Famine Research Articles

Дослідження впливу аргініну глутамату на репаративні процеси у щурів з харчовою депривацією

The purpose of the study was to experimentally substantiate the feasibility of arginine glutamate using, for the correction of reparative disorders in rats with partial food deprivation. Materials and methods. The work uses such research methods as modeling of food deprivation according to a patented method, modeling a wound defect of rat’s skin, evaluating the healing of wound defects by taking pictures with a camera with a resolution of 12 megapixels and subsequent processing with a special computer program Universal desktop ruler, version 11, for determining the area, determination of integral indicators of total protein, albumin, glucose, urea in blood serum of rats by spectrophotometric methods (“Filicit-diagnostics”). Statistical processing of the obtained results was carried out using non-parametric methods of analysis (MANOVA-test) using Statistica 6.0 software. Differences at p<0.05 were considered significant. Results and discussion. As a result of the food crisis, the share of hungry people in the world increases every year, and in 2022 it reached 9.8% of the world population. Starvation directly and indirectly prevents the successful healing of wounds, which is also complicated by impaired liver function. Partial food deprivation was accompanied by a violation of metabolic processes in the body of rats: a decrease in body weight (about 30%, p<0.05), a probable decrease in the content of glucose (by 24.5%), total protein and albumin (by 16.1 and 26.2%, respectively, p<0.05) with a simultaneous increase in the content of indicators of nitrogen metabolism in the blood. In addition, nutritionally deficient animals had a 4.7-day delay in wound healing compared to the control group. The use of arginine glutamate, in food-deprived rats caused a reduction in the wound skin defect and was accompanied by a partial normalization of metabolic processes: the total protein content and the amount of blood albumin were higher than those in the model pathology group without correction by 10.2 and 12.9%, respectively (p<0.05), the glucose content increased (+12.2%); simultaneously blood urea content was lower by 25.2% (p<0.05). Conclusion. The obtained data are an experimental basis for further clinical studies of the possibility of practical use of arginine glutamate in the complex treatment of patients with wound processes, especially under conditions of nutritional insufficiency

Food riots redux: lessons from the 2007–08 food crisis

ABSTRACT The 2007–08 global food crisis led to hunger riots around the world. Food prices have again risen spectacularly since the COVID-19 pandemic but have fortunately not led to major social unrest in the global South. In this research note, we argue that the difference lies, in part, in the nature of the two price shocks and, in part, in the policy response from governments and international organizations. This time round, the stability of rice prices appears to have dampened the impact of food inflation in major rice-importing countries. This pattern of global rice price is in sharp contrast to that seen in 2008 when the price tripled between January and May. The two food crises also differ substantially in the extent and responsiveness of public policy. Right from March 2020, governments began taking fiscal and administrative measures to help the populations suffering from the loss of livelihood. Nonetheless, food inflation remains a concern, and prolonged conflict in Ukraine and the ongoing inflation spiral could put in jeopardy the mitigating effects of anti-inflationary policy measures.

Transforming South Africa’s unjust food system: an argument for decolonization

ABSTRACT This conceptual article argues for the need to reframe approaches to the South African food crisis in terms of decolonizing the food system. The point of departure is that the South African food system produces starkly unequal access to nutritious food, negative health outcomes, environmental destruction and a breakdown in social relations. The harms of this system disproportionately affect the poor, Black people and women. The historical roots of this unjust food system lie in colonialism, capitalism and apartheid, yet this coloniality continues in its modern global industrial incarnation. The colonial, capitalist values underpinning the food system have been normalized and have become hegemonic. This leaves little space for imagining – or fighting for – more just alternatives. Yet the framework of decolonization has the potential to create such a space to begin to challenge the hegemony of the current (neo)colonial/capitalist food system and replace the profit motive with the values of reciprocity, collectivity and inter-connectedness that underpinned pre-colonial food systems.

Contributing factors to the looming food crisis in sub-Saharan Africa: Opportunities for policy insight

The food price crisis of 2007–2008 and the recent resurgence of food prices have focused increasing attention on the causes and consequences of food price volatility in international food markets and the developing world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Agricultural Price Index was 34% higher as of 30 June 2022, compared to January 2021. This paper reviews increasing food crisis in Africa in the wake of climate change, COVID-19, and the Russia–Ukraine war and the implications on Africa’s food security stability. Climate change is affecting the fundamental basis of agriculture through changes in temperature, rainfall, and weather, and by intensifying the occurrences of floods, droughts, and heat stress. COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the production and supply chains, while the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war continues to disrupt the global food market and food prices. SSA is susceptible to the effects of this war, and this has already resulted in high demand for food commodities and increased food prices. The study calls for the need for the international community to establish a strategic food reserve to face food crises triggered by armed conflicts or climate-induced disasters and pandemics. This mechanism may facilitate reactive interventions that help to contain the human security implications of food crises, thus fostering peace. Solutions also lie in implementing programs and policies informing the monitoring of weather shocks and advancing supporting to those impacted. Additionally, the governments of SSAs should embrace domestic production of farm inputs such as fertilizer to avoid overdependence on imports which are susceptible to wars and conflict.

Making Sense of Catastrophe: Experiencing and Remembering the Kazakh Famine in a Comparative Context

The Kazakh Famine of 1930–3 is one of the least-known tragedies of the twentieth century even though it took 1.5 million lives. Although more than three decades of scholarship have provided substantial literature on the political and economic dynamics of the famine, the myth that there are only a few eyewitness accounts of the Kazakh famine persists in Western historians’ studies. By covering hundreds of survivor testimonies, mostly in Kazakh, this article debunks that myth. This article provides the first cultural history of the Kazakh famine by focusing on how survivors experienced and made sense of this catastrophe. I focus on meanings associated with the tragedy of mass starvation and show how survivor memories bear the imprint of death and are shaped around the images of ultimate horror. These images of ultimate horror that appear time and again in survivor accounts had come to symbolize the ruthlessness of the catastrophe and the meaning of survivors’ experiences. Through these images, survivors emphasize how all forms of solidarity collapsed amid mass starvation and how dehumanization brought by famine marks a rupture in their lives without a tangible connection to their previous and subsequent lives.

Application of the graph model for conflict resolution in the truck driver strike in Brazil: a Case Study

One of the most stressful human interactions is conflict. In some cases, it can bring high losses even to parties that are not involved in the conflict. A possible scenario for resolving the conflict can be found using a Graph Model for Conflict Resolution (GMCR) which is a tool used to analyze conflicts and present scenarios that can be seen as possible solutions to the conflict. Considering several stability criteria, in this work, we present a case study: the historical background, the modeling using the GMCR and the stable states according to the presented criteria of a conflict that occurred in Brazil, where truck drivers went on strike and generated damages to the population such as a supply crisis (of food, medicines, fuel, among other products) and financial losses to the government (delay in the flow of goods, crowding of ports, among others), mainly in cities far from large urban centers and in centers for the flow of goods by road.

Caught off guard and beaten: The Ukraine war and food security in the Middle East.

The Ukraine war has led to a severe global food crisis due to complex supply disruptions and price increases of agricultural inputs. Countries of the Middle East have been directly affected because of their high dependence on food imports from Russia and Ukraine. Furthermore, this food crisis comes at times of high baseline vulnerability due to the compound impacts of COVID-19, repeated food shocks, and weakened states due to political-economic difficulties. This paper provides a detailed analysis of the food-related vulnerability of Middle Eastern countries in the wake of the Ukraine war. It contextualizes the varying impacts of this crisis in the region, and highlights country-level response strategies. The analysis shows a concerning and deepened crisis in the case of highly exposed and politically fragile countries with weakened food sectors; e.g., Lebanon, Sudan, and Yemen. Political-economic instabilities, limited domestic agriculture, and the lack of reliable grain reserves have aggravated the current food crisis in some countries. At the same time, indigenous short-term responses related to regional aid and cooperation have emerged, particularly in the Gulf countries, which have witnessed soaring revenues from higher energy prices. Alongside more regional frameworks for collaboration on food security, future action to mitigate such food crises should include the strengthening of local sustainable agriculture, storage capacities, and grain procurement strategies from international suppliers.

Economic Value, Farmers Perception, and Strategic Development of Sorghum in Central Java and Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Sorghum is an important food crop commodity in the midst of climate change conditions and the threat of a global food crisis. Sorghum, which has an adaptive advantage to all land conditions, is suitable for use as a food substitute for rice and wheat. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the economic value, farmers’ perceptions, and specific strategies for developing sorghum in Central Java and Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The research was conducted in Wonogiri Regency, Central Java, and Gunungkidul Regency, Yogyakarta from September to November 2022. The research was carried out through the observation of 120 respondents with indicators of farming characteristics and farmers’ perceptions of sorghum development, as well as focus group discussions (FGD) and depth interviews with indicators of internal and external factors for sorghum development. The analysis used is benefit cost (BC) to evaluate the economic value of sorghum farming, the Likert scale to determine farmers’ perceptions of sorghum, and Strength Weak Opportunity Threat (SWOT) to determine specific strategies for developing sorghum. The results showed that sorghum farming is feasible to develop in Wonogiri Central Java and Gunungkidul Yogyakarta because it provides a profit value greater than production costs with a BCR value of >1. The perception of farmers in Central Java regarding the development of sorghum is included in the very good category with an average value of 3.31, and the perception of farmers in Yogyakarta is included in the good category with an average value of 2.55. The operational policy strategy for developing sorghum in Wonogiri Central Java and Gunungkidul Yogyakarta is an expansion strategy (S-O).

Detrended cross-correlations analysis between oil shocks and world food prices

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the relationship between oil price shocks and world food prices between 1974 and 2018.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use the SVAR model to disentangle the oil price into supply, aggregate demand and oil-specific demand shocks and apply the detrended cross-correlations analysis to measure the association between oil price shocks and food returns/volatility and analyze contagion effects between oil and food markets.FindingsThe results show that the correlations between oil and food prices depend on whether oil prices changes are driven by supply or demand shocks. Particularly, food returns (volatility) are positively (negatively) more dependent on the oil price changes driven by aggregate demand (oil specific demand) shocks. Further analysis dealing with contagion analysis between oil and food markets shows a contagion effect during the food crisis of 2006–2008. Oil-specific demand shocks are the main source of this phenomenon.Research limitations/implicationsThis study differentiates itself from the previous literature by simultaneously disentangling oil price into supply, aggregate demand and oil-specific demand-driven shocks and evaluating the cross-correlations between each shock type and food returns/volatility. Specifically, this study has the originality of detecting the main source of contagion effects between oil and food markets over the food crisis of 2006–2008.Practical implicationsThe results of this study are important for policymakers and investors. They should account for the oil price fluctuations differently depending on whether the oil price shocks are driven by the demand or supply side. Moreover, they should anticipate an increase (decrease) in food prices due to a positive (negative) oil shock. In addition, special attention should be accorded to the world oil demand. Finally, when a food crisis occurs, markets operators should focus more on the specific oil-demand shocks, as it is the most contributor to possible contagion effects between oil and food markets.Originality/valueThis study differentiates itself from the previous literature by simultaneously disentangling oil price into supply, aggregate demand and oil-specific demand-driven shocks and evaluating the cross-correlations between each shock type and food returns/volatility. Specifically, this study has the originality of detecting the main source of contagion effects between oil and food markets over the food crisis of 2006–2008.

Economic Problems In Indonesia And Efforts To Solve Them

Economic problems are one of the problems that arise today in our beloved country. Thus causing a hampering of economic growth. Therefore, the role of the government is very large, where the government is given the widest authority to manage its own government, including economic development based on potential wealth. To carry out this task, the government must play an active role in economic development. The method used in this study is a Qualitative approach. and the type of research is Descriptive. That is to describe the present reality. The results of this study show that the problems faced by the State of Indonesia include: Low economic growth in Indonesia, poverty, unemployment, income gap, foreign debt, budget deficit, industrial incompetence, inability to manage human resources, lack of mastery of science and technology, corruption, food crisis and centralized development. Efforts to overcome economic problems in Indonesia are by means of traditional economic systems, centralized economic systems, market economic systems, mixed economic systems and the implementation of national economic recovery programs by the government.

Estimation of regional actual evapotranspiration based on the improved SEBAL model

The global food and water crises caused by climate warming are becoming increasingly significant. One of the important aspects of surface water transfer is evapotranspiration. The accurate estimation of evapotranspiration (ET) is of great significance in water resource management. However, accurate estimation of large-scale ET is challenging due to the adequate selection of the hot and cold pixels, the heterogeneity of the subsurface and the instability of the lower atmosphere. Therefore, in this paper, a surface energy balance model (Y-SEBAL) was proposed based on the SEBAL model and improved sensible heat flux calculation, and used to simulate large-scale actual evapotranspiration. Based on the principle of surface energy balance, this model introduced the empirical formula of sensible heat flux and simplifies the selection of limit to address the challenge of calculating the sensible heat flux of the crucial variable in the SEBAL model. The study simulated the spatial and temporal evolution of regional evapotranspiration with the model and verified the model simulation performance. In addition, the sensitivity of the model-driven data was quantified. The results showed that the simulation value of the Y-SEBAL model was highly consistent with the eddy covariance measurement data. In the verification results, the R value was 0.82, the index of agreement was 0.90, and the root mean square error was 0.81 mm·d−1. The performance verification indices were better than the SEBAL model, MOD16 model, and SSEBop model. And the model had the highest sensitivity to wind speed, reaching 0.714. The Y-SEBAL model improved the simulation performance of the original model and simulated the actual evapotranspiration. The study can provide a new solution for improving the retrieval of evapotranspiration by remote sensing at the regional scale.

Household behavior and vulnerability to acute malnutrition in Kenya

Anticipating those most at-risk of being acutely malnourished significantly shapes decisions that pertain to resource allocation and intervention in times of food crises. Yet, the assumption that household behavior in times of crisis is homogeneous—that households share the same capacity to adapt to external shocks—ostensibly prevails. This assumption fails to explain why, in a given geographical context, some households remain more vulnerable to acute malnutrition relative to others, and why a given risk factor may have a differential effect across households? In an effort to explore how variation in household behavior influences vulnerability to malnutrition, we use a unique household dataset that spans 23 Kenyan counties from 2016 to 2020 to seed, calibrate, and validate an evidence-driven computational model. We use the model to conduct a series of counterfactual experiments on the relationship between household adaptive capacity and vulnerability to acute malnutrition. Our findings suggest that households are differently impacted by given risk factors, with the most vulnerable households typically being the least adaptive. These findings further underscore the salience of household adaptive capacity, in particular, that adaption is less effective for economic vis-à-vis climate shocks. By making explicit the link between patterns of household behavior and vulnerability in the short- to medium-term, we underscore the need for famine early warning to better account for variation in household-level behavior.

SRI AND ENERGY TRANSFORMATION ON THE WAY TO SUSTAINABLE COMPETITIVENESS

Russian war against Ukraine turns to challenge for the whole world. The full scope of consequences is difficult to assess now, but some of them have been already clear. As a result, the world economy is under exposures of inflation, disruptions on GDP growth, food and energy crises and further supply-chain pressures. Energy prices volatility adds uncertainty to the whole system of socio-economic relations. Energy turns to weapon against the world stability. The paper concentrates on the idea that current situation in the energy sector calls for a prompt reaction on challenges, including war consequences. That, in turn, requires sustainable and responsible investment (SRI) and financial innovations for immediately energy transformation, which is an essential element for sustainable competitiveness of countries. It is also crucial not to lose a track for net zero emissions by 2050. Such investment which combines financial goals with ecological, social and governance issues are covered by umbrella term “sustainable investment”. Sustainable investment became a strong trend on global financial market, which is popular with institutional and private investors. Investment in renewable energy is a part of SRI and countries’ sustainable competitiveness depends on the SRI volumes. The research is aimed at studying interconnection between SRI and energy transformation on the way to sustainable competitiveness. The processes on the global energy market are investigated and main weak points which are sources of risks for the world economy are defined. Three significant energy-related weak points turned into risks for the world are highlighted: the level of dependency from imported gas (for European countries dependency from Russian gas in particular); energy prices volatility; energy structure (nonrenewable vs renewable). It is generalized governmental approaches in the sphere of energy transformation driven by a combination of energy security concerns and climate ambitions. The paper contains an assumption about correlation between SRI and countries’ sustainable competitiveness. This hypothesis is confirmed using correlation analysis (biserial correlation) for five countries (Germany, the USA, Canada, Australia and Japan). Strong relationship between these variables is shown. This allows to make conclusions that increasing of SRI volumes in general and clean energy projects in particular, are predominant conditions for the sustainable competitiveness of country, which is oriented to the long-term prospective and based on effective usage of all available sources, including energy, fast transformation of energy systems to the renewable sources.

Coproduction of amino acids and biohythane from microalgae via cascaded hydrothermal and anaerobic process

In search of the candidate for animal feed and clean energy, a new vision of algal biorefinery was firstly proposed to coproduce amino acids and biohythane via hydrothermal treatment and two-stage anaerobic fermentation. This study focused on the comprehensive analysis of amino acids recovered from Chlorella sp. and the subsequent biohythane production from microalgal residues. The content and recovery rate of amino acids were in the range of 2.07–27.62 g/100 g and 3.65 %–48.66 % with increasing temperature due to more cell wall disruptions. Furthermore, it was rich in essential amino acids for livestock, including leucine, arginine, isoleucine, valine and phenylalanine. A comparable hydrogen production (9 mL/g volatile solids (VS)) was reached at 70 °C and 90 °C, while it reduced to 5.84 mL/gVS at 150 °C. The group at 70 °C got the maximum methane generation of 311.9 mL/gVS, which was 16.67 %, 24.94 %, 38.38 % and 46.49 % higher than that of other groups. Microalgal residues at lower temperature contained more organics, which was the reason for the better biohythane production. The coproduction of amino acids and biohythane at 130 °C was favorable, which led to 43.71 % amino acids recovery and 93.82 mL biohythane production from per gVS of Chlorella sp. The improved microalgal biorefinery could provide an alternative way to mitigate the crisis of food and energy, but animal experimentations and techno-economic assessments should be considered for further study.

The Russia-Ukraine war: Implications for global and regional food security and potential policy responses

This paper analyzes the implications of the Russian-Ukraine war on global and regional food security. We start with a global vulnerability analysis to identify most vulnerable regions and countries. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is particularly vulnerable to trade shocks because of its high food import dependence. Thus, we provide descriptive evidence characterizing how food systems and policies impact vulnerability to the price shock in selected MENA countries: Egypt, Sudan, and Yemen. Within these countries, we show that the crisis will differentially impact poor and non-poor households as well as rural and urban households. Although the absolute level of food insecurity may still be higher in rural areas where larger numbers of poor households are located, urban poor are likely to suffer most because of the Russia-Ukraine crisis and associated hikes in food prices, especially in those countries where social protection and food subsidies are missing. We review lessons from previous food crises and identify actions needed to take (and to avoid) to protect most vulnerable countries and households in the short-term while also highlighting long-term policy options to diversify food, fertilizer and energy production and trade.

Political commentary on world hunger triggered by war in Ukraine

ABSTRACT Statistics highlight the importance of Ukraine to world food security and the immediate effects of Russia’s war. The essence of food security and the reasons behind shortage of food in the poorest countries of the world are considered against the backdrop of the disruption of Ukraine’s grain exports. Recommendations are offered to prevent the present crisis in Ukraine descending into a global food crisis: these include adaptation of the established mechanism of coordination to resume exports; support for Ukrainian producers; continued close relationship with states that provide humanitarian, financial, and political support; and, best of all, cessation of Russian aggression.

The Development of the World Economy and the Impact of the Global Food Crisis 2022-2023

The Development of the World Economy and the Impact of the Global Food Crisis 2022-2023

CURRENT TRENDS OF THE WORLD WHEAT MARKET: DEMAND AND SUPPLY

Goal. study of supply and demand for wheat grain on the world market, as well as highlighting the main trends and analysis of projected wheat prices at the end of 2022, taking into account the state of crops and projected yields in major exporting countries. Method. To achieve this goal used a wide range of general and special methods of scientific knowledge: dialectical method, graphic, trend, technical analysis, method of induction and deduction, analysis and synthesis, monographic. Results. The study revealed a downward trend in the supply of wheat on the world food market in the 2022/23 marketing year, which, according to experts, will significantly affect price growth and could cause a global food crisis. The reason for this situation is the decline in wheat production in major exporting countries, government restrictions on exports to some countries, weather conditions in France, the blockade of Black Sea ports by Russian troops in Ukraine. Thus, the dynamics of wheat prices in Ukraine shows that on May 9 the price of wheat fell to UAH 6,000 / t, but on May 16 it increased by UAH 500 / t, and on May 23 it fell below UAH 6,000 / t. In general, the slump in grain prices is very significant and reaches about 30% of the initial price. According to technical analysis, the forecast prices for wheat in December 2022 on the Paris Stock Exchange Euronext may reach 440 euros / ton, and on the Chicago Stock Exchange - up to 1360 c $ / bu. The scientific novelty lies in a comprehensive study of the situation on the world wheat market and highlighting the main trends in its development. The practical significance of the obtained results lies in the technical analysis of the wheat grain market on the two main world exchanges and the formulation of sound conclusions about the current price movement and further trend, support and containment lines.

Phytotoxicity Assessment and Nanotechnological Remediation of Textile Industrial Dyes on Vegetation

In current scenario, one of the most significant sources of pollution is textile dye and increasing day by day. Many issues confront global agriculture, including the sustainable use and protection of natural resources, climate change, urbanisation, and pollution caused by agrochemicals (e.g., fertilisers and pesticides). These businesses release a wide range of chemicals, dyes, acids and alkalis, as well as other toxic compounds such as heavy metals, all of which are known to be poisonous. The physico-chemical parameters of dye manufacturing effluents, as well as their impact on seed germination and plant growth, were studied. Nanotechnology is also being studied as a potential solution to the worldwide food crisis. The use of plants to remove toxins from the soil, such as heavy metals, trace elements, organic chemicals, and radioactive substances. It also explains how nanoparticles are becoming a popular method of desalination and it also faces the environmental challenges for the protection of plants.

Characterisation of meteorological drought at sub-catchment scale in Afghanistan using station-observed climate data.

Droughts have severely affected Afghanistan over the last four decades, leading to critical food shortages where two-thirds of the country's population are in a food crisis. Long years of conflict have lowered the country's ability to deal with hazards such as drought which can rapidly escalate into disasters. Understanding the spatial and temporal distribution of droughts is needed to be able to respond effectively to disasters and plan for future occurrences. This study used Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) at monthly, seasonal and annual temporal scales to map the spatiotemporal change dynamics of drought characteristics (distribution, frequency, duration and severity) in Afghanistan. SPEI indices were mapped for river basins, disaggregated into 189 sub-catchments, using monthly precipitation and potential evapotranspiration derived from temperature station observations from 1980 to 2017. The results show these multi-dimensional drought characteristics vary along different years, change among sub-catchments, and differ across temporal scales. During the 38 years, the driest decade and period are 2000s and 1999-2022, respectively. The 2000-01 water year is the driest with the whole country experiencing 'severe' to 'extreme' drought, more than 53% (87 sub-catchments) suffering the worst drought in history, and about 58% (94 sub-catchments) having 'very frequent' drought (7 to 8 months) or 'extremely frequent' drought (9 to 10 months). The estimated seasonal duration and severity present significant variations across the study area and among the study period. The nation also suffers from recurring droughts with varying length and intensity in 2004, 2006, 2008 and most recently 2011. There is a trend towards increasing drought with longer duration and higher severity extending all over sub-catchments from southeast to north and central regions. These datasets and maps help to fill the knowledge gap on detailed sub-catchment scale meteorological drought characteristics in Afghanistan. The study findings improve our understanding of the influences of climate change on the drought dynamics and can guide catchment planning for reliable adaptation to and mitigation against future droughts.