Agricultural Economics and Extension Project Topics

Food Security : A Means to Sustainable Economic Growth

Food Security a Means to Sustainable Economic Growth

Food Security : a Means to Sustainable Economic Growth

CHAPTER ONE

Objectiveย ofย theย Study

The broad objective of the study is to evaluate the effect of Food security on economic growth.

Specificย objectivesย ofย thisย studyย are:

  1. to examine the short run relationship between economic growth and food security
  2. to investigate the long run relationship between economic growth and food security
  3. to examine the causal relationship between economic growth and food security

CHAPTER TWOย 

LITERATUREย REVIEW

Introduction

The main purpose of this chapter is to review virtually all existing literature relevant to the effectย of food security on economic development. Food insecurity is a major sign of underdevelopmentย in a country. It is necessary to evaluate the role or contribution of food security in ensuringย economic development. This literature review will help shed more light on food security inย relation to economicย development.

This chapter wouldย mainlyย focusย onย theย following;

  1. The conceptual review
  2. Review of theoretical literature
  3. Review of empirical studies
  4. Knowledge gap in the literature

Conceptualย Review

Here, the concept of food security and economic development will be elaborated further so as toย have abundantย knowledgeย onย theย subjectย matter.

Conceptย ofย Foodย Security

Through the spiraling of literature, many definitions and conceptions concerning food security has been introduced. Food security exists when all people at all times have physical or economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy lifeโ€ (FAO, 1996 cited in Bazga, 2012). This definition was adopted by the world food summit (WFS) in November 1996. This definition postulates food security as availability and accessibility of healthy food fit for consumption. According to Bazga, (2012) theย difficulties encountered by food security is classified into two areas: quality and quantity and thisย hasย aย serious effectย on theย fiveย dimensionsย of food securityย which are;

Bazga (2015) also identified five dimensions of food security which are; food availability, price volatility, population access to food availability, food utilization, and stability of food.

In alignment with the above definition, Nwaniki, (2007) identified three aspects of food security, namely: food availability, food access, and food adequacy. Availability of food also means adequate supply of food and food must be supplied in sufficient quantity and quality. The world bank (2007) adds that food security can be seen as access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life. Hence, by implication, households are meant to have both physical and economic access to food. In addition, Siamwalla and Valdes 2004 cited in Bazga 2015) sees food security as the ability of the countries, regions or households to meet target levels of food consumption on a yearly basis. Kracht (1981) viewed food security as everyone having enough to eat at any time โ€“ enough for life, health and growth of the young, and for productive effort. Reutlinger (1982) saw it as freedom from food deprivation for all the worldโ€™s people all the time. In 1985, Reutlinger orchestrated another definition of food security as the access by all people at all times to enough food for an active and healthy life. Carter (1989) also clearly stated that food security is the ability of food-deficit regions or countries, or households within these countries, to meet target levels of consumption on a yearly basis.

Given the above compilation of definitions by various authors, the following core concepts of food security are dominant;

Sufficiency

This deals with the concept of enough food, it has been described in various ways in trending literature. It was described by (Reutlinger and Knapp 1980) as โ€œminimal level of food consumptionโ€; as โ€œthe basic food neededโ€ by (FAO 1983). Also, (Barraclough and Utting 1987) refers to the concept as โ€œadequate to meet nutritional needsโ€. Hence, for a country to attain food security, food supply must be sufficiently enough for consumption and must also contain basic nutrients to facilitate healthy living.

 

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCHย METHODOLOGY

Introduction

This chapter explains the model adapted for the study, technique of estimation, data sources andย measurement with the aid of method use for the research analysis. The chapter is thereforeย divided into two sectors; this includes model specification and techniques of estimation (methodย ofย research)ย and theย data sources andย measurement.

CHAPTER FOUR

PRESENTATIONย ANDย ANALYSISย OFย DATA

Introduction

This chapter deals with the analysis of data and interpretation. This chapter contains theย empiricalย analysis ofย thisย studyย whichย examines theย effectย ofย foodย securityย onย economicย growthย of Nigeriaย fromย 1970-2013.

Firstly, the study makes use of the unit root test to test the data series for stationarity. The dataย alsoย employs theย useย ofย theย Autoregressiveย distributedย lagย (ARDL)ย andย grangerย causalityย testย toย justifyย theย objectives of theย research.

Theย variablesย examinedย duringย thisย analysis are:ย GDPย %ย changeย (asย measurementย forย economicย growth), Food Security (FOS, using calorie supply per capital as proxy), per capita incomeย (PCI), Food production index (PFI), Foreign direct investment (FDI), Consumer price indexย (CPI), Import (IMP) and Government expenditure (EXPE)ย The variables were estimated usingย E-viewsย 9.5 software.

CHAPTERย FIVE

CONCLUSIONย ANDย POLICYย RECOMMENDATION

This workย examinedย theย effectย ofย foodย securityย onย economicย growthย usingย theย auto-regressiveย lagย (ARDL)ย model.ย Theย objectiveย ofย thisย workย isย toย analyzeย theย causalย relationshipย betweenย economic growth and food security and also to analyze the long and short run effect betweenย them.ย Inย orderย toย achieveย theย statedย objectives,ย theย unitย rootย testย wasย usedย toย checkย forย stationarity,ย grangerย causalityย testย wasย usedย toย analyzeย theย causalย relationship.ย Theย auto-ย regressiveย distributedย lagย (ARDL) was usedย to test the short run effect and theย long run effectย wasย examined throughย theย ARDLย bound test.

Theย grangerย causalityย testย showsย thatย thereย isย aย causalย relationshipย betweenย foodย productionย index (FPI) and per capital income (PCI). This shows a unidirectional relationship, that is, FPIย granger causes PCI.

Theย resultsย fromย auto-regressiveย distributedย lagย (ARDL)ย showsย thatย thereย isย noย shortย runย relationship between the variables but a long run relationship exist between the variables usingย GDPย as dependentย variable.

Based on discoveries made, it can be noted that food production which is a major determinant ofย food security affects per capita income in the country, also food security has a significant impactย onย economicย growthย inย theย longย run.ย Hence,ย itย canย beย concludedย thatย thereย isย needย forย government intervention in the pursuit of food security, to increase food productivity in theย agriculturalย sectorย to stimulateย sustainableย economicย growth.

RECOMMENDATION

Basedย onย theย findingsย theย followingย recommendations areย suggested

The government should focus on formulating long run policies to enhance food productivity. Pro poor policies should be designed to terminate poverty and this should focus on diversifying the Nigerian economy with agriculture as the driver of the economy.

The government should make provision for adequate supply of technology to enhance food productivity. Government should subsidize machineries and other important technologies for agricultural productivity thereby encouraging the private sector to go into mechanized farming.

The government should strengthen agricultural research institutes with sufficient funds. This will improve domestic techniques in agricultural productivity.

The government should also enforce import substitution on food production. Food importationย should be restricted and the central bank should create policies that would favour the supply ofย moneyย towards food production.

There is need for sincerity of purpose and consistency with programmes and policies. It isย adviced that all leaders stick to the same programmes and policies, this would go a long way toย avoid wastageย ofย resources, enhanceย food securityย as well as economic growth.

REFERENCES

  • A.A Adebayo. (2010). Food Security Status in Nigeria: Pre and Post Economic Deregulationย Review.ย Internationalย Journalย ofย Economicย Developmentย Researchย andย Investmentย Vol.ย 1, Noย 1.
  • A.A. Gohar and A. Cashman. (2016). A methodology to assess the impact of climate variabilityย andย changeย onย waterย resources,ย foodย securityย andย economicย welfare.ย Agriculturalย Systemsย 147, 51โ€“64.
  • A.S. Ekpenyong. (2015). Urbanization: Its Implication for Sustainable Food Security, Health andย Nutritional Nexus in Developing Economies – A Case Study of Nigeria.ย Journal ofย Studiesย inย Socialย Sciencesย ISSNย 2201-4624ย Volumeย 11,ย Numberย 1,ย ,ย 29-49.
  • Attah. (2012). Food Security in Nigeria: The Role of Peasant Farmers in Nigeria.Anย Internationalย Multidisciplinaryย Journal,ย Ethiopiaย Vol.ย 6ย (4),ย Serialย No.ย 27,,ย 173-190.
  • Abu,ย O.ย (2012).ย Foodย Securityย inย Nigeriaย andย Southย Africa:ย Policiesย andย Challenges.ย Jย Humย Ecol,ย 38(1), 31-35 .
  • Agboola,ย M.ย (2009).ย Impactย ofย Foodย Securityย onย Economicย Growthย inย Africa:ย Aย Dynamicย Panelย Dataย Analysis.ย Economicsย Questions,ย Issuesย andย Problems,ย ISBNย 978-80-89691-07-4.
  • Anthony,ย E.ย (2010).ย Agriculturalย Creditย andย Economicย Growthย inย Nigeria:ย Anย Empiricalย Analysis.ย Businessย andย Economicsย Journal,ย Volumeย 2010:ย BEJ-14.
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