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Food insecurity as a determinant of international migration: evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa

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  • Ahmad Sadiddin

    (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)

  • Andrea Cattaneo

    (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)

  • Marinella Cirillo

    (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)

  • Meghan Miller

    (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)

Abstract

In this paper, we examined how food insecurity can affect international migration aspirations and subsequent actions taken in preparation to move internationally from Sub-Saharan Africa. Drawing on a conceptual framework of the determinants of migration, we developed a three-stage regression model and tested it using data from the 2014 Gallup World Poll. The results indicate that multiple determinants play different roles in the migration decision process, which is characterized by aspirations, planning and final decision to migrate. Specifically, food insecurity is an important determinant of both the desire and the decision to migrate: food insecurity raises the probability of desiring to migrate internationally, with the probability of the desire increasing along with the severity of food insecurity. However, the probability of actually deciding to migrate internationally decreased as food insecurity worsened. These findings are in line with migration literature stating that the very poor, despite wishing to migrate, face tremendous constraints in transforming this desire into concrete decisions. Our results suggest that removing or reducing constraints to migration will benefit the poorest/most food insecure and highlight the need for an increased and effective coordination between food security and international migration policy agendas.

Suggested Citation

  • Ahmad Sadiddin & Andrea Cattaneo & Marinella Cirillo & Meghan Miller, 2019. "Food insecurity as a determinant of international migration: evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 11(3), pages 515-530, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ssefpa:v:11:y:2019:i:3:d:10.1007_s12571-019-00927-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s12571-019-00927-w
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    2. Roger R. B. Leakey & Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi & Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, 2021. "African Lives Matter: Wild Food Plants Matter for Livelihoods, Justice, and the Environment—A Policy Brief for Agricultural Reform and New Crops," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-18, June.
    3. Hanna Dudek & Joanna Myszkowska-Ryciak & Agnieszka Wojewódzka-Wiewiórska, 2021. "Profiles of Food Insecurity: Similarities and Differences across Selected CEE Countries," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-19, August.
    4. Langella, Monica & Manning, Alan, 2021. "Income and the desire to migrate," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 113875, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    5. Sanda Gheorghe Gabriel, 2023. "Migration In Europe, A Reality Of Our Days," Annals - Economy Series, Constantin Brancusi University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 3, pages 135-137, June.
    6. Vesco, P. & Baliki, G. & Brück, T. & Döring, S. & Eriksson, A. & Fjelde, H. & Guha-Sapir, D. & Hall, J. & Knutsen, C. H. & Leis, M. R. & Mueller, H. & Rauh, C. & Rudolfsen, I. & Swain, A. & Timlick,, 2024. "The Impacts of Armed Conflict on Human Development: A Review of the Literature," Janeway Institute Working Papers 2426, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    7. Mora-Rivera, Jorge & van Gameren, Edwin, 2021. "The impact of remittances on food insecurity: Evidence from Mexico," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    8. Abebaw, Degnet & Admassie, Assefa & Kassa, Habtemariam & Padoch, Christine, 2020. "Can rural outmigration improve household food security? Empirical evidence from Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    9. Marta Suárez-Varela, 2022. "The effect of food crises on international migration," Economic Bulletin, Banco de España, issue 3/2022.
    10. Regassa, Mekdim D. & Esenaliev, Damir & Tzvetkova, Milena & Baliki, Ghassan & Schreiner, Monika & Stojetz, Wolfgang & Brück, Tilman, 2024. "The impacts of exposure to COVID-19 on food security and diet diversity in Africa," IAAE 2024 Conference, August 2-7, 2024, New Delhi, India 344321, International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE).
    11. Cirillo, Marinella & Cattaneo, Andrea & Miller, Meghan & Sadiddin, Ahmad, 2022. "Establishing the link between internal and international migration: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    12. Cleopatra Oluseye Ibukun & Abayomi Ayinla Adebayo, 2021. "Household food security and the COVID‐19 pandemic in Nigeria," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 33(S1), pages 75-87, April.
    13. Milasi Santo, 2020. "What Drives Youth’s Intention to Migrate Abroad? Evidence from International Survey Data," IZA Journal of Development and Migration, Sciendo & Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 11(1), pages 1-30, January.

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