IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/agecon/v55y2024i2p313-328.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Armed conflicts and household food insecurity: Effects and mechanisms

Author

Listed:
  • Wendata A. Kafando
  • Takeshi Sakurai

Abstract

Despite extensive studies on the effects of armed conflict on household dietary diversity, food security, and nutritional outcomes, the underlying pathways remain underexplored. A better understanding of these mechanisms could unpack the subsequent effects of conflict‐induced food insecurity and oft‐reported nutritional shortcoming, as well as identify which policy interventions hold promise. We study the effects of terrorist violence in Burkina Faso on household dietary diversity, as proxied by food consumption scores (FCS), and investigate the underlying mechanisms. For this purpose, we combine nationally representative 5‐years panel data on households with spatial conflict data. We find negative and significant effects of conflict intensity on household food consumption scores. The decline in household FCS is a result of significant decreased dietary diversity in both food production and purchases. Although households in rural areas partially offset these reductions by food assistance, those reliant solely on farming as livelihoods remain the most affected. Further investigations show evidence that per‐capita farm income and food expenditure are pathways linking the intensity of armed conflict to reduced FCS in food purchases, whereas reduced dietary diversity in food production results from decline in crop production. Additional specification tests support our main findings, offering insights that can help policymakers faced with similar scaled‐armed conflicts. For instance, conflict‐sensitive interventions aimed at supporting crop production and farm income for affected households could effectively improve their dietary diversity and overall food security in a post‐conflict environment.

Suggested Citation

  • Wendata A. Kafando & Takeshi Sakurai, 2024. "Armed conflicts and household food insecurity: Effects and mechanisms," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 55(2), pages 313-328, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:agecon:v:55:y:2024:i:2:p:313-328
    DOI: 10.1111/agec.12814
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/agec.12814
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/agec.12814?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Akresh, Richard & Caruso, German Daniel & Thirumurthy, Harsha, 2022. "Detailed geographic information, conflict exposure, and health impacts," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    2. Philip Verwimp & Patricia Justino & Tilman Brück, 2018. "The Microeconomics of Violent Conflict," HiCN Working Papers 280, Households in Conflict Network.
    3. Ore Koren & Benjamin E. Bagozzi, 2016. "From global to local, food insecurity is associated with contemporary armed conflicts," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 8(5), pages 999-1010, October.
    4. Minoiu, Camelia & Shemyakina, Olga N., 2014. "Armed conflict, household victimization, and child health in Côte d'Ivoire," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 237-255.
    5. Keenan Marchesi & Marc Rockmore, 2023. "Conflict and nutrition: endogenous dietary responses in Nepal," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 15(1), pages 281-296, February.
    6. Akresh, Richard & Lucchetti, Leonardo & Thirumurthy, Harsha, 2012. "Wars and child health: Evidence from the Eritrean–Ethiopian conflict," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(2), pages 330-340.
    7. Relwendé A. Nikiema & Takeshi Sakurai, 2021. "Intrahousehold distribution of sales revenue and household nutritional outcomes: What if the wives controlled the farm revenue?," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 52(6), pages 1029-1040, November.
    8. Martin-Shields, Charles P. & Stojetz, Wolfgang, 2019. "Food security and conflict: Empirical challenges and future opportunities for research and policy making on food security and conflict," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 150-164.
    9. Dabalen, Andrew L. & Paul, Saumik, 2014. "Effect of Conflict on Dietary Diversity: Evidence from Côte d’Ivoire," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 143-158.
    10. Marc Rockmore, 2020. "Conflict-Risk and Agricultural Portfolios: Evidence from Northern Uganda," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(10), pages 1856-1876, October.
    11. Keenan Marchesi & Marc Rockmore, 2023. "Correction to: Conflict and nutrition: endogenous dietary responses in Nepal," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 15(1), pages 297-297, February.
    12. Ryan Brown & Verónica Montalva & Duncan Thomas & Andrea Velásquez, 2019. "Impact of Violent Crime on Risk Aversion: Evidence from the Mexican Drug War," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 101(5), pages 892-904, December.
    13. Adelaja, Adesoji & George, Justin, 2019. "Effects of conflict on agriculture: Evidence from the Boko Haram insurgency," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 184-195.
    14. Pivovarova, Margarita & Swee, Eik Leong, 2015. "Quantifying the Microeconomic Effects of War Using Panel Data: Evidence From Nepal," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 308-321.
    15. Justin George & Adesoji Adelaja & Titus O Awokuse, 2021. "The agricultural impacts of armed conflicts: the case of Fulani militia," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 48(3), pages 538-572.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Rudolfsen, Ida & Bartusevičius, Henrikas & van Leeuwen, Florian & Østby, Gudrun, 2024. "War and food insecurity in Ukraine," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    2. Justin George & Adesoji Adelaja & Dave Weatherspoon, 2020. "Armed Conflicts and Food Insecurity: Evidence from Boko Haram's Attacks," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 102(1), pages 114-131, January.
    3. Martin-Shields, Charles P. & Stojetz, Wolfgang, 2019. "Food security and conflict: Empirical challenges and future opportunities for research and policy making on food security and conflict," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 150-164.
    4. John Chiwuzulum Odozi & Ruth Uwaifo Oyelere, 2019. "Conflict Exposure and Economic Welfare in Nigeria," HiCN Working Papers 314, Households in Conflict Network.
    5. Adesoji Adelaja & Justin George & Louise Fox & Keith Fuglie & Thomas Jayne, 2021. "Shocks, Resilience and Structural Transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-22, December.
    6. Unfried, Kerstin & Ibañez Diaz, Marcela & Restrepo-Plazaz, Lina Maria, 2022. "Discrimination in post-conflict settings: Experimental evidence from Colombia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    7. Kaila, Heidi & Azad, Abul, 2023. "The effects of crime and violence on food insecurity and consumption in Nigeria," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    8. Béné, Christophe & d'Hôtel, Elodie Maître & Pelloquin, Raphaël & Badaoui, Outman & Garba, Faroukou & Sankima, Jocelyne W., 2024. "Resilience – and collapse – of local food systems in conflict affected areas; reflections from Burkina Faso," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    9. Abay, Kibrom A. & Tafere, Kibrom & Berhane, Guush & Chamberlin, Jordan & Abay, Mehari H., 2023. "Near-real-time welfare and livelihood impacts of an active war: Evidence from Ethiopia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    10. Heidi Kaila & Larissa Nawo & Hyuk Harry Son, 2021. "Unpacking the Links between Conflict and Child Welfare: Evidence from a Foreign Insurgency," HiCN Working Papers 353, Households in Conflict Network.
    11. Amaka Nnaji & Nazmun Ratna & Alan Renwick & Wanglin Ma, 2023. "Risk perception, farmer−herder conflicts and production decisions: evidence from Nigeria," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 50(2), pages 683-716.
    12. Adong, Annet & Kornher, Lukas & Kiptoo Kirui, Oliver & von Braun, Joachim, 2021. "Conflict exposure and food consumption pathways during and after conflict: Evidence from Northern Uganda," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    13. Liu, Jenny & Modrek, Sepideh & Sieverding, Maia, 2019. "The effects of political protests on youth human capital and well-being in Egypt," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
    14. Kirschner, Shanna A. & Finaret, Amelia B., 2021. "Conflict and health: Building on the role of infrastructure," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    15. Marta Parigi, 2024. "The effect of violent conflict on calorie consumption and dietary quality in Iraq," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 75(1), pages 341-361, February.
    16. Fadare, Olusegun & Zanello, Giacomo & Srinivasan, Chittur, 2022. "The joint effects of terrorism and land access on livestock production decisions: Evidence from northern Nigeria," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 27(C).
    17. Alfano, Marco & Cornelissen, Thomas, 2022. "Spatial Spillovers of Conflict in Somalia," IZA Discussion Papers 15761, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    18. Fadare, Olusegun & Srinivasan, Chittur & Zanello, Giacomo, 2024. "Livestock diversification mitigates the impact of farmer-herder conflicts on animal-source foods consumption in Nigeria," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    19. Keenan Marchesi & Marc Rockmore, 2023. "Conflict and nutrition: endogenous dietary responses in Nepal," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 15(1), pages 281-296, February.
    20. Manian, Shanthi, 2021. "Conflict and risky health behavior: Evidence from Mexico's drug war," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:agecon:v:55:y:2024:i:2:p:313-328. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/iaaeeea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.