scholarly journals The politics of food and the fight against hunger: Reflections and lessons from Uganda

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (64) ◽  
pp. 9016-9038
Author(s):  
JK Kamara ◽  
◽  
AMN Renzaho ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Poor ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Food Prices ◽  
Civil Strife ◽  
Fuel Prices ◽  
Weather Patterns ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

Uganda is regarded as a success story having achieved tremendous economic progress since the end of chronic civil unrest and ethnic conflicts. However, the country faces a host of developmental challenges, especially adult and child hunger in tandem with malnutrition that threatens the core foundations of the impressive economic growth. These challenges have created conditions which led to civil strife especially among the urban poor who are most affected by hunger as opposed to the rural poor who subsist on farming. Out of desperation, some sections of the society use unconventional means to fight hunger; their frustration is often directed at the established authorities. However, factors that precipitate hunger in Uganda are poorly understood. This paper examines how Ugandan politics is being reshaped by the geopolitics of food. The objective is to provide a critical analysis of factors associated with food insecurity for the growing urban population and demonstrate that the Ugandan Government can do better to address the increasing food prices and the high cost of living. The triggers of the 2011/2012 riots in urban areas and the adequacy of the government’s response will be discussed. The impact of various factors such as international food markets, population growth and increasing demands for biofuel, on the rising food and fuel prices, will be examined. The paper also reviews other forces driving food insecurity including changes in the weather patterns, the growing middle class, the impact of government policies as well the role of increased urbanisation. The paper concludes that food insecurity for the growing Ugandan population is a threat that can no longer be ignored. This paper argues that achieving food security especially for the urban poor, is an effective means of curtailing civil strife, violence and insecurity in Uganda. The government must be proactive in creating a foundation for food independence and national stability.

scholarly journals The Impact of urbanization on Food in Security in Amhara Regional State Metropolitan cities

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 39
Author(s):  
Besfat Dejen Engdaw ◽  
Melaku Debas Kebede
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Mediation Analysis ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Safety Net ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Regional Government ◽  
Regional State ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

The process of urbanization in developing nations is attended without fast industrialization processes. As a result of this, the urbanization and urban process are accompanied by diverse problems. Hence this paper is aimed at identifying the effect of urbanization on citizens’ food insecurity by monitoring agricultural foodstuff production as a mediating variable.  A quantitative research methodology or approach has been used to depict out urban problems associated with unmanaged urbanization in the Ethiopian, particularly in Amhara regional state.   Structural Equation Modeling was employed to run a mediation analysis by decomposing the direct and indirect effects of one variable on the other. Correlation and regression analyses were executed to measure the direction and magnitude of the effect of the independent variable on the dependent. Regression analysis results indicated the existence of a significant direct effect of urbanization on food insecurity of citizens. The mediation analysis result shows agricultural foodstuff production doesn’t play a mediating role between urbanization and food insecurity. The paper, having traced out the effect of the urbanization on food insecurity, provides possible recommendations. The regional government should be very considerate about the pace of unmanaged, unindustrialized and unemployment induced urbanization. The regional government should address all pushing factors that are dragging farmers into the urban areas. So, it is important to find ways to make farmers beneficial from their farm activities. In this regard, the problem raised by farmers is the inability to settle the debt from fertilizers and improved seeds or at least what they get from selling what they have produced is used to settle their farm debt. Some policy measures such as subsidizing the farmer or extending the repayment period of their debt are then essential to help farmers lead a stable life and lead their families. The government/concerned body need to make a cost-benefit analysis by weighing the pressure from the migration of the farmers and the cost of subsidizing the farmers: compare prevention with curative. Moreover, as a short-term solution, the regional government should identify food unsecured urban households and embrace them in food security packages like urban safety-net programs.  And enhancing the limited income generation capacity of food insecured households.  Key words: Urbanization, Food in Security, Agricultural Foodstuff Production, Amhara Region

scholarly journals Impact of Covid−19 on Agricultural System and Food Prices: The Case of India

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pradyot Ranjan Jena ◽  
Rajesh Kalli ◽  
Purna Chandra Tanti
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Food Prices ◽  
Agricultural System ◽  
Investment Planning ◽  
Four Dimensions ◽  
First Response ◽  
Short Run ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

The present study focused on evaluating the impact of Covid-19 lockdown on the agriculture system in India. A telephonic interview was conducted with farmers among various states between April to May 2020. A total of 494 farmers participated in the survey identifying the challenges they faced during the lockdown. First, the study has outlined the knowledge and perception of respondents on the Covid-19 virus and second the impact of Covid 19 induced restrictions on the agricultural system and food prices in India has been analyzed. The study classified the impact of lockdown on the agriculture system into four broad classifications - Farm Inputs, Farm Produce and Supply Chain, Agriculture and Allied Activities, Pandemic and Food prices. The detailed analysis across these four dimensions is discussed. Due to the shutdown of many supply routes, the availability of agricultural inputs such as fertilizer and seeds was disrupted, which jeopardized farmers’ investment planning. Furthermore, the seasonal migrants who would work in urban areas enter off-season and return to their native villages for farming could not carry it on. Such a rapid chain of events created massive short-run income shortages for small and marginalized farmers across the country. The special economic package for agriculture empowerment announced by the Government of India in the tune of two lakh crore rupees, equivalent to ten per cent of India’s GDP, has been the government’s first response to deal with this agricultural crisis. Finally, the chapter puts forward policy suggestions to strengthen resource-poor farmers’ capabilities plagued with a low-income-low-yield vicious cycle.

Impact of Elected Women Representatives of Panchayati Raj in Physical and Financial and Business Assets Development of Rural Women: A Study among the Rural Women’s of Tiruvannamalai District, Tamil Nadu[1]

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (24) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kalaichelvi Sivaraman ◽  
Rengasamy Stalin
Keyword(s):  
Rural Women ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Direct Democracy ◽  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Rural And Urban Areas ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Panchayati Raj

This research paper is the part of Research Project entitled “Impact of Elected Women Representatives in the Life and Livelihood of the Women in Rural Areas: With Special Reference to Tiruvannamalai District, Tamil Nadu” funded by University of Madras under UGC-UPE Scheme.The 73rd and 74th amendments of the Constitution of India were made by the government to strengthen the position of women and to create a local-level legal foundation for direct democracy for women in both rural and urban areas. The representation for women in local bodies through reservation policies amendment in Constitution of India has stimulated the political participation of women in rural areas. However, when it’s comes to the argument of whether the women reservation in Panchayati Raj helps or benefits to the life and livelihood development of women as a group? The answer is hypothetical because the studies related to the impact of women representatives of Panchayati Raj in the life and livelihood development of women was very less. Therefore, to fill the gap in existing literature, the present study was conducted among the rural women of Tiruvannamalai district to assess the impact of elected women representatives in the physical and financial and business development of the women in rural areas. The findings revealed that during the last five years because of the women representation in their village Panjayati Raj, the Physical Asset of the rural women were increased or developed moderately (55.8%) and Highly (23.4%) and the Financial and Business Asset of the rural women were increased or developed moderately (60.4%) and Highly (18.7%).

scholarly journals Where Do I Allocate My Urban Allotment Gardens? Development of a Site Selection Tool for Three Cities in Benin

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 318
Author(s):  
B. G. J. S. Sonneveld ◽  
M. D. Houessou ◽  
G. J. M. van den Boom ◽  
A. Aoudji
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Poor ◽  
Site Suitability ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
Allotment Gardens

In the context of rapid urbanization, poorer residents in cities across low- and middle-income countries increasingly experience food and nutrition deficiencies. The United Nations has highlighted urban agriculture (UA) as a viable solution to food insecurity, by empowering the urban poor to produce their own fresh foods and make some profit from surplus production. Despite its potential role in reducing poverty and food insecurity, there appears to be little political will to support urban agriculture. This is seen in unclear political mandates that are sustained by information gaps on selection criteria for UA sites. The research reported here addresses this issue in the form of a decision-making support tool that assesses the suitability of cadastral units and informal plots for allotment gardens in urban and peri-urban areas. The tool was developed and tested for three rapidly expanding cities in Benin, a low-income country in West Africa, based on an ordered logit model that relates a set of 300 expert assessments on site suitability to georeferenced information on biophysical and socio-economic characteristics. Soil, land use, groundwater depth, vicinity to market and women’s safety were significant factors in the assessment. Scaled up across all cadastral units and informal sites, the tool generated detailed baseline maps on site suitability and availability of areas. Its capacity to support policymakers in selecting appropriate sites comes to the fore by reporting changes in site suitability under scenarios of improved soil fertility and enhanced safety for women.

scholarly journals An evaluation of the self-help housing scheme in Botswana, case of Gaborone city

Spatium ◽  
2007 ◽  
pp. 28-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Horatio Ikgopoleng ◽  
Branko Cavric
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Families ◽  
Evaluation Study ◽  
Urban Housing ◽  
Urban Centers ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Housing Scheme ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

Botswana like other developing countries faces a problem of acute shortage of housing, particularly for low-income urban families. The current housing problems are the outcomes of the economic, demographic and social changes which the country has experienced since independence in 1966. In particular the urbanization process which surfaced in the early 1980?s. The government has sought to cope with the problem of low-income urban housing by establishing a Self-Help Housing (SHHA) program in the main urban centers. The evaluation findings reveal that, on the whole, the impact of the SHHA approach on the improvement of low-income urban housing has been unsuccessful. The major problems of the scheme are lack of serviced land and inadequate finances for plot development. This has been exacerbated by the high urban development standards which are out of the reach of low-income urban families. The evaluation study also reveals that, there are some indications of non low-income urban households living in SHHA areas. The available evidence reveals that the number of those people in SHHA areas is not as big as has been speculated by most people in the country. However this paper calls for more investigation in this issue and a need for more tight measures to control this illicit practice. The major conclusions are that housing policies in Botswana are not supportive of the general housing conditions in low-income urban areas. Therefore there is a need for urban planners and policy makers of Botswana to take more positive action towards the improvement of low-income urban areas. This would require pragmatic policies geared towards the improvement of those areas. .

scholarly journals Examining the impact of COVID-19 and its related lockdown on food security and job losses: A case of Kumasi, Ghana

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Adusei
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Online Marketing ◽  
Time Range ◽  
Food And Nutrition Security ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The COVID-19 and partial lockdown has brought significant effects on the entire economy, especially on food security and job losses. This study was carried out in Asokwa Municipal with the objective of examining the impact of COVID-19 disease and its related lockdown on food and nutrition security and job losses. The study site form part of the cities in Ghana to experience the partial lockdown, hence it qualifies for the selection. Both primary and secondary data were used. By means of purposive sampling technique, fifty respondents were selected as sample size. The study employed a qualitative approach with a descriptive and narrative posture to the presentation, discussion and analysis of data. Open-ended questionnaire and a checklist were used for data collection through semi-structured interviews. The results revealed that, food and nutrition insecurity, job loss and income reductions are still very common, affecting participants livelihood. Disproportionally affected are households whose income comes from farming, transporters, informal labour, as well as marketers.It was concluded that food insecurity is not outside the impact of COVID-19 and its associated partial lockdown. Food and nutrition security are the global concern at present circumstances. The supply chain has been hit hardest by COVID-19, which causes food insecurity of most vulnerable segment of population which put them at risk. And also, most of the migrant, informal, seasonal farm workers were losing their jobs which may affect their demand for food. Therefore, the government should step-up the measures to control the pandemic without disturbing the food supply chain. The development and use of online marketing strategies where people can make orders of various produce and booked for purchases and or deliveries during a stated time range should be promoted.

scholarly journals Exploring the Impact of Crises on Food Security in Lebanon: Results from a National Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 8753
Author(s):  
Maha Hoteit ◽  
Youssef Al-Atat ◽  
Hussein Joumaa ◽  
Suheir El Ghali ◽  
Rania Mansour ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The People ◽  
Food Consumption Score ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

This study aims to explore the prevalence and correlates of food insecurity among Lebanese households since the ordeals of COVID-19, economic crisis, and Beirut port explosions. At the core of the study, a mobile application entitled Nutrition Assessment System (NAS) that simplified the data collection was used as toolkit and a technical test was carried out in all Lebanese governorates between November 2020 and March 2021. Findings show that food insecurity is an immediate problem for households in Beirut and in many governorates in Lebanon. Nine in every 16 households ate less than 2 meals per day and more than 70% of them skipped their meals to spare food. Even though half the population studied had a low food consumption score, 82.4% of the people were not relying on livelihood coping strategies. However, more than three out of ten of these households relied on at least three food-based coping strategies. In addition, as for the livelihoods, this assessment found that most Lebanese households reported a drop in income along with an expansion in debt incurrence in the last 24 months to be able to buy food. Improving food security in Lebanon requires effort not only on the part of the government, but through regional and international actions.

scholarly journals Accessibility of summer meals and the food insecurity of low-income households with children

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 2079-2089 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel P Miller
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
California Health Interview Survey ◽  
Lower Probability ◽  
Geographic Accessibility ◽  
Households With Children ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Low Income Households

AbstractObjectiveAlmost no previous research has examined the impact of the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Summer Food Service Program and related Seamless Summer Option, which provide meals and snacks to low-income children over the summer. The present study investigated whether geographic accessibility of summer meals programme sites (a proxy for programme participation) was associated with food insecurity for low-income households.DesignThe study used data from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) and administrative data on summer meals sites in California. Geocoding was used to calculate driving time between CHIS households and nearby summer meals sites. Geographic accessibility was measured using a gravity model, which accounted for the spatially distributed supply of and demand for summer meals. Food insecurity and very low food security were measured using a standard six-item measure from the USDA.SubjectsLow-income families with children (n5394).SettingA representative surveillance study of non-institutionalized households in California.ResultsGeographic accessibility was not associated with food insecurity. However, geographic accessibility was associated with a significantly lower probability of very low food security in the full sample and among households with younger children and those living in less urban areas.ConclusionsThe USDA’s summer meals programme may be effective at reducing the most severe form of food insecurity for low-income households with children. Expanding the number of summer meals sites, the number of meals served at sites and sites’ hours of operation may be effective strategies to promote nutritional health over the summer months.

scholarly journals Addressing the Affordable Housing Challenges for Urban Poor in Pakistan

2019 ◽  
Vol IV (IV) ◽  
pp. 416-433
Author(s):  
Zafar Iqbal Zafar ◽  
Abdul Waheed ◽  
Beenish Javaid
Keyword(s):  
Affordable Housing ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Poor ◽  
Field Data ◽  
Housing Demand ◽  
Lower Income ◽  
Formal Sector ◽  
Squatter Settlements ◽  
Income Groups ◽  
The Government

The rapid growth of urbanization has resulted in tremendous pressure on housing in urban areas, particularly for middle- and lower-income groups. The formal sector has been unable to cater to the affordable housing demand, particularly for urban poor. Islamabad is the planned city and capital of Pakistan; its development started in 1960. A number of squatter settlements have emerged in this planned city which are increasing with the passage of time. The government of Pakistan, realizing the gravity of the problem, started various programs and approached at different times to address this issue. This paper discusses various international and national approaches in this context. Squatter settlements in Islamabad have been visited, and field data were collected through a survey from France Colony Sector F-7/4, Islamabad and recommendations have been suggested in the light of international practices.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Pandemic Uncertainty Shock Impact on Macroeconomic Stability in Ethiopia

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 132
Author(s):  
Habtamu Girma DEMIESSIE
Keyword(s):  
Fiscal Policy ◽  
Aggregate Demand ◽  
Spillover Effects ◽  
Food Prices ◽  
Shock Effect ◽  
Food Transport ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Macroeconomic Stability

This study investigated the impact of COVID-19 pandemic uncertainty shock on the macroeconomic stability in Ethiopia in the short run period. The World Pandemic Uncertainty Index (WPUI) was used a proxy variable to measure COVID-19 Uncertainty shock effect. The pandemic effect on core macroeconomic variables like investment, employment, prices (both food & non-food prices), import, export and fiscal policy indicators was estimated and forecasted using Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium (DSGE) Model. The role of fiscal policy in mitigating the shock effect of coronavirus pandemic on macroeconomic stability is also investigated. The finding of the study reveals that the COVID-19 impact lasts at least three years to shake the economy of Ethiopia. Given that the Ethiopian economy heavily relies on import to supply the bulk of its consumption and investment goods, COVID-19 uncertainty effect starts as supply chain shock, whose effect transmitted into the domestic economy via international trade channel. The pandemic uncertainty shock effect is also expected to quickly transcend to destabilize the economy via aggregate demand, food & non-food prices, investment, employment and export shocks. The overall impact of COVID-19 pandemic uncertainty shock is interpreted into the economy by resulting under consumption at least in the next three years since 2020. Therefore, the government is expected to enact incentives/policy directions which can boost business confidence. A managed expansionary fiscal policy is found key to promote investment, employment and to stabilize food & non-food prices. A particular role of fiscal policy was identified to stabilizing food, transport and communication prices. The potency of fiscal policies in stabilizing food, transport and communication prices go in line with the prevailing reality in Ethiopia where government has strong hands to control those markets directly and/or indirectly. This suggests market failure featuring COVID-19 time, calling for managed interventions of governments to promote market stabilities. More importantly, price stabilization policies of the government can have spillover effects in boosting aggregate demand by spurring investments (and widening employment opportunities) in transport/logistics, hotel & restaurant, culture & tourism and export sectors in particular.

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