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The Role of Agriculture in Ensuring Food Security in Developing Countries: Considerations in the Context of the Problem of Sustainable Food Production

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  • Karolina Pawlak

    (Department of Economics and Economic Policy in Agribusiness, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 28, 60-637 Poznan, Poland)

  • Małgorzata Kołodziejczak

    (Department of Economics and Economic Policy in Agribusiness, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 28, 60-637 Poznan, Poland)

Abstract

Ensuring food security has become an issue of key importance to countries with different degrees of economic development, while the agricultural sector plays a strategic role in improving food availability. The aim of this paper is to identify relationships between the undernourishment scale and selected characteristics describing the agricultural sector within identified clusters of developing countries. Typological groups of countries were separated using Ward’s method. It results from the analyses that the greatest problems with maintaining food security are observed in the developing countries with a high share of agriculture in their Gross Domestic Product (GDP), adverse conditions hindering agricultural production and deficient infrastructure. Based on research results desirable and tailored strategies for food security improvement in individual clusters were developed. Promoting investments in agricultural infrastructure and extension services along with adopting measures aimed at increasing the households’ purchasing power, especially those in rural areas, appear to be key drivers for improving both food availability and food access. The paper focuses not only on identifying the reasons of undernourishment, but also contributes to recognition of the most effective ways to solve the hunger problem under a country’s unique conditions. It offers a comprehensive perspective for the policy formulation in various areas world-wide, which may be of interest to scholars and policy makers.

Suggested Citation

  • Karolina Pawlak & Małgorzata Kołodziejczak, 2020. "The Role of Agriculture in Ensuring Food Security in Developing Countries: Considerations in the Context of the Problem of Sustainable Food Production," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-20, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:13:p:5488-:d:381505
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