercrops provided higher nutritional yields than sole cereals. Thus in Dedza, maize-legume intercrops met energy and protein nutritional security needs (based on annual requirements for 5 adults) for 87–96% of the farms, thereby enabling land sparing of 0.83–0.94 ha farm⁻¹. Similarly, in Mzimba, maize-legume intercrops enabled farmers to meet energy and protein requirements for 70–88% of farms, thereby sparing 0.61–0.71 ha of land farm⁻¹. At both sites, sorghum- and millet-legume intercrops were less effective than maize-legume intercrops. Therefore, maize cropping systems, particularly when intercropped with legumes, are the most viable option for achieving food and nutrition security in land-constrained settings and in agro-ecological environments similar to Dedza and Mzimba. Meeting energy and protein requirements with small grains remains challenging in densely populated areas with small farm sizes, as these crops yield far less than maize, hence the commonly observed preference for maize by farmers. Caution is advised for research and development programs targeting small grains in Malawi’s smallholder settings, as this may compromise energy and protein outputs at the farm level.

The war in Ukraine has major implications for the world's agricultural and food markets, as the Black Sea region is a large supplier of crops and fertilizers. Impacts of the war are further exacerbated by the sanctions against Russia, spillover effects from disruptions of other commodity markets, adverse weather events and domestic policies that countries around the world have implemented in pursuit of food security. In this paper, using a comprehensive modeling framework, we decompose the impacts across various channels and show that the cumulative effect of the considered indirect spillovers is even more substantial than the direct agricultural supply disruptions in Ukraine. Our results also suggest that the benefits of proactive trade policies, such as the implementation of trade facilitation measures and the reduction of import tariffs on agricultural and food commodities, are much more substantial than the adverse impacts of the war and other disruptions. Such trade policies would boost agricultural trade, increase overall food availability and lead to the higher integration of agricultural and food commodities into the global value chains, making food systems more resilient to potential future shocks.

This study investigates the global maize trade network from 2000 to 2022, focusing on its structure, resilience, and supply chain dynamics to improve food security. The analysis reveals significant growth in global maize trade, with the network becoming increasingly complex and dense, leading to improved efficiency. However, overall network connectivity remains uncertain, exposing vulnerabilities within the system. The trade network has developed a hierarchical structure, with four major clusters—North America-Caribbean, South America, Europe, and East Asia—dominating global trade, signaling the emergence of a multipolar trade pattern. Over time, the network has expanded eastward, with trade flows becoming more geographically diversified. Key exporters such as the United States, Argentina, and Brazil form the network’s backbone, serving as critical hubs that facilitate the flow of maize across global markets. Additionally, gateway countries like Spain play a vital role in connecting regional clusters, enhancing the overall network’s connectivity. While the resilience of the maize trade network has improved, significant node polarization remains. Central exporters remain indispensable for the network’s stability, while peripheral regions remain more vulnerable. The study underscores the importance of strengthening connectivity between key players and regions to reduce vulnerabilities and enhance the resilience of the global maize trade network. Policy recommendations are provided to ensure the sustainability and stability of the global maize supply chain, ultimately supporting global food security in the face of growing demand and potential disruptions.

Insular agri-food systems face significant challenges due to their exposure to external shocks via trade dependencies, geographic isolation, and constrained land and natural resources. This study proposes a novel socio-metabolic analytical framework and applies it to investigate how external shocks propagate within the animal product supply systems (APSS) of La Reunion Island, a French overseas department. By conceptualizing APSS as a metabolic network, we analyze characteristics that influence three vulnerability factors: exposure, sensitivity, and incapacity to cope. To analyze shock propagation dynamics, this paper introduces the distinction between cascading and domino effects: cascading effects trace the sectors and stages impacted, while domino effects highlight how the nature of disruptions evolves as they spread. Using a mixed-methods approach, we map flow dynamics and identify critical interaction nodes susceptible to convey shock propagation clusters. Drawing on stakeholder insights, our empirical findings from disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russo-Ukrainian war, and other events reveal the interplay of different cascading and domino effects influencing the availability, accessibility and stability of animal-based products. Our findings underscore a paradox: while import-dependent local APSS are highly exposed and present vulnerabilities to external shocks, they also buffer impacts on the food supply by ensuring some degree of autonomy. The results offer insights into the systemic vulnerabilities of insular agri-food systems and provide a framework for analyzing shock propagation in complex food supply networks.

Multiple environmental impacts are embodied in agricultural trade, yet trade-offs may exist among impact categories and hinder comparisons across countries. We conduct a hierarchical assessment of the embodied environmental impacts (EEIs) in agricultural trade by first mapping four specific EEIs: greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), nutrient pollution (NP), habitat disturbance (HD), and freshwater consumption (WC), and subsequently developing two composite indices, namely cumulative EEI (CEEI) and CEEI efficiency (CEEIE), to evaluate environmental trade-offs. It was found that global agricultural trade in 2017 embodied flows of 1431.9 Mt CO_2eq of GHG, 17.6 Mt of NP, 276.5 Mha_eq of HD, and 129.7 km³ of WC. Although a handful of exporters dominated across various EEI categories, the specific countries leading in each category varied, and they did not necessarily shoulder a significant CEEI burden. The composite indices identified India as the top CEEI exporter, primarily attributable to its unsustainable trade practices. However, five major exporters, namely the USA, Canada, Russia, Brazil, and Australia, contributed to global food security and hunger reduction at relatively higher CEEIE levels. Global agricultural trade mitigates local impacts of NP by 168.5%, HD by 49.6%, and WC by 83.4%, but introduces a 32.7% increase in GHG compared to the no-trade scenario. Further trade concentration risks increasing vulnerability in the global food market and may exacerbate environmental impacts. However, a 34.3% reduction in global CEEI can be achieved when the environmental intensities of agricultural production at the country level align with the global median. These findings facilitate the shaping of sustainable agriculture and trade practices.

Graphical Abstract

This paper examines the impact of expressway development in China on enhancing dietary quality among residents and explores its operating mechanisms. Theoretically, expressway is posited to improve dietary quality by augmenting residents’ income and optimizing local market accessibility. Empirically, we utilize dietary consumption data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey spanning 12 regions from 1997 to 2011 to estimate dietary quality among Chinese residents. Meanwhile, we integrate provincial expressway data to investigate the effect of expressway on dietary quality. Findings indicate that expressway development significantly improves the dietary quality of residents, primarily through increasing income and market accessibility. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the influence of expressway on dietary quality varies across urban and rural areas, different income brackets, and diverse dietary patterns. Expressway has a larger effect on urban, middle-and high-income households, and those with a more balanced diet, compared to rural, low-income households, and individuals with less balanced diets. Specifically, general roads, social insurance, and dietary awareness help to promote dietary improvement effect from expressway among rural, low-income households, and individuals with less balanced diets, respectively. This research contributes novel theoretical insights that facilitate dietary structures transformation among Chinese residents.

Despite numerous studies and aid programs, child malnutrition in African drylands remains a critical challenge for child growth and development. Although mothers are central to children’s nutritional well-being, their perspectives are rarely prioritized. We seek to understand mothers’ decision-making for feeding their children within the specific contexts of their personal food environments, including socioeconomic constraints and environmental conditions. Specifically, we analysed the influence of these constraints and conditions between locations and ethnic communities in Marsabit County, northern Kenya. We used a participatory approach for qualitative data collection to compare the extent to which women’s personal food environments influence child-food provision among Rendille (pastoral), Borana (agro-pastoral), and Burji (crop-farming) communities. In 18 focus group discussions conducted in 2021–2022, women caregivers in six groups in these three communities rated and discussed up to 35 foods according to accessibility, affordability, convenience, healthiness, and acceptance by children. Mothers' perspectives on food characteristics associated with personal food environment factors vary depending on their contextual conditions. The ratings of food items according to these factors differed between the pastoral and agro-pastoral communities. The concepts of the food environment show how various factors affect mothers' food choices and child nutrition. These factors include location, livelihood systems, seasonality, infrastructure, household conditions, and food cultures. Therefore, food environment framing provides better strategies to inform interventions that aim to promote healthy and sustainable diets to improve children’s nutrition and well-being.

This study investigates the impact of trade liberalization on the nutrition transition within Vietnamese households from 2002 to 2020. Trade liberalization is quantified using two indices that reflect employment opportunities generated by reductions in export tariffs and increased export volumes. Nutritional outcomes are assessed through calorie intake and macronutrient consumption from both at-home and out-of-home meals, using data from the Vietnam Household Living Standards Survey (VHLSS). We measure nutrition transition by the distance between households’ dietary compositions and established nutritional guidelines. Our findings indicate that trade liberalization influences household eating behaviors, shifting preferences from home-cooked meals to dining out, as evidenced by increased household intake of energy, protein (P), fat (F), and carbohydrates (C) from out-of-home meals. Additionally, reductions in export tariffs and the expansion export volumes facilitate a transition toward more balanced diets in Vietnam, demonstrated by a decreased deviation of the P: L: C ratio from the recommended dietary allowances. Policy implications of this research call for integrating trade and health policies to improve food security and implementing food policies that regulate prices and availability to promote balanced diets.

The impact of agricultural decisions on the dietary diversity of people living on subsistence farms is poorly documented. This study examines the relationship between diversity in agricultural production and diets in two provinces of northern Burundi. The factors associated with the dietary diversity of women and children in these rural households were analysed using Poisson and probit models with six indicators of agricultural production diversity: (1) tropical livestock units, (2) animal count, (3) crop species count, (4) the Simpson’s index, (5) the Shannon index and (6) caloric content. We distinguish three groups of farms based on the proportion of agricultural products sold, i.e., "subsistence farms” sold less than 5%, “quasi-subsistence farms” sold between 5 and 10%, and “farms with some sales” sold more than 10% of their produce. On average, women on subsistence farms consumed 4.0 out of ten food groups (standard deviation: 1.54), which is lower than the averages of 4.8 (standard deviation: 2.1) and 5.1 (standard deviation: 5.05) observed for women on quasi-subsistence farms and farms with some sales, respectively. The crops primarily sold in the three farming systems were bananas, coffee, and cassava. The consumption of vitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, and fish was low in all groups. No correlations were found between agricultural and dietary diversity. However, the likelihood of consuming animal-source foods was correlated with off-farm income. Subsistence farming households can provide basic food for the women and children of the family, yet require additional financial means to consume nutrient-dense foods available in markets.

Climate change endangers food security globally and in Uganda particularly. Our objective was the assessment of weather shocks’ impact on the food security of smallholder households in Uganda. We used the Uganda National Panel Survey (UNPS) data. A multistage cluster sampling procedure had been employed to recruit respondents. We used the periods 2013/2014, 2015/2016 and 2019/2020 to construct an unbalanced panel with 3,935 observations. We employed Poisson and logit fixed effects panel regressions. Food security was measured as the number of meals consumed by a farming household each day or alternatively the likelihood of experiencing a food shortage. Our main result is that weather shocks unequivocally reduce households’ food security. Furthermore, households that are large, female-headed, lack literacy or assets or reside in Northern Uganda or in rural areas tend to suffer from reduced food security. In contrast, non-agricultural (business) activities improve the food security of households. Households with low asset ownership or residing in the North are hit hardest by weather shocks in terms of the number of meals, while households with middle asset ownership are hit hardest regarding food shortages. For development policy, our results are in favour of region-specific support for climate adaptation and for non-agricultural (business) activities, the improvement of literacy via better education and support for building up assets or starting non-agricultural (business) activities.