Food Insecurity, Poverty and Agriculture: A Concept Paper

0,66

MB

87

stron

2465

ID

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

2005

rok

This paper argues for a twin-track approach to hunger and poverty reduction that combines

measures to promote rural development through growth in agriculture and rural off-farm activities

with measures to provide direct and immediate access to food for the most needy.

The paper begins with an exposition of the concepts of food insecurity and poverty and shows that

the majority of the hungry and poor in developing countries still live in rural areas. It then

documents the substantial economic costs of hunger to show that direct action against hunger can

itself contribute to poverty reduction.

It goes on to argue that if the income from agricultural growth is spent locally and promotes growth

in rural off-farm activities, this can have a strong impact on the incomes of the poor. Evidence is

presented to substantiate this argument. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of the

twin-track approach for anti poverty strategies.

Table of contents

1. Introduction 3

2. Food insecurity and poverty: Concepts and magnitudes 6

Food insecurity: concepts 6

Poverty: concepts 10

The magnitude and distribution of food insecurity in developing countries 12

The magnitude and distribution of poverty in developing countries 15

Rural poverty 17

Other dimensions of poverty 22

Conclusions 24

3. Direct public action against hunger: An economic justification 25

The costs of hunger 25

Income growth alone will not remove hunger 35

4. Agriculture and rural off-farm activities and poverty reduction 43

Economic growth does not always reduce poverty quickly 43

Growth in agriculture and rural off-farm activities can reduce poverty quickly 44

The importance of rural-off farm activities and non-tradables 47

Agricultural growth and poverty alleviation: Evidence 50

When does agricultural growth not reduce poverty? 52

5. Implications for poverty and food insecurity reduction strategies 55

Policies to combat hunger 55

Policies on rural infrastructure investment 59

Agricultural research and poverty alleviation 61

Saving and credit policies to promote farm investment 62

Policies on access to assets 63

Policies towards the rural off-farm sector 65

Safety nets 66

Human development 69

6. Conclusions 71

7. References 75