Food Poverty Research Articles

Unfavorable social determinants of health are associated with higher burden of financial toxicity among patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in the US: findings from the National Health Interview Survey

BackgroundAtherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is a major cause of financial toxicity, defined as excess financial strain from healthcare, in the US. Identifying factors that put patients at greatest risk can help inform more targeted and cost-effective interventions. Specific social determinants of health (SDOH) such as income are associated with a higher risk of experiencing financial toxicity from healthcare, however, the associations between more comprehensive measures of cumulative social disadvantage and financial toxicity from healthcare are poorly understood.MethodsUsing the National Health Interview Survey (2013–17), we assessed patients with self-reported ASCVD. We identified 34 discrete SDOH items, across 6 domains: economic stability, education, food poverty, neighborhood conditions, social context, and health systems. To capture the cumulative effect of SDOH, an aggregate score was computed as their sum, and divided into quartiles, the highest (quartile 4) containing the most unfavorable scores. Financial toxicity included presence of: difficulty paying medical bills, and/or delayed/foregone care due to cost, and/or cost-related medication non-adherence.ResultsApproximately 37% of study participants reported experiencing financial toxicity from healthcare, with a prevalence of 15% among those in SDOH Q1 vs 68% in SDOH Q4. In fully-adjusted regression analyses, individuals in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th quartiles of the aggregate SDOH score had 1.90 (95% CI 1.60, 2.26), 3.66 (95% CI 3.11, 4.35), and 8.18 (95% CI 6.83, 9.79) higher odds of reporting any financial toxicity from healthcare, when compared with participants in the 1st quartile. The associations were consistent in age-stratified analyses, and were also present in analyses restricted to non-economic SDOH domains and to 7 upstream SDOH features.ConclusionsAn unfavorable SDOH profile was strongly and independently associated with subjective financial toxicity from healthcare. This analysis provides further evidence to support policies and interventions aimed at screening for prevalent financial toxicity and for high financial toxicity risk among socially vulnerable groups.

The Role of Household-Scale Local Chicken Farms in Providing Family Food in Minahasa Regency

The existence of a household-scale local chicken farm in rural areas in the long term can help reduce imports, improve community nutrition, reduce stunting, and reduce poverty levels. However, the potential of these businesses in the village still needs further development. This study explores the potential and role of household-scale local chicken farming in the Minahasa Regency and explores various comparative possibilities in the Minahasa Regency. Multiple tools for literature search such as Google, Google Scholar, Science Direct, Pubmed websites containing a database of Animal Husbandry Journals, Journals related to poultry and food, proceedings of national and international seminars, online government databases to support information collection. Each family in the village has several local chickens used as family savings, a source of animal protein, and additional income. The local chicken development program is a strategic effort to overcome the problem of food insecurity and poverty by encouraging the development of local resource potential. The type, size, and location of local chicken farming will partly determine the success of a household-scale farming business.

What does CGIAR do to address climate change? Perspectives from a decade of science on climate change adaptation and mitigation

CGIAR consists of a network of international publicly funded agricultural research for development institutes. Over five decades it has worked to increase food abundance, reduce hunger and poverty rates, and lower the geographical footprint of agriculture in lower- and middle-income countries. CGIAR's first formalised research program on climate change was set up in 2009. Here we report on an analysis of 300 outcomes generated over the lifetime of this program, which ran until 2021. Outcomes were characterised in relation to the climate objective, geography, thematic scope, and contribution to global goals. More than half of the outcomes analysed were related to policies for agriculture development under climate change. Twenty-six percent of outcomes related to climate, information and financial services, and 22 percent were related to organisational programming. Most outcomes analysed were at an early stage of maturity, focusing on design and planning stages of policies, strategies, and investments. Fewer than five percent of outcomes had evidence of impact at scale. Outcomes were facilitated by a wide network of partners and contributed to more than ten Sustainable Development Goals. The results of the analysis show the value of outcome-oriented science in being able to harness diversity, balance strategy with opportunism, plan flexibly, work across multiple vulnerability contexts, and allocate resources towards outcomes. These elements have played a significant role in fostering change across contexts, in adjusting research to emerging needs and context changes, in creating conditions for spillovers, and in ensuring global relevance. To transform the food system, the research for development agenda needs to be bolder. It will require more outcomes of various types, achieved through diverse partnerships, spanning a diversity of geographies, vulnerable contexts, and priorities. Significant and intentional investments in strengthening monitoring, evaluation, reporting and learning capacity will be required to further realize the potential for outcome-oriented research.

Faces of hunger: an intersectional approach to children's right to food in the United Kingdom

AbstractThis article explores the extent to which the right to food is currently enjoyed by children within the United Kingdom (UK) using image analysis of the food parcels received by children eligible for free school meals during the COVID‐19 pandemic. It argues that child food poverty serves as an illustration of the failings of neoliberalism in the UK context, which had already been observed prior to the pandemic in relation to the current Universal Credit system. The article adopts an intersectional approach, connecting the increased risk of food insecurity experienced by Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) children from low‐income backgrounds to the broader notions of racial capitalism and food oppression. It concludes by offering proposals to target inequalities and improve the realization of the right to food for all children in the UK, which could be adopted by other states to enhance the protection of children's right to food around the globe.

Acting against health inequalities through popular education: a Scottish case-study


 This article investigates if health inequalities can be reduced using popular education (PE) methods. It argues that, although ill health may be experienced as a private trouble, it is embedded in broader social and political processes and should be seen as a public issue. It illuminates this concept of health by using student writings from the Health Issues in the Community (HIIC) project. These writings illustrate the impact of unemployment, lack of facilities, food poverty etc. on people’s physical and mental health and the action they have taken to challenge and reduce these inequalities. It is argued that PE contributes to human flourishing, but the educator must resist the power they have to steer students in particular directions. It concludes that whilst PE cannot abolish health inequalities, HIIC participants have taken small steps to change existing realities and so have challenged oppressive social relations. 

Beyond productivity, does the adoption of agricultural technologies improve food consumption and reduce poverty? Empirical evidence from Benin

ABSTRACT Beyond productivity, does the adoption of agricultural technologies improve food consumption and reduce poverty? To provide answers to this, the paper used data from the household survey on the Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis (CFSVA) carried out in 2017 in Benin. Five agricultural technologies were considered in this study. First, an extended ordered probit model was estimated to analyze the impact of technology choice sets on food consumption groups (poor, limit and acceptable). Second, an extended probit model is employed to assess the impact on poverty status. The results show that the adoption of multiple technologies increases food consumption and reduces poverty among agricultural households in Benin. Combinations of technologies that enhance both food consumption and poverty status are irrigation and herbicide, irrigation and chemical fertilizers and improved seed and chemical fertilizers. Therefore, policy interventions should help farming households gain access to these improved technologies to improve food security and reduce poverty.

Impact of Market Participation of Indigenous Crops on Household Food Security of Smallholder Farmers of South Africa

Market participation by smallholder indigenous crop farmers holds significant potential for the alleviation of food insecurity and poverty amongst rural households. Smallholder farmers generally play a vital role in the production and marketing of indigenous crops in South Africa. However, smallholder farmers continue to remain among the food-insecure populations. This is more worrisome for indigenous crop farming households whose produce is far more limited in the market yet may contribute towards improving their food security status and livelihoods. This study analysed the impact of market participation of indigenous crops on the household food security of smallholder farmers in the Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa. A sample size of 209 indigenous crop producers were selected from a population of 1520 smallholder farmers. The study adopted a multi-stage stratified random sampling technique. The data were collected using both qualitative and quantitative research and were analysed using descriptive analysis, Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS), and the Poisson regression model with the endogenous treatment model. The household size, marital status, household members living with HIV, and access to extension services were found to be positive and significant in determining household food security, whereas the disability of a household member was significant but negative. While the number of smallholder farmers involved in the production of indigenous crops is still limited, enhanced marketing of indigenous crops may improve the food security status of smallholder farmers. There is still a need for the government to channel its interventions towards the indigenous crop production sector, and this may include the provision of trained extension officers to assist smallholder farmers. Policymakers need to develop policies that support the production and marketing of indigenous crops. More awareness and promotion of indigenous crops are needed to encourage more smallholder farmers to adopt this farming practice. Further study of smallholder indigenous farmers across nine provinces of South Africa should be conducted to obtain deeper and broader insights into the role of these farmers on household food security.

Evaluating Poverty Indicators among Government-Supported Households: A Multidimensional Approach

Introduction: Poverty is an undesirable socio-economic phenomenon that endangers the political stability, social solidarity, and mental health of the different sections of society. The literature on poverty in recent years has not been limited to income poverty, but also to other aspects such as health, education, and living standards. By identifying patterns of poverty, instead of prejudging the suitable economic and social policies to combat poverty, we can explain the appropriate and effective policy on poverty at the community level in accordance with the nature of these patterns. Method: In the present study, with a multidimensional approach to poverty (including educational poverty, housing poverty, food poverty, health, and income poverty), the vulnerability of government-supported households in Iran were investigated. For this purpose, the expenditure information of government-supported households in 2017 was the basis of the study. Findings: The results showed that nearly 47% of the households surveyed are below the food poverty line. In terms of depth and quality of dominance of different dimensions of poverty among the studied households, housing poverty has the largest poverty gap, followed by education poverty with a poverty gap of nearly 40%. In summary, the poverty gap in income and health dimensions in this study is very low compared to the mentioned dimensions. In general, it was found that government-sponsored households, in addition to income poverty, also suffer from poor health, housing, education, and food poverty. Discussion: Based on the findings, it is suggested that policy makers adopt and formulate policy-support tools in which the various dimensions of poverty are considered in the form of a comprehensive system.

Capacities and gaps in Caribbean fisherfolk organization leadership

Organizational leadership is one of the most important roles for both women and men in the fishing industry. Empowerment of fisherfolk organization and strengthening or development of their capacity, especially in relation to leadership, is important to the successful implementation of the 2014 Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) and the realization of sustainable fisheries and stewardship. Leadership is a challenging and relatively recent fisheries research topic, and gender is poorly documented in Caribbean fisheries. The deficiency of knowledge on leadership and gender was addressed through fisherfolk organization leader assessments to assist in understanding capacities and gaps in Caribbean fisherfolk organization leadership for informing gender and other aspects of overall SSF Guidelines implementation. Our work contributes to a baseline of knowledge on fisher organization leaders in the region. It confirms some already known information on fisherfolk organizations, documenting this and new information. Dimensions such as decision-making, gender, participation, governance, education and assets relevant to fisherfolk leadership are covered in the leadership profile developed. We discuss the implications of this preliminary and exploratory applied research for Caribbean fisheries in the context of the SSF Guidelines, and a way forward.

The psychological toll of food insecurity

We investigate the relationship between food insecurity and psychological distress among a sample of poor households in Lebanon. We first document large unconditional differences in various measures of psychological distress based on whether a respondent lives in a household experiencing acute food insecurity. Next we show that these differences persist even when accounting for heterogeneity by interview timing, geography, and other characteristics. Considering results across a variety of regression specifications, we find that experiencing acute food insecurity increases scores on a psychological distress index by at least 0.16 standard deviations. These results carry implications for the literature on the mental health consequences of food insecurity and poverty alleviation policy.

Agricultural sector and economic development in Nigeria: Empirical evidence from Kebbi State

This research examined the effect of agricultural sector on economic development in Sokoto state, Nigeria. The research design used in this was survey. The population and sample size for this study are 142,741 farmers belonging to three senatorial districts in Kebbi state. However, a total of 399 were sampled using Taro Yamane‘s formula. A stratified sampling technique was used in selecting the three senatorial districts across the state. However, farmers were randomly selected for the study. The data collected from the respondents was analyzed using multiple regression. Empirical results show that food supply, poverty alleviation and job creation have significant effect on economic development. However, the results also indicate that there is positive insignificant relationship between foreign exchange and economic development. The study recommend that the current import and export regulations need to be revised in order to convince other countries to accept agricultural products from Nigeria.

Food Insecurity and Finding a Way Forward: The Right to Food

The right to food protects the right of all human beings to live free from hunger and food insecurity, with dignity. Despite Canada’s developed image on the world stage, there are Canadians that still lack the ability to consume adequate quantities and qualities of food. The causal link between food insecurity and poverty has been wellestablished, but much focus still lies on downstream approaches aimed at addressing the hunger instead of the root problem. This entry provides a historical background for the current state of food security in Canada, highlights the steps currently being taken to control the issue, and presents issues of equity to showcase the disproportionate impact of food insecurity in this country. The right to food as a framework to improving both availability of and access to food is proposed as a guiding principle to tackling food insecurity in Canada, in addition to suggestions that allow accountability and equitable and just systems to flourish.

The Role of Agricultural Sector in Food Security and Poverty Alleviation in Indonesia and Turkey

This study aims to analyze the role of the agricultural sector in food security and poverty alleviation in Indonesia and Turkey. The data analysis method was descriptive data analysis, while the data were secondary. The results of this study show that the Indonesian agricultural sector provides basic food needs for the population in the form of rice, corn, and cassava production. When considered in terms of Turkey, the agricultural sector shows that products such as wheat, sugar beet, and barley provide the basic food needs for the population. In some cases where food needs cannot be fulfilled by domestic production, importing food products from other countries becomes an option. Import is expected to be able to maintain the stability of domestic food prices and availability. In addition, the agricultural sector plays a role in providing employment and income for the population in Indonesia and Turkey. By doing this, the agricultural sector can provide food and alleviate poverty in both countries.

Typhus Disease in Iran during the Qajar Period (1725 to 1925 AD); a Brief Historical Review.

Typhus is an acute febrile disease caused by a series of bacteria called Rickettsia that is transmitted by insects such as lice, fleas, and ticks. This disease has appeared several times in Iran and caused many casualties. There were some therapeutic measures taken by European physicians in Tehran and medical graduates of the Dar al-Fonun school or expatriates who had studied medical courses in Western countries, even though the taken steps were not enough. Due to the lack of sanitation and cleaning products after the outbreak of World War I in March 1917 and its synchronization with the swift outbreak of Typhus in 1918, heavy casualties followed. In this study, we first examine the prevalence of Typhus in the Qajar dynasty in Iran, and will then focus on the pathological importance of this disease history in Iran. After that, we will study the role of Typhus prevalence and World War I in the Persian famine, malnutrition, and food poverty. Moreover, we investigated the role that this great war had in strengthening the spread of this disease and its role in the death of many Iranian people.

Impacts of climate disasters on women and food security in Bolivia

Throughout Bolivia, the vulnerability of women and men to the impact of climate disasters is unequal owing to regional and gender-related differences. Given the diversity of the Bolivian landscape, we analyze a scenario in which specific regional damage occurs in different economic sectors owing to adverse climatic events. Therefore, using a gendered macro–micro model, we present an ex-post analysis of climate disaster-induced damages to food security and women's food poverty that occurred between 2013 and 2014. The simulation reveals negative impacts on the Bolivian economy, particularly on agriculture. Food availability is reduced, food prices increase, and the household's economic capacity to access food decreases. Consequently, food insecurity and poverty worsen, with female-headed households bearing the brunt of the burden. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate a negative impact on employment and increased domestic burdens, particularly among women in the highlands. These results suggest the importance of gender mainstreaming in climate disaster analysis and prevention policies. • This study examines gender gaps and food security in a climate disaster context. • Local food availability is reduced resulting in increased agricultural imports. • Employment falls and domestic burdens increase, affecting welfare and food access. • Food poverty increases, with women in the highland region being the hardest hit. • Gender must be integrated into climate disaster analysis and prevention policies.

A review of the adaptive capacity of sweet sorghum to improve food security and poverty alleviation in sub-Saharan Africa

• Sweet sorghum can address socioeconomic challenges for African smallholder farmers. • A neglected multiuse crop, it is utilised for food, fuel, fibre, and fodder. • This grain crop can grow under water limited- and low nutrient input conditions. • Adoption of sweet sorghum in smallholder farming requires investment in research. Current challenges facing smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) require holistic adoption of crops that have diverse socioeconomic and agronomic significance. Sweet sorghum, an underutilised grain crop, has such potential, especially for bioethanol production, due to its adaptation to harsh conditions. Despite being native to SSA, its neglect and underuse is a concern given its wide potential to improve socioeconomic conditions of farmers in this region. This review highlights sweet sorghum's potential by discussing its adaptive capability against major production constraints such as water availability, soil nutrition, plant population, planting date, and harvest time. The review highlights sweet sorghum as a crop that maximises its growth and development under water stress conditions due to its high-water use efficiency. Furthermore, sweet sorghum can be cultivated under marginal soils compared to its biofuel counterparts (e.g., maize, sugarcane, and sugar beet) and can still be high yielding (grain) at high plant densities, with early planting dates also resulting in high yields. These attributes are significant in smallholder farming systems due to their susceptibility to socioeconomical and agronomic challenges. In addition, it was identified that there is lack of research relating to pests and diseases that plague sweet sorghum, with some measures and recommendations being based on grain sorghum. Therefore, the need for research and development on sweet sorghum in SSA may not only intensify its benefits to farmers but can also improve efficient cultivation under local environmental conditions.

Integrating communities' customary laws into marine small‐scale fisheries governance in Ghana: Reflections on the FAO Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small‐Scale Fisheries

AbstractAlthough Ghana has ratified several relevant treaties related to the ocean, and the country recognizes local communities' customary laws as an important source of law, there is limited research on the integration of customary laws and practices into marine small‐scale fisheries governance. This article addresses this gap by analysing customary law systems and practices of the various ethnic communities occupying the coastlines of the Western, Central, Greater Accra and Volta regions. Our analysis draws on the ‘respect for cultures’ principle of the Food and Agriculture Organization's Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small‐Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication. The article focuses on the relevance of custodianship, consensus building and empowerment norms that are operational among Ghana's coastline ethnic groups. The article concludes with a research and policy agenda on the importance of and challenges around recognizing and integrating coastal communities' customary law into marine small‐scale fisheries governance in Ghana.

Assessing changes in food pantry access after extreme events.

Food pantries play a growing role in supporting households facing or at risk of food insecurity in the United States. They also support emergency response and recovery following disasters and extreme weather events. Although food pantries are often placed in close proximity to communities with the highest rates of poverty and risk of food insecurity, access to these facilities can be disrupted during and after extreme events. Decreased access to food pantries following disasters can be particularly problematic as the need for these services is also likely to grow after such events. Despite the vast body of research on food retail access and food environments, relatively little research has utilized spatial analysis to understand food pantry access, particularly after extreme events. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), we characterize changes in access to food pantries following flooding events in Harris County, Texas-a highly populated and flood prone region with high levels of food insecurity and poverty. Specifically, our study models disruptions in road networks due to flooding and assesses the impacts of these disruptions on proximity to food pantries. The results reveal that much of Harris County sees only small increases in travel distance to food pantries due to extreme flooding, but some areas may be unable to access food pantries at all. This research highlights the potential and some of the limits of private food assistance networks to support emergency response efforts.

Welfare impacts of conservation agriculture adoption on smallholder maize farmers in South Africa

AbstractClimate change and soil degradation are the issues depleting the soil's ability to promote good yield. One of the ways to combat this is the practice of conservation agriculture (CA). This study was carried out to explore and investigate the impact of CA. Multinomial endogenous switching regression model and cross-sectional data were used to investigate the determinants and the impact of the adoption of CA on the income of smallholder maize farmers in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Three categories of CA (minimum tillage, crop diversification and a combination of both minimum tillage and crop diversification) were considered. The empirical results revealed that regardless of the choices of CA practices adopted by the maize farmers, the income realized was higher for adopters than for non-adopters of CA practices. The average treatment effect for the adopters of both minimum tillage and crop diversification was the highest, showing an increase in income by 60.31% (R15575.99/$996.57USD) compared to the non-adopters. The policy implication for these results is that there is a need to promote the adoption of CA practices, particularly a combination of both minimum tillage and crop diversification, given their significant impact on farmer income, an important welfare outcome that has significant implications on food security and poverty alleviation.

Actions to support local charitable organizations in countering the spread of food insecurity

Abstract Background According to the Italian Statistic Institute data, in Italy between 2007 - 2020 individual absolute poverty (AP) grew from 4.1 to 9.4%. In 2020 13.5% of minors lived in AP, furthermore in 2017 22.3% of Italians lived in conditions of food poverty or food insecurity (FI), between 2018 - 2019 1 in 7 minors lived in conditions of FI. The scientific literature underlines how inadequate food access is one of the risk factors for the onset of chronic non-communicable diseases. The aims of the project were to evaluate in the 3 main local charitable organizations (LCOs) the qualitative - quantitative profile of the food basket and the content of protective components present in fruits and vegetables (FV) available for socially disadvantaged communities (SDCs); determine the main nutritional critical points (NCPs); and identify possible corrective actions (CAs). Methods The average composition of the food baskets available in 2021 for 1600 users by the 3 LCOs was compared with national nutritional recommendations. In February 2022, 23 samples of FV were collected from the LCOs for chemical analyses by the University of Trieste (UT). The outcomes were compared with the food composition database of the UT. Results The food baskets at the LCOs were characterized by: daily average availability of 50 to 145 g of FV (8 to 22% of the recommended requirement); weekly average availability from 26 to 200g of cheeses, from 0 to 132g of meat. The quantitative profile of the protective molecules present in FV samples was reduced by 11 to 40 % compared to the UT database. The main NCPs were lack of nutrition guidelines on targeted food programmes and of monitor systems to evaluate the food basket balance for SDCs. CAs have been planned to integrate food safety and food security in public health programs to support LCOs. Conclusions The results of the project can significantly support LCOs towards integrated actions in the food and nutritional policies at local and regional level. Key messages