Unravelling the interplay between water and food systems in arid and semi-arid environments: the case of Egypt

Food system analysis in arid and semi-arid countries inevitably meets water availability as a major constraining food system driver. Many such countries are net food importers using food subsidy systems, as water resources do not allow national food self-sufficiency. As this leaves countries in a position of dependency on international markets, prices and export bans, it is imperative that every domestic drop of water is used efficiently. In addition, policies can be geared towards ‘water footprints’, where water use efficiency is not just evaluated at the field level but also at the level of trade and import/export. In this paper, Egyptian food systems are described based on production, distribution and consumption statistics, key drivers and food system outcomes, i.e., health, sustainable land and water use, and inclusiveness. This is done for three coarsely defined Egyptian food systems: traditional, transitional and modern. A water footprint analysis then shows that for four MENA countries, differences occur between national green and blue water volumes, and the volumes imported through imported foods. Egypt has by far the largest blue water volume, but on a per capita basis, other countries are even more water limited. Then for Egypt, the approach is applied to the wheat and poultry sectors. They show opportunities but also limitations when it comes to projected increased water and food needs in the future. An intervention strategy is proposed that looks into strategies to get more out of the food system components production, distribution and consumption. On top of that food subsidy policies as well as smart water footprint application may lead to a set of combined policies that may lead to synergies between the three food system outcomes, paving the way to desirable food system transformation pathways.

A Review of the Impact of Food Policies on Food Security Status and Healthy/Unhealthy Food Consumption

Background: Food insecurity refers to a household’s financial inability to access adequate food. Food subsidy programs are the right strategies that have been undertaken for many years in some countries. Aim: This study aims to summarize and compare the impact of some subsidy programs on food security as a narrative review. Methods: Community-based studies analyzing the impact of food policies on food security status and healthy/unhealthy food consumption were reviewed. Our search keywords included food tax, healthy/unhealthy food, food security, food subsidy, targeted subsidy, and Iran. Results and conclusion: Some subsidy programs aim to improve food security and nutritional status of low-income individuals. Developing countries, for the improvement of food security and hunger, use some food subsidy programs that can improve the food security status. One of the most used programs is a food subsidy program in schools. Unfortunately, the targeted subsidy policy in Iran has affected the nutritional status and food security of households, therefore, it is necessary to implement a food subsidy program for low-income families. Fruits and vegetable subsidies can increase their consumption. Unhealthy food consumption decreases by implementing food tax programs, especially if the number of tax increases. In general, cash subsidies are more beneficial in improving the nutritional status.

Multidimensional impact of food security on household welfare: evidences from a household survey in three Indian states

PurposeThe welfare impacts of the food security on the beneficiaries can be understood from multiple dimensions. This paper, thus, examines the impact of the India's National Food Security Act (NFSA) on the welfare of the beneficiary households from a multidimensional perspective.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on a sample household survey covering three different states of India. The stratified random sampling technique was used to select the states, districts and blocks. Sample villages and households were selected purposively. A total of 1,523 households comprising 1,069 beneficiary and 454 non-beneficiary households constituted the sample. In order to find out the impact of the programme on different dimensions of welfare, the endogenous switching regression model is employed as it helps control for any absence of randomization and the unobserved heterogeneity bias. Propensity score matching is also employed to supplement the results.FindingsThe substitution effect and income effect of the food subsidy policy combined improve the overall welfare of the households presented through the subjective measures of food consumption behaviour, income transfer and educational achievements. The bargaining effect of the food subsidy programme is reflected in the enhanced social status and women's empowerment. The food security programme seems to augment the food consumption of the beneficiaries as observed from the food consumption score.Research limitations/implicationsThe food security policy has improved the overall welfare of the households and can play a major role in enhancing household welfare even further. The non-beneficiaries' welfare could have increased if they would have been included in the food security programme. The subjective assessment may, however, be subjected to personal biases, and there is also absence of a common reference point. Hence, the implications of the findings may be generalized with caution.Originality/valueThis study provides evidences of the impacts of food subsidy from a multidimensional standpoint considering both subjective and objective dimensions of household welfare.

An Empirical Analysis on Food Subsidy in India

The Public Distribution system is India’s largest poverty alleviation programme and it is mainly depends with the subsidy given by the government of India. The subsidy is provided to Food Corporation of India, which is the main instrument of the Government of India for procurement and distribution of wheat and rice under Targeted Public Distribution System and other welfare schemes and for maintaining the buffer stock of food grains as a measure of food security. This paper makes critical review on the flow of food subsidy given by the Government of India to the Food Corporation of India and how strengthens the poverty alleviation programme by using Government subsidy.

TAX POLICY AND FOOD SECURITY: A DYNAMIC ANALYSIS

We investigate the sectoral and the distributional effects of a food subsidy program, where food consumption in the economy is subsidized by taxing the manufacturing good producers. In a two-agent model comprising of farmer and industrialist households, agents consume food to accumulate health. Simulations indicate that while the subsidy program increases food output and agents’ health both in the short run and the long run, manufacturing output and aggregate real GDP appear to fall in the short run and increase only in the long run. The program does not make both agents better off and exhibits social welfare gains for a limited range of subsidies.