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Has Trade Liberalization Improved Food Availability In Developing Countries? An Empirical Analysis

Author

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  • MESFIN BEZUNEH

    (Clark Atlanta University, USA)

  • ZELEALEM YIHEYIS

    (Clark Atlanta University, USA)

Abstract

It has been over two decades since governments of many developing countries have undergone the process of structural adjustment and trade liberalization. Trade liberalization has been promoted by the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and World Trade Organization based on the argument that openness to trade will contribute to economic growth and development and with it, a reduction in poverty and, by extension, improvement in food security. Despite the lack of consensus, such argument prevailed over those which were cautious. As a result, most developing countries took the challenge to liberalize their economies. This paper examines empirically the effect of trade liberalization on food availability in developing countries using alternative estimation methods. An econometric analysis of panel data drawn from 37 countries seems to suggest that trade liberalization exerted a negative short run effect on food availability in the sample countries. The delayed outcome is found insignificantly positive, and the sum of the two differing outcomes fails to support the view that the medium to long run effect of trade liberalization on food availability is favorable.

Suggested Citation

  • Mesfin Bezuneh & Zelealem Yiheyis, 2014. "Has Trade Liberalization Improved Food Availability In Developing Countries? An Empirical Analysis," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 39(1), pages 63-78, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:jed:journl:v:39:y:2014:i:1:p:63-78
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ms. Xiangming Li, 2003. "Trade Liberalization and Real Exchange Rate Movement," IMF Working Papers 2003/124, International Monetary Fund.
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    4. Smith, Lisa Catherine & Haddad, Lawrence, 2001. "How important is improving food availability for reducing child malnutrition in developing countries?," Agricultural Economics, Blackwell, vol. 26(3), pages 191-204, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Bob Milward, 2015. "On the Historical, Moral and Economic Arguments for Asymmetric Trading Regimes: the case of sub-Saharan Africa," World Economic Review, World Economics Association, vol. 2015(5), pages 1-87, July.
    2. Ibrahim Musa, Mohammed, 2024. "The Interplay of Food Security, Climate Change, and the Impact of 15th April 2023 War in Sudan: A Comprehensive Analysis," MPRA Paper 125570, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 02 Aug 2025.
    3. Zolfaghari, Mehdi & Jariani, Farzaneh, 2021. "Food Security in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)," MPRA Paper 105078, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Muhammad Shahbaz & Muhammad Shafiullah & Mantu K. Mahalik, 2019. "The dynamics of financial development, globalisation, economic growth and life expectancy in sub‐Saharan Africa," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(4), pages 444-479, December.
    5. Vasilii Erokhin, 2017. "Self-Sufficiency versus Security: How Trade Protectionism Challenges the Sustainability of the Food Supply in Russia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-17, October.
    6. Mohd Alsaleh & A. S. Abdul-Rahim & A. O. Zubair, 2021. "Impacts of bioenergy sustainable growth on food security in EU28 region: an empirical analysis," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(12), pages 17423-17442, December.
    7. Younghyeon Jeon & Byeong-il Ahn, 2017. "Effects of a Tariff Reduction on Grain Self-Sufficiency: Evidence from Country-Level Panel Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-14, October.
    8. Byeong-il, Ahn & Younghyeon, Jeon, "undated". "Does tariff reduction have a positive effect on the world’s grain self-sufficiency?," 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts 235578, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    9. Emiliano Magrini & Pierluigi Montalbano & Silvia Nenci & Luca Salvatici, 2017. "Agricultural (Dis)Incentives and Food Security: Is There a Link?," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 99(4), pages 847-871.
    10. Ward, Megan & Herr, Hansjörg & Pédussel Wu, Jennifer, 2020. "South Asian Free Trade Area and food trade: Implications for regional food security," IPE Working Papers 148/2020, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE).
    11. Robert Becker Pickson & Elliot Boateng, 2022. "Climate change: a friend or foe to food security in Africa?," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 4387-4412, March.
    12. Maya H. Montolalu & Mahjus Ekananda & Teguh Dartanto & Diah Widyawati & Maddaremmeng Panennungi, 2022. "The Analysis of Trade Liberalization and Nutrition Intake for Improving Food Security across Districts in Indonesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-18, March.
    13. Md. Samsul Alam & Syed Ali Raza & Muhammad Shahbaz & Qaisar Abbas, 2016. "Accounting for Contribution of Trade Openness and Foreign Direct Investment in Life Expectancy: The Long-Run and Short-Run Analysis in Pakistan," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 129(3), pages 1155-1170, December.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • F13 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade Policy; International Trade Organizations
    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products

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