The Impact of Climate Variability and Change on Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa: Perspective from Panel Data Analysis

Raïfatou Affoh, Haixia Zheng, Kokou Dangui and Badoubatoba Mathieu Dissani
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Raïfatou Affoh: Agricultural Information Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Haixia Zheng: Agricultural Information Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Kokou Dangui: Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100101, China
Badoubatoba Mathieu Dissani: School of Economics, Capital University of Economics and Business, Beijing 100026, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 2, 1-22

Abstract: This study investigates the relationship between climate variables such as rainfall amount, temperature, and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emission and the triple dimension of food security (availability, accessibility, and utilization) in a panel of 25 sub-Saharan African countries from 1985 to 2018. After testing for cross-sectional dependence, unit root and cointegration, the study estimated the pool mean group (PMG) panel autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL). The empirical outcome revealed that rainfall had a significantly positive effect on food availability, accessibility, and utilization in the long run. In contrast, temperature was harmful to food availability and accessibility and had no impact on food utilization. Lastly, CO 2 emission positively impacted food availability and accessibility but did not affect food utilization. The study took a step further by integrating some additional variables and performed the panel fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) and dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) regression to ensure the robustness of the preceding PMG results. The control variables yielded meaningful results in most cases, so did the FMOLS and DOLS regression. The Granger causality test was conducted to determine the causal link, if any, among the variables. There was evidence of a short-run causal relationship between food availability and CO 2 emission. Food accessibility exhibited a causal association with temperature, whereas food utilization was strongly connected with temperature. CO 2 emission was linked to rainfall. Lastly, a bidirectional causal link was found between rainfall and temperature. Recommendations to the national, sub-regional, and regional policymakers are addressed and discussed.

Keywords: climate change; food security; sub-Saharan Africa; PMG; DOLS; FMOLS (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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