scholarly journals The Impacts of Food Taboos and Preferences on Food Security in Developing Countries: Evidence from Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Alex Sewenet ◽  
Pavol Schwarcz
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Food Utilization ◽  
Orthodox Christian ◽  
Food Taboos ◽  
Essential Components ◽  
Policies And Programs ◽  
Private Investors ◽  
Temporary Closure

Abstract Food norms are embodied within all the essential components of food security; availability, access, utilization, and stability. However, the adverse economic influences of these norms are largely under–researched in developing countries. Unique in its scoop, this study thus investigates the impacts of food taboos and preferences (FTP) on food security in Ethiopia, one of the world’s food–insecure nations combined with a culture of strict food norms. On the basis of a qualitative research design with semi–structured in–depth interviews, primary data was collected from eleven key informants of pertinent multidisciplinary backgrounds, experts and decision–makers. The empirical evidence revealed that religious and secular– based FTP have put significant restrictions on the efficient utilization of the existing edible resources in the country. For example, during Orthodox Christian (OC) and Muslim fasting days, the overall food supply chain undergoes economic turbulence. Particularly, the economic challenge of OC fasting is expressed by (1) a decrease in consumption and supply of non–vegan foods, (2) the temporary closure of butcher and dairy shops, (3) an increase in the demand and price of vegan foods, and (4) an overall reduction in consumption and economic transactions. Moreover, the tradition of animal consecration at home has made many Ethiopians to rarely depend on supermarkets, groceries, and other licensed meat shops. In turn, this impedes the country’s endeavor of attracting local and foreign private investors in the general food sector. It also alienates people from access to food labels, meat quality controls, price, size, and choice advantages, all of which are essential for better, adaptive, and stable food utilization. The results discovered in this thesis enrich our understanding on the role of food norms in the economic systems. Particularly, the study sheds light on the indispensable need to consider the subject of FTP in policies and programs aiming to end food insecurity.

Availability, access and utilization

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 322-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo Botti Abbade
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Food Availability ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Strong Association ◽  
Food Prices ◽  
Food Utilization ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Logistics Performance Index

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the association between the levels of food utilization (FU), food availability, economic access (EA) and physical access (PA) to food in developing countries – the main dimensions underlying the concept of food security. Design/methodology/approach This study analyzed available data from 57 developing countries. The variables investigated were: food availability (FA), EA to food measured through economic development, PA to food using the Logistics Performance Index as a proxy, and FU. The paper uses factorial, correlation and cluster analyses. Findings The results show that the dimensions of food security are strongly and positively correlated. PA has a moderate association with FU (ρS=0.5338 [p<0.001]; ρP=0.4252; [p<0.01]). EA has a strong association with FU (ρS=0.6998 [p<0.001]; ρP=0.6404; [p<0.01]). Moreover, cluster analysis suggests that some countries present significant urgencies regarding some of the food security dimensions considered. Research limitations/implications Cluster analysis has some limitations regarding the interpretations of the key findings. Moreover, many factors affect food security promotion; this paper addresses just a few of them. Practical implications Through a better alignment of food security dimensions worldwide, policy makers, as well as private sector actors, might achieve better conditions to reduce food waste or loss, supply a wider diversity of foods, reduce adverse environmental impacts, reduce logistics costs and, finally, reduce food prices. Originality/value This study outlines specific fragilities regarding the main dimensions of food security in developing economies. Thus, this study highlights that some countries need to focus urgently on certain, specific dimensions in order to promote the food security for their populaces.

scholarly journals THE EFFECTIVENESS OF FOOD SECURITY DIMENSIONS ON FOOD SECURITY IN LANDLOCKED DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (14) ◽  
pp. 116-128
Author(s):  
Nur Marina Abdul Manap
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Panel Data ◽  
Fixed Effect Model ◽  
Food Utilization ◽  
Food And Agriculture ◽  
Food And Agriculture Organization ◽  
Effect Model ◽  
The World ◽  
Food Stability

Food security is an important issue that has been discussed all over the world. Achievement in food security is based on the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO policy) and depends on four important indicators known as availability, accessibility, utilization, and stability. This paper examines the effectiveness of the food security dimension on food security in Landlocked Developing Countries. The static panel data was adopted using a fixed-effect model to measure the effectiveness of food security dimensions on DES. The findings of this study showed that food security dimensions played a very important role in affecting the DES in landlocked developing countries. An increase in food availability, food accessibility, food utilization, and food stability were found to positively impact food security achievement in Landlocked developing countries.

scholarly journals Climatic Changes and Vulnerability of Household Food Utilization in Malaysian East Coast Economic Region

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Mahmudul Alam ◽  
Chamhuri Siwar ◽  
Basri Talib ◽  
Abu N.M. Wahid
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Low Income ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Climatic Changes ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Food Utilization ◽  
Economic Region ◽  
Household Food

Sustainable food security at household level is one of the emerging issues for all nations. There are several factors such as social, economic, political, demographic, natural, and livelihood strategies that causes to the vulnerability of the status of household food security. Therefore examining the vulnerability of these factors is essential to identify the reason and recognize the most vulnerable communities. This study is an attempt to study on the vulnerability of the factors of household food utilization and its linkage with climatic changes in Malaysia. The study is based on primary data collected in the months of July – October, 2012 through a questionnaire survey on 460 low income households from East Coast Economic Region (ECER) in Malaysia. The samples were selected from E-Kasih poor household database, based on cluster random sampling technique. The study found that the vulnerability of the factors of household food utilization has increased statistically significantly over the last five years period due to difference between rural and city food quality, occurrences of natural disasters, incidences of mosquitoes, insects, pest, etc., and diseases like dengue, malaria, heat stretch, cold, skin disease, etc. This study suggests that the food security programs need to be integrated with climatic change adaptation programs to ensure more effective and sustainable household food security in future, especially among the poor and low income group.

scholarly journals Food security among dryland pastoralists and agropastoralists: The climate, land-use change, and population dynamics nexus

2021 ◽  
pp. 205301962110075
Author(s):  
Ilan Stavi ◽  
Joana Roque de Pinho ◽  
Anastasia K Paschalidou ◽  
Susana B Adamo ◽  
Kathleen Galvin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Global Changes ◽  
Food Utilization ◽  
Special Importance ◽  
Food Security Status ◽  
Global Action ◽  
Land Use And Management

During the last decades, pastoralist, and agropastoralist populations of the world’s drylands have become exceedingly vulnerable to regional and global changes. Specifically, exacerbated stressors imposed on these populations have adversely affected their food security status, causing humanitarian emergencies and catastrophes. Of these stressors, climate variability and change, land-use and management practices, and dynamics of human demography are of a special importance. These factors affect all four pillars of food security, namely, food availability, access to food, food utilization, and food stability. The objective of this study was to critically review relevant literature to assess the complex web of interrelations and feedbacks that affect these factors. The increasing pressures on the world’s drylands necessitate a comprehensive analysis to advise policy makers regarding the complexity and linkages among factors, and to improve global action. The acquired insights may be the basis for alleviating food insecurity of vulnerable dryland populations.

scholarly journals Factors influencing the migration intention of dental and medical graduates in developing countries

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Hajian ◽  
M H Khoshnevisan ◽  
S h Yazdani ◽  
M P Jadidfard
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Developing Country ◽  
English Language ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Service Planning ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Pull Factors ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Migration Decisions ◽  
Push And Pull

Abstract Background Migration of skilled health workers could result in shortage of human resources and rising inequalities in service provision in source countries. To date, most of relevant papers are focused on rate and reasons of migration while the need for conducting studies on modelling of factors is more vividly felt. The aim of this review was to determine the factors influencing the migration decisions of medical and dental graduates migrating from developing countries and to introduce a practical conceptual framework for health worker migration. Methods Electronic databases PubMed, Google Scholar and relevant Journals were systematically searched for English language publications from January 2009 to April 2019. The inclusion criteria were: 1) article stated factors affecting migration decisions of medical doctors and/or dentists, 2) the source country in the study was a developing country, 3) participants’ primary qualification country was in a developing country,4) the study used primary data both qualitative or quantitative. Results The search identified 814 articles from which we included 23 full-text studies after applying eligibility checklist. Push and pull theory was the most popular model to describe the migration driving factors. Poor socio-economic situation, political instability, lack of professional and educational opportunities together with family concerns found as strong common push factors that perpetuate migration. The most influencing pull factors were desire for better quality of life, career and training opportunities and financial gain. Conclusions Despite the fact that health workers migrate for different reasons, they follow a same route for decision to stay or leave their own countries. Un-fulfillment of expectations in mother land in addition to media reconstructed reality of life in foreign land can develop a positive attitude for migration Which should be considered before weighing up the push and pull factors of both sides. Key messages A better understanding of the migration motives of health professionals will help health authorities to improve their workforce recruitment and retention strategies and health service planning. Our simple yet comprehensive framework can mainly identify the development of migration desire through combining different models and concepts of migration, behavioral change, values, needs and so on.

scholarly journals What Explains Gender Gaps in Household Food Security? Evidence from Maize Farm Households in Southern Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Girma Gezimu Gebre ◽  
Hiroshi Isoda ◽  
Yuichiro Amekawa ◽  
Dil Bahadur Rahut ◽  
Hisako Nomura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Farm Households ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Southern Ethiopia ◽  
Lower Probability ◽  
Gender Gaps ◽  
Joint Decision ◽  
Household Food

AbstractUsing primary data collected from 560 farm households in Dawuro zone, southern Ethiopia, this study analyzes the gender gaps in food security among male, female, and joint decision-making farm households. It examines the factors inducing gender gaps among the households of those three categories. The results show that female decision-making households have a lower probability of ensuring food-security and a higher probability of being transitionally and chronically food-insecure. Joint decision-making households showed a higher probability of falling into the chronically food-insecure category. The decomposition results show significant gender gaps between male and female decision-making households in terms of food-secure, transitory food-insecure, and chronically food-insecure categories. Overall, both the endowment and return effects account for the gaps; however, the magnitude of the effect from the return is higher than from the endowment on significant gaps in the food-secure, transitory, and chronically food-insecure categories. Hence, there is a need for policies that not only ensure equal levels of productive resources but also help households build their capacity in order to improve both transitory and chronically food insecure situations.

Food security in the 21st century and in the role of biotechnology

foresight ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 1 (5) ◽  
pp. 399-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Per Pinstrup‐Andersen ◽  
Marc J. Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Supply Side ◽  
Adequate Diet ◽  
The World ◽  
Productivity Gains ◽  
Global Population ◽  
Global Food

Although global food production has consistently kept pace with population growth, the gap between food production and demand in certain parts of the world is likely to remain. More than 800 million people in developing countries lack access to a minimally adequate diet. Continued productivity gains are essential on the supply side, because global population will increase by 73 million people a year over the next two decades. In this article we assess the current global food situation, look at the prospects through to the year 2020, and outline the policies needed to achieve food security for all. Emphasis is on the role that agricultural biotechnology might play in reaching this goal.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document