Urbanisation and food insecurity risks: Assessing the role of human development
This article (PDF) in Oxford Development Studies elaborates on the linkages between urban growth, food insecurity and levels of human development. It uses statistical modelling to analyse this. So far, there have not been systematic analyses on how urbanisation affects contemporary food insecurity risks or how these potential risks are likely to be mitigated by increases in human development. The author argues that an understanding of the interconnection between urbanisation and food insecurity in different developmental contexts is particularly important within the context of setting up a comprehensive post-MDG agenda. For the purpose of this research, levels of human development are measured by the Human Development Index (HDI). The analysis uses country-level data, from the World Development Indicators and the United Nations’ World Urbanization Prospects. Using a Food Insecurity Risk Index as the outcome variable, the results confirm a significant negative impact of urban growth on food security at the country level. It further finds that rapidly urbanising countries with the lowest levels of human development are most at risk of food insecurity. In addition the author suggest that due to the increasing urbanisation of poverty disaggregated indicators for food security in urban, peri-urban and rural areas is necessary.