IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/worlde/v49y2026i6p1207-1222.html

Importing Insecurity? The Paradox of Cereal Trade Openness and Food Security in Sub‐Saharan Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Windbeneti Arnaud Zahonogo

Abstract

Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG2) aims to end world hunger, but Africa is currently not on track to meet this goal. Sub‐Saharan Africa is particularly affected, with a significant increase in undernourished people. The issue of food security is, therefore, a pressing concern, and promoting trade has been suggested as one solution. This study examines the impact of cereal import openness on the prevalence of undernourishment for 27 Sub‐Saharan African countries for the period 2000–2020. Using a two stage least squares instrumental variable (2SLS‐IV) estimator, we found that greater cereal import openness is significantly associated with higher levels of undernourishment in Sub‐Saharan Africa and then increases food insecurity. Our empirical findings are robust according to several tests, including adding additional control variables and alternative food security indicators. Our analysis also highlights that government effectiveness and political stability increase food security.

Suggested Citation

  • Windbeneti Arnaud Zahonogo, 2026. "Importing Insecurity? The Paradox of Cereal Trade Openness and Food Security in Sub‐Saharan Africa," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(6), pages 1207-1222, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:worlde:v:49:y:2026:i:6:p:1207-1222
    DOI: 10.1111/twec.70083
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/twec.70083
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/twec.70083?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
    ---><---

    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:worlde:v:49:y:2026:i:6:p:1207-1222. 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.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using 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: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0378-5920 .

    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.