Food Insecurity in a State in Crisis

In 2008, Zimbabwe was in crisis, with an economy in ruins and a volatile political environment. The country’s GDP had contracted by over 40 % since 2,000 level; the official unemployment rate was over 80 %; hyperinflation was running at over 200 million percent; and food production deficits of the staple crop, maize, hovered around 1,000,000 tons. Within this hyperinflationary environment, food shortages were acute, and over 80 % of households in the country survived on less than US$2 per day. While this deleterious environment affected the whole country, the vulnerability of the urban poor to the economic meltdown and food insecurity was especially severe given their heavy reliance on food purchases and increases in other urban expenses such as rent, electricity, and transport. This paper assesses the vulnerability of poor households to food insecurity in Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, under the crisis conditions and beyond. It argues that while the ushering in of the Government of National Unity in 2009 stabilized the political and economic situation by bringing down inflation, introducing a multi-currency regime, and improving the food supply, the general livelihoods of the poor did not drastically improve. The food security challenges facing poor urban households in Harare did not immediately improve for reasons that are discussed in the paper. The analysis is based on a comparison of data from two household surveys conducted in Harare, the first at the height of the crisis in 2008 and the second in 2012.

Part 1 Conceptual overview 1.Introduction Ian Christoplos and Adam Pain. 2. Food security and food crises: evolving realities, evolving debates Niek Koning. Part 2 New Trends and Challenges 3. Scenarios for global agriculture and food security towards 2050: a review of recent studies Dirk Willenbockel. 4. Strengthening food security through human rights: a moral and legal imperative and practical opportunity Wenche Barth Eide. 5. Large scale land acquisitions -- challenges, conflicts and partial solutions in a project lifecycle perspective Michael Bruntrup. 6. Water competition, water governance and food security Helle Munk Ravnborg. 7. Food insecurity in fragile states and protracted crises Adam Pain. Part 2 Case Studies 8. Sudan's permanent food emergency: a historical analysis of food aid, governance and political economy Susanne Jaspars 9. Food insecurity and agricultural rehabilitation in post-conflict northern Uganda Winnie Wangari Wairimu 10. Poverty, food security and local water conflicts in southern Zambia Mikkel Funder, Carol Mweemba and Imasiku Nyambe with Helle Munk Ravnborg and Barbara van Koppen. 11. State capacity and malnutrition: a critical analysis of capacity support to Sierra Leone's nutrition sector Lisa Denney and Richard Mallett. 12. Social inequality and food insecurity in Nepal: risks and responses Adam Pain, Hemant R. Ojha and Jagannath Adhikari. 13. Changing approaches to food security in Viet Nam Ian Christoplos, Le Thi Hoa Sen and Le Duc Ngoan. 14. Food security and insecurity in Afghanistan Adam Pain. 15. Food security and insecurity in India, Amit Mitra. 16. South Korea: food security, development and the developmental state Anders Riel Muller. 17. Food security, Nicaragua: food purchase or food production, which is best for the rural poor? Francisco J. Perez, Arthur H. Grigsby and Sandrine Freguin Gresh. Part 4 Conclusions 18. Towards new approaches Adam Pain and Ian Christoplos

IntroductionDuring the COVID-19 response, Kenya experienced widespread regional floods, resulting in the displacement of communities and agricultural loss. This study aimed to characterise food insecurity and other social and economic...

The COVID-19 pandemic initially doubled the rates of food insecurity across the USA and tripled rates among households with children. Despite the association among food insecurity, chronic disease and psychological distress, narratives depicting the experiences of already food insecure populations are notably underrepresented in the literature. The current study assessed the impact of COVID-19 on clients of a food pantry who were also enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). A qualitative study probing the effects of the pandemic on daily living, food needs, food buying and food insecurity. Interview transcripts were analysed using a combined deductive and inductive approach. Interviews were conducted via telephone between May and June of 2020. Equal numbers of English- and Spanish-speaking clients (n 40 total). Three main findings emerged: (1) the pandemic increased economic distress, such as from job loss or increased utility bills due to sustained home occupancy and (2) the pandemic increased food needs, food prices and food shortages. In combination with economic stressors, this led to greater food insecurity; (3) increased economic stress and food insecurity contributed to increased psychological stress, such as from fear of infection, isolation and children being confined at home. Despite federal legislation and state and local programmes to alleviate food insecurity, COVID-19 exacerbated economic hardship, food insecurity and psychological distress among urban SNAP and food pantry clients. Additional research is needed to identify the most effective policies and programmes to ameliorate the short- and long-term health and economic inequities exacerbated by the pandemic.

Food security remains central in the United Nation Development Agenda (2030) as highlighted in the Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs 2). Nonetheless, there is still limited literature on food security in African countries and the drivers of urban food insecurity remain less understood, especially in Eswatini where urban food insecurity continues to rise. This study investigated the levels of food insecurity in the low income households of Msunduza in Mbabane and the coping strategies employed by Msunduza residents to deal with food shortages. The study sought to respond to the following research questions: What are the levels of food insecurity in Msunduza? What are the determinants of food insecurity in Msunduza? How do Msunduza residents cope with food insecurity challenges? To respond to the research questions, the study adopted a quantitative approach based on a case study research design. Data was collected from 91 heads of households, selected through systematic sampling procedure. The results reveal that majority of households in Msunduza are food insecure, with a larger proportion in the mildly food insecure category. Household income, household size, employment status and gender of the household head were found to be among the key determinants of food (in)security in the area. In cases of food shortages, households in the informal settlement of Msunduza employ different coping strategies which include reducing food intake (size of meals), begging, selling of household assets and skipping of meals, among others. The paper recommended that food security interventions be considered for low income urban households, more particularly, female headed households which tend to be more vulnerable to food insecurity.

Many rural households in the developing world are subject to chronic seasonal food insecurity. Often cited among coping strategies is foraging for wild foods. This study was to understand the role of wild food in household food security in Timor-Leste. Information on wild food use comes from three sources: a) a longitudinal study of food consumption among 14 subsistence farmer households across four districts in 2006–2007; b) a survey in 2011 of 1,800 farmer households across all 13 districts in Timor-Leste; and c) a survey of 64 households from eight community seed groups in three districts in 2013. The consumption of wild food fluctuated widely across the year with consumption much reduced in the wet season (December – April) compared to the dry season (May – November). Wild food use in a normal year – 2006–2007 and a food-deficit year – 2011, characterized by a severe hungry season, were compared. In the normal year the maize grain store was exhausted in 50 % of households (expressed as cumulative percentage of ‘at risk’ households) during the month of August and the percent of households consuming wild food was 9.2 %. By contrast in the food deficit year, maize grain stores were typically exhausted 2 months earlier than in a normal year, and 50 % of all interviewed households were foraging for wild food by May in four districts. Clearly in the food deficit season wild food foraging was dramatically increased compared to a normal year, particularly by poor at-risk households. The early depletion of grains store stocks under food insecurity resulted in greater coincidence of the period of wild food foraging with the hungry season than in a normal year. In two surveys there were clear differences between districts in the extent of wild food foraging. The most widely eaten wild plant foods in Timor-Leste are lesser yam (Dioscorea esculenta considered wild in Timor-Leste) followed by elephant’s foot yam (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius) and bitter bean (Phaseolus lunatus). Looking to the future in Timor-Leste, the wild food resource will continue to provide an important food buffer in deficit years especially to poor at-risk households, increasing their resilience and reducing their vulnerability.

Who Eats, Where, What, and How? COVID-19, Food Security, and Canadian Foodscapes

Introduction: Poverty is one of the key factors influencing food security in both urban and rural areas. This condition affects the decision-making of poor households regarding the implementation of food coping strategies. The objective of this study is to systematically analyze the level of food security among poor households in rural and urban. Methods: This study employs a systematic review approach following the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). Relevant articles were sourced from seven databases: Publish or Perish 8, PubMed, MDPI, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Semantic Scholar. The selected articles were published between 2015 and 2025, covering both Indonesian and international publications. Results: Total of 12 articles met the inclusion criteria, revealing differences in food security levels between poor households in urban and rural areas. Rural poor households tend to have greater food security compared to their urban counterparts. The food coping strategies adopted by poor households in rural areas are generally more effective in ensuring food security than those implemented in urban. Conclusion: This study identifies disparities in food security between poor households in urban and rural areas. Poor households in rural areas tend to be more food secure due to greater access to food resources, while those in urban areas are more dependent on income and market conditions, making them more vulnerable. Poor households address food insecurity through various food coping strategies, including reducing food consumption, purchasing cheaper food, or relying on assistance. These strategies vary depending on regional conditions. Keywords: Food coping strategy, Food security, Rural, Urban

Food insecurity is a global issue, with higher prevalence of hunger in developing countries. Low crop yield and food production - due to difficult topography and traditional farming methods - combined with lower income; fluctuations in prices and supply, and low quality of food have been causing food insecurity in Nepal. This research examines food (in)security situation in Upper-Mustang, Nepal. The results are derived from the data collected through face–to-face interviews with the heads of 66 households, in-depth interviews conducted with 22 key informants, and discussions with the group of local people in different (6) places. The household food system was studied from livelihood perspectives and food (in)security was assessed in relation to self-sufficiency or production sufficiency, access, utilization, and stability of food. Households in the Trans-Himalaya acquire food from multiple sources such as farming and livestock ranching, buy food from the market, and also receive food aid for the sake of survival during the food crisis. Food security situation in terms of self-production in Upper-Mustang is at worst stage that many households are facing severe to chronic food insecurity. Studied households access marketed food, though the price they pay is very high. The worrisome issue is that there is no significant improvement in food security situation over time in the Trans-Himalaya. Study found that not the household size but dependency ratio in the household increases food insecurity. On the other hand, quality of farmland in terms of cropping intensity and availability of irrigation rather than the farm-plot size contribute for food security. The issue of food security is still a valid development policy goal for Nepal in general and for the Trans-Himalaya in particular. Accordingly, food security interventions are important. Yet, policy for interventions should look into all components of food systems, particularly providing irrigation, promoting local food varieties, and provisioning for food subsidies and food aid together with subsidies in food transport.

Objectives We examined whether older adults with physical disability were vulnerable to three types of perceived economic insecurity (difficulty paying regular bills, difficulty paying medical bills, income loss) and two types of perceived food insecurity (economic obstacles, logistical obstacles) during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. We evaluated the extent to which associations are moderated by three personal characteristics (age, sex, race/ethnicity) and two pandemic-specific risk factors (job loss, COVID-19 diagnosis).Methods Data are from a random 25 percent subsample of Health and Retirement Study (HRS) participants who completed a COVID-19 module introduced in June 2020. We estimated logistic regression models to predict each of five self-reported hardships during the pandemic.Results Bivariate analyses showed that persons with three or more functional limitations were more likely to report both types of food insecurity, and difficulty paying regular and medical bills since the start of the pandemic, relative to those with no limitations. After controlling for health conditions, effects were no longer significant for paying medical bills, and attenuated yet remained statistically significant for other outcomes. Patterns did not differ significantly on the basis of the moderator variables. Job loss substantially increased the risk of economic insecurity but not food insecurity.Discussion Older adults with more functional limitations were vulnerable to economic and food insecurity during the pandemic, potentially exacerbating the physical and emotional health threats imposed by COVID-19. Supports for older adults with disability should focus on logistical as well as financial support for ensuring their food security.

Food security — not yet

This paper examines the current state of food insecurity in Bangladesh and its socio-economic drivers using data from the latest Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES 2022). Unlike previous studies that relied on less precise measures of food insecurity, such as food expenditure, diversity, and calorie intake, this study employs the internationally recognized Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) and Rasch model-based thresholds to classify households as food secure or insecure. Multilevel logistic regression is used to identify significant predictors of moderate and severe food insecurity, considering the hierarchical structure of the data, with households nested within geographical clusters. Key factors found to be significantly associated with food security include the wealth index, land ownership, education of the household head, family size, remittance income and exposure to shocks. A classification tree, a popular machine learning method, is also applied to explore important interactions among these determinants. The tree analysis confirms the importance of several regression-based predictors and identifies households at the highest risk of food insecurity through variable interactions. Factors such as poverty, lack of land ownership, low education levels, and high dependency ratios collectively increase a household's vulnerability to moderate food insecurity to around 51% while the national prevalence is 19%. District-level maps of food insecurity prevalence reveal significant regional disparities, underscoring the need for targeted, district-specific interventions to effectively combat food insecurity. More broadly, policies promoting education and family planning, training in better shock management, and facilitating remittance flows through simplified processes may contribute to addressing the food insecurity challenge.

Food Insecurity, Food Insecurity Determinants and Coping Strategies in the Urban Space – the Experience of Low Income Households of Msunduza in Mbabane

Household food insecurity is an important issue because of its negative impact on children’s health and nutrition. This study aimed to analyze the effect of working status and family structure on food insecurity in households with children. The data used comes from the 2018 National Socio-Economic Survey. The analysis was carried out separately for poor and non-poor households using binary logistic regression. The results showed that households with heads in part-time work and those with unemployed heads were more likely to be food insecure than households with heads in full-time work in both households, whereas households with heads not in labor force were significantly more likely to be food insecure only in the poor households. In the poor households, single-male headed households were more likely to be food insecure than single-female headed households while in the non-poor households, the opposite occurred. Strengthening social safety nets, expanding employment opportunities and providing education about food insecurity needs to be done in households with children.

Household food insecurity is an important issue because of its negative impact on children’s health and nutrition. This study aimed to analyze the effect of work ing status and family structure on food insecurity in households with children. The data used comes from the 2018 National Socio-Economic Survey. The analysis was carried out separately for poor and non-poor households using binary logistic regression. The results showed that households with heads in part-time work and those with unemployed heads were more likely to be food insecure than households with heads in full-time work in both households, w hereas households with heads not in labor force we re significantly more likely to be food insecure only in the poor households. In the poor households, single-male headed households were more likely to be food insecure than single-female headed households while in the non-poor households, the opposite occurred. Providing education about the importance nutrition and a balanced diet needs to be done in households with children.