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Abstract

Existing measures of resilience focus on specific food system components, neglecting the complexity of the whole system. We propose a measure of farm-level resilience that encompasses three dimensions of a food system: economic profitability, environmental sustainability, and adequate nutrition. To empirically estimate the proposed model, we combine longitudinal household-level data from Malawi, Tanzania, and Nigeria with GIS data and macro-level indicators. We define resilience as a normative condition using a probabilistic moment-based approach following Cissé & Barrett (2018). To aggregate the probabilities across different dimensions into a single index of resilience, we employ and compare two different methods: Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and the Multiple Indicators Multiple Causes (MIMIC) model. Our findings indicate an overall increase in the resilience of farm households over time, with improvements in Nigeria and Tanzania. Clear trade-offs are evident across the various domains of the food system. Both proposed resilience indexes perform well when analyzed across different shocks and alternative specifications. Resilience tends to support improvements in certain dimensions without undermining others. The comparison between the two methods indicates a preference for the simpler PCA-based approach to measuring farm households’ resilience using a food system approach. Our findings underline the need to broaden our focus beyond individual aspects of resilience to achieve sustainable food systems.

Abstract

The global agri-food system faces major challenges in meeting the growing demand for food in an equitable way while mitigating environmental impacts such as deforestation, soil degradation, and climate change. Over the past few decades, voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) have proliferated as a potential instrument to promote more sustainable global value chains and sourcing practices. Although the body of impact evaluations on VSS has grown, most studies focus on single outcome dimensions, leaving interactions between dimensions underexplored. In this study, we use a conceptual framework to assess the relationships between VSS interventions and key sustainable food system outcomes across multiple dimensions. Our study focuses on economic prosperity, healthy ecosystems, gender equality, and food security, with a particular emphasis on identifying potential trade-offs and synergies between these dimensions. To illustrate the interactions identified in our framework, we present empirical data from three case studies in Ghana, Rwanda, and Peru. Our findings underscore the importance of balancing trade-offs and fostering synergies to advance sustainability across multiple dimensions. This study contributes to ongoing discussions on the effectiveness of VSS in promoting sustainability by highlighting their potential impacts, as well as the trade-offs that must be managed, to achieve more sustainable food systems.

Abstract

It is well documented that COVID-19 increased poverty and food insecurity all over the world, especially in fragile contexts. However, it is still unclear how its effects were transmitted to these two outcomes. This paper aims to identify the mechanisms through which COVID-19 affected poverty and food insecurity in refugee-hosting districts in Uganda. We use path analysis with household fixed effects to identify the main pathways, differentiating between refugee and host households, and considering the heterogeneity among them in terms of income source (agricultural vs. non-agricultural households), and market position (food net-buyers vs. net-sellers vs. self-sufficient households). The analysis shows that COVID-19 significantly affected labour participation and increased food value chain disruption, increasing poverty and food insecurity. Refugees have been affected more than hosts by the COVID-19 direct and indirect effects. Host households could benefit from the increase in food prices, while refugees were mainly affected by the effect on the labour market. As expected, net-buyers are the group most affected by food value chain disruption and, along with non-agricultural households, the ones that were most affected in terms of food security.

Abstract

The effects of COVID-19 have been highly heterogeneous, crucially depending on household livelihoods. In the context of households reliant on agri-food systems, the extent of these effects significantly depends on their position within the value chain. An assessment of the COVID-19 effects along the agri-food value chain and the identification of pivotal factors influencing these outcomes are key for designing appropriate responses and targeting the population most in need should a crisis akin to COVID-19 emerge in the future. Using a longitudinal dataset from Ethiopia, composed of a pre-COVID baseline and six follow-up phone-based surveys, this paper estimates the COVID-19-induced change in household income and job participation, tracing its evolution throughout seven months after the pandemic onset. Applying both longitudinal and cross-sectional econometric models, we show that the COVID-19 shock reduced both employment and income, with increasingly negative impacts over time. Despite initial resilience in the face of restrictive measures, farming eventually emerged as the most affected segment within the agri-food value chain over the medium term. Access to formal institutions such as insurance and credit services, formal contractual arrangements, and secured land ownership title played a key role in mitigating the likelihood of income loss.

Abstract

This paper aims to identify the main drivers of poverty reduction in Malawi. Using an augmented poverty decomposition methodology, it explores in what way the different farm and non-farm economic activities contribute to poverty reduction and income growth. The analysis also examines how household occupation and spatial mobility support both poverty reduction and household welfare improvements. Findings show that the increase in non-farm self-employment is the most significant contributor to poverty reduction overall, even though agriculture still exerts a considerable and positive influence, especially due to the size of the population involved and the observance of agricultural growth.