Assessing water-energy-food nexus efficiency for food security planning in China

Lina Zhang, Haolin Yang, Yixin Chen, Yung-ho Chiu, Qinghua Pang, Chenyu Sun and Zhen Shi

Food Policy, 2025, vol. 134, issue C

Abstract: Incorporating food security into the water-energy-food nexus, thereby establishing a water-energy-food-food security (WEF-FS) system, fosters multifaceted challenges of achieving food security. An extended dynamic series-loop data envelopment analysis model assesses WEF-FS efficiency by analyzing element interactions to identify inefficiencies and improvements. Kernel density estimation and standard deviation ellipse analysis explore spatiotemporal trends and provincial discrepancies in WEF-FS efficiency, guiding targeted policies. A two-way fixed effects model is constructed to investigate the impact of climate change on the WEF-FS efficiency. Findings include: (1) The proposed model efficiently handles interlinked activities within a unified framework. The average overall efficiency of China’s WEF-FS system during 2011–2021 across 30 provinces was 0.77. Eastern regions excelled in water/energy subsystems, while western regions performed better in food/food security subsystems. (2) Provincial disparities in WEF-FS efficiency narrowed from 2013 to 2021, but issues related to food affordability, quality and safety remained critical challenges, particularly in the central region. Spatial variations aligned with a northeast-southwest axis, with the efficiency centroid in Henan shifting southeastward. (3) Climate change reduced WEF-FS efficiency via temperature and precipitation; Major Grain-Producing Regions buffer while Non-Major Grain-Producing Regions face tech-driven losses, with post-2016 reforms reversing impact. Regional characteristics must inform food security planning.

Keywords: Water-energy-food system; Food security planning; Extended series-loop structure; Data envelopment analysis; Spatiotemporal evolution (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jfpoli:v:134:y:2025:i:c:s0306919225001071

DOI: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2025.102902

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