by Giscard Assoumou-Ella
Original Research
The aim of the study is to analyze the effect of external trade on food security in CEMAC countries during the period 1961-2017. In the early years of the independences, these countries have adopted a development model based on commodity production for export to industrialized economies. Foreign exchange from its exports should allow them to import the food products, while investing in food sector and in the others sectors needed for their development. Based on the instrumental variables method that corrects the problems of endogeneity and omitted variables, the result shows that external trade has a negative effect on food security in these countries. In fact, it has a negative impact on food production and household consumption. It also has a positive effect on the consumer price index. In addition, it does not lead to food imports. Thus, these results run counter of those of the existing literature based on the empirical studies in other developing countries that have found that foreign trade increased food security. In this context, the contribution of the study consists to providing a fresh look at the effect of foreign trade on food security. In fact, the results lead to not generalize the conclusions of the existing literature, notably in the countries of the sample. In this context, the CEMAC countries should diversify their productive structures by investing heavily in agriculture to achieve food security of their populations.
Journal of Food Security. 2019, 7(2), 58-62. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-7-2-5
Pub. Date: May 24, 2019
6246 Views1674 Downloads
by Tetsuji Tanaka and Jin Guo
Original Research
In the wake of the 2007–2008 global food crisis, various national governmental bodies aimed at increasing their food self-sufficiency to stabilize their domestic markets. Despite the fact that food self-sufficiency is a long-standing policy discussion issue, its effectiveness has not been fully scrutinized with a quantitative modeling approach. Japan’s government rigorously protects domestic agricultural producers on the grounds of national food security and, hence, has grappled with enhancing the country’s food self-sufficiency, even though economists have strongly argue against this, in terms of the inefficiency of resource allocation. This study developed a stochastic world trade computable general equilibrium model to quantify the benefit/loss of wheat autarky policies for Japan against wheat yield shocks and export bans. It was found that the comprehensive economic burden to materialize full self-sufficiency in wheat is approximately $8700 million, regardless of which of the two methods of market intervention––increasing the import tariff or subsidizing production--is used. Greater self-sufficiency causes higher volatility in the domestic wheat price due to the yield variability in exporting nations being more destabilized than that in exporting countries. Also, the autarky strategies almost halve the welfare deterioration induced by export restrictions, although it does not pay for the implementation cost.
Journal of Food Security. 2019, 7(2), 47-57. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-7-2-4
Pub. Date: May 16, 2019
11734 Views1733 Downloads
by Robert Agbemafle
Original Research
Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is very perishable and bulky. One way of prolonging its shelf-life is by drying. The study was conducted to investigate the effects of drying on proximate, starch, sugar compositions and functional properties of cassava flour. Three drying methods (open sun, solar and oven) were used to produce the dry cassava chips out of which the cassava flours were obtained. Determinations of moisture, ash, starch, crude fibre, protein, crude fat, sugar, carbohydrate contents and functional properties of the cassava flour were carried out using standard methods. The results showed that all parameters examined were affected by the drying methods except starch and crude fibre which showed no significant differences for the three drying methods. The moisture contents of the flours were 5.95%, 9.49% and 11.18% for oven, solar and open sun drying respectively. Ash contents were 2.13%, 3.25% and 3.58% for open sun, solar and oven drying respectively whereas the protein contents were 0.73%, 1.00% and 1.15% for open sun, solar and oven drying respectively. The crude fibre contents were 1.83% (open sun), 2.01% (solar) and 2.71(oven drying) while crude fat contents were 0.64% (open sun), 0.51% (solar) and 0.49% (oven drying). Carbohydrates contents were 83.48%, 83.72% and 86.10% for open sun, solar and oven respectively. The starch contents were 83.62% (open sun), 82, 39% (solar) and 84. 04% (oven) and the sugar contents were 11.14%, 22.48% and 16.107% for open sun, solar and oven respectively. The swelling capacity, foam capacity, foam stability, water absorption capacity, oil absorption capacity, bulk density and solubility of the cassava flours from the various drying methods ranged between 9.233 – 12.513, 9.207 – 14.363, 48.037 – 60.193, 122.103 – 151.257, 100.247 – 174.777, 0.578 – 0.715 and 10.883 – 15.533 respectively. On the whole, the results indicate that oven–dried samples had best nutritional value, functional properties and keeping abilities followed by solar and then open sun.
Journal of Food Security. 2019, 7(2), 40-46. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-7-2-3
Pub. Date: May 13, 2019
6767 Views1078 Downloads
by Yosef Alamri and Abdulaziz Al-Duwais
Original Research
This study tries to identify methods to achieve food security for the essential food commodities in Saudi Arabia. In addition, we studied the current situation by estimating the size of the inventory and the coefficient of food security for the most critical strategic food commodities. We forecast the demand for wheat, barley, and poultry during 2017-2025. We also estimate food security, food gap, strategic stock, and self-sufficiency coefficient. The result shows a positive effect of wheat and poultry while barely had an adverse impact.
Journal of Food Security. 2019, 7(2), 36-39. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-7-2-2
Pub. Date: May 08, 2019
7180 Views1894 Downloads
by Kofi Kyei and Kenichi Matsui
Original Research
Although Ghana has increased its rice production, it still relies on imported rice. The Ghanaian government has shown its concerns about this import dependency that may negatively influence the competitiveness of domestic rice. However, does the price of imported rice really affect that of domestic rice? This paper examines the price relationship between local rice and foreign one at markets in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. The study selected Makola and Tema markets, the two major markets in this most populated region of the country. For analysis, we used annual retail prices of local and foreign rice in the two markets from 2006 to 2015. The Granger causality model test was applied to examine the relationship between local and foreign rice prices. The Johansen co-integration test was used to test the long-term price relationships of local and foreign rice prices. The Granger causality test results revealed that the price of foreign rice does not have any significant influence on that of local rice. The result of the Johansen co-integration test confirmed the existence of a long-term co-integration between local and foreign rice prices.
Journal of Food Security. 2019, 7(2), 33-35. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-7-2-1
Pub. Date: March 10, 2019
7319 Views1478 Downloads1 Likes