Determinants of food availability and access in Ghana: what can we learn beyond the regression results?

Abstract

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, infl ation, 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 of government fuel subsidy will increase consumers’ risk of accessing food and hence threaten the sustainability of food access.