IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/ssefpa/v14y2022i2d10.1007_s12571-021-01231-2.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The effect of bureaucratic corruption on household food insecurity: evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Olayemi M. Olabiyi

    (Southern Alberta Institute of Technology)

Abstract

Corruption is a worldwide phenomenon, but the crisis seems to have no bounds in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the absurdity has penetrated and continues to impair the public service sector. As long as the anomaly continues, two outcomes are inevitable. First, an average member of the public runs the risk of paying more for any government service. Second, some or all resources earmarked for other essential needs might get sacrificed to pay for a needed public service. Such unforeseen adverse shocks could potentially increase the chances of wicked problems such as food insecurity. Consequently, this paper examined the welfare effect of bureaucratic corruption on households' ability to procure food in a safe and socially acceptable manner in sub-Saharan Africa using pooled Afrobarometer micro-level data from Rounds 5, 6, and 7 spanning 2011 to 2018. Estimates from logistic regression and the endogenous dummy variable regression that addressed the endogeneity of bureaucratic corruption in the food insecurity model revealed that bureaucratic corruption induced the experience of household food insecurity. Further analyses showed that some public entities have a more significant debilitating effect than others on household food security conditions. More importantly, any contact with government institutions causes household food security status to spiral downward. These results suggest that public institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa are weak and undoubtedly contribute to household food insecurity. Therefore, there is a need for a paradigm shift in how these entities serve the public or else a lasting solution to food insecurity might remain elusive in the region.

Suggested Citation

  • Olayemi M. Olabiyi, 2022. "The effect of bureaucratic corruption on household food insecurity: 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. 14(2), pages 437-450, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ssefpa:v:14:y:2022:i:2:d:10.1007_s12571-021-01231-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s12571-021-01231-2
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12571-021-01231-2
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s12571-021-01231-2?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Dula Etana & Degefa Tolossa, 2017. "Unemployment and Food Insecurity in Urban Ethiopia," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 29(1), pages 56-68, March.
    2. Hunt, Jennifer, 2007. "How corruption hits people when they are down," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(2), pages 574-589, November.
    3. D’Souza, Anna & Jolliffe, Dean, 2013. "Conflict, food price shocks, and food insecurity: The experience of Afghan households," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 32-47.
    4. Jeffrey M Wooldridge, 2010. "Econometric Analysis of Cross Section and Panel Data," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 2, volume 1, number 0262232588, April.
    5. Justesen, Mogens K. & Bjørnskov, Christian, 2014. "Exploiting the Poor: Bureaucratic Corruption and Poverty in Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 106-115.
    6. Iddisah Sulemana & Abdul Malik Iddrisu & Jude E. Kyoore, 2017. "A Micro-Level Study of the Relationship Between Experienced Corruption and Subjective Wellbeing in Africa," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(1), pages 138-155, January.
    7. Hunt, Jennifer & Laszlo, Sonia, 2005. "Bribery: Who Pays, Who Refuses, What are the Payoffs?," CEPR Discussion Papers 5251, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    8. Haroon Sseguya & Robert E. Mazur & Cornelia B. Flora, 2018. "Social capital dimensions in household food security interventions: implications for rural Uganda," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 35(1), pages 117-129, March.
    9. Mr. Erwin H Tiongson & Mr. Hamid R Davoodi & Mr. Sanjeev Gupta, 2000. "Corruption and the Provision of Health Care and Education Services," IMF Working Papers 2000/116, International Monetary Fund.
    10. Arusha Cooray & Friedrich Schneider, 2016. "Does corruption promote emigration? An empirical examination," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 29(1), pages 293-310, January.
    11. Verpoorten, Marijke & Arora, Abhimanyu & Stoop, Nik & Swinnen, Johan, 2013. "Self-reported food insecurity in Africa during the food price crisis," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 51-63.
    12. Guriev, Sergei, 2004. "Red tape and corruption," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(2), pages 489-504, April.
    13. Michael Mbate, 2018. "Who bears the burden of bribery? Evidence from public service delivery in Kenya," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 36(S1), pages 321-340, March.
    14. Laura Leete & Neil Bania, 2010. "The effect of income shocks on food insufficiency," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 8(4), pages 505-526, December.
    15. Caryn Peiffer & Richard Rose, 2018. "Why Are the Poor More Vulnerable to Bribery in Africa? The Institutional Effects of Services," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(1), pages 18-29, January.
    16. Seligson, Mitchell A., 2006. "The Measurement and Impact of Corruption Victimization: Survey Evidence from Latin America," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 381-404, February.
    17. Fischer, Justina AV, 2010. "Accounting for Unobserved Country Heterogeneity in Happiness Research: Country Fixed Effects versus Region Fixed Effects," MPRA Paper 22272, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Arndt, Channing & Davies, Rob & Gabriel, Sherwin & Harris, Laurence & Makrelov, Konstantin & Robinson, Sherman & Levy, Stephanie & Simbanegavi, Witness & van Seventer, Dirk & Anderson, Lillian, 2020. "Covid-19 lockdowns, income distribution, and food security: an analysis for South Africa," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 105814, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    19. Sanjeev Gupta & Hamid Davoodi & Rosa Alonso-Terme, 2002. "Does corruption affect income inequality and poverty?," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 23-45, March.
    20. Anirudh Krishna, 2007. "Poverty and Health: Defeating poverty by going to the roots," Development, Palgrave Macmillan;Society for International Deveopment, vol. 50(2), pages 63-69, June.
    21. Molly Dahl & Thomas DeLeire & Shannon Mok, 2014. "Food Insufficiency and Income Volatility in US Households: The Effects of Imputed Income in the Survey of Income and Program Participation," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 36(3), pages 416-437.
    22. Kilian Nasung Atuoye & Roger Antabe & Yujiro Sano & Isaac Luginaah & Jason Bayne, 2019. "Household Income Diversification and Food Insecurity in the Upper West Region of Ghana," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 144(2), pages 899-920, July.
    23. Hunt, Jennifer & Laszlo, Sonia, 2012. "Is Bribery Really Regressive? Bribery’s Costs, Benefits, and Mechanisms," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 355-372.
    24. Justin George & Adesoji Adelaja & Dave Weatherspoon, 2020. "Armed Conflicts and Food Insecurity: Evidence from Boko Haram's Attacks," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 102(1), pages 114-131, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Festus O. Amadu & Daniel C. Miller, 2024. "Food security effects of forest sector participation in rural Liberia," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 16(5), pages 1099-1124, October.
    2. Danny Cassimon & Olusegun Fadare & George Mavrotas, 2023. "The Impact of Food Aid and Governance on Food and Nutrition Security in Sub-Saharan Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-19, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ivlevs Artjoms & Hinks Timothy, 2015. "Bribing Behaviour and Sample Selection: Evidence from Post-Socialist Countries and Western Europe," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 235(2), pages 139-167, April.
    2. Gillanders, Robert & van der Werff, Lisa, 2020. "Corruption Experiences and Attitudes to Political, Interpersonal, and Domestic Violence," MPRA Paper 99949, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Eugen Dimant & Guglielmo Tosato, 2018. "Causes And Effects Of Corruption: What Has Past Decade'S Empirical Research Taught Us? A Survey," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(2), pages 335-356, April.
    4. Michael Mbate, 2018. "Who bears the burden of bribery? Evidence from public service delivery in Kenya," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 36(S1), pages 321-340, March.
    5. Osei, Davina & Konte, Maty & Avenyo, Elvis Korku, 2024. "Escaping Corruption in the Demand for Public Services in Africa — The Dual Nature of Civic Networks," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    6. Chongwoo Choe & Ratbek Dzhumashev & Asadul Islam & Zakir H. Khan, 2011. "Corruption and Network in Education: Evidence from the Household Survey Data in Bangladesh," Monash Economics Working Papers 08-11, Monash University, Department of Economics.
    7. repec:dau:papers:123456789/5135 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Hunt, Jennifer & Laszlo, Sonia, 2012. "Is Bribery Really Regressive? Bribery’s Costs, Benefits, and Mechanisms," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 355-372.
    9. Michael Breen & Robert Gillanders & Gemma Mcnulty & Akisato Suzuki, 2017. "Gender and Corruption in Business," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(9), pages 1486-1501, September.
    10. Justesen, Mogens K. & Bjørnskov, Christian, 2014. "Exploiting the Poor: Bureaucratic Corruption and Poverty in Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 106-115.
    11. Mavisakalyan, Astghik & Otrachshenko, Vladimir & Popova, Olga, 2021. "Can bribery buy health? Evidence from post-communist countries," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(4), pages 991-1007.
    12. Younas Khan & Štefan Bojnec & Umar Daraz & Farah Zulpiqar, 2024. "Exploring the nexus between poor governance and household food security," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 57(2), pages 1-17, April.
    13. Njangang, Henri & Asongu, Simplice A. & Mouchili, Eric, 2024. "Does corruption starve Africa? The mitigating effect of political distribution of power," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 171-197.
    14. Hunt, Jennifer, 2007. "How corruption hits people when they are down," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(2), pages 574-589, November.
    15. Sulemana, Iddisah & Kpienbaareh, Daniel, 2018. "An empirical examination of the relationship between income inequality and corruption in Africa," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 27-42.
    16. Bukari, Chei & Seth, Suman & Yalonetkzy, Gaston, 2024. "Corruption can cause healthcare deprivation: Evidence from 29 sub-Saharan African countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    17. Ivlevs, Artjoms & Hinks, Timothy, 2018. "Former Communist party membership and bribery in the post-socialist countries," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(4), pages 1411-1424.
    18. Henri Njangang & Simplice A. Asongu & Eric Mouchili, 2022. "Does corruption starve? An African perspective," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 22/022, African Governance and Development Institute..
    19. Bukari, Chei & Seth, Suman & Yalonetkzy, Gaston, 2024. "Corruption can cause healthcare deprivation: evidence from 29 sub-Saharan African countries," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 122806, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    20. Chandan Jha & Bibhudutta Panda, 2017. "Individualism and Corruption: A Cross-Country Analysis," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 36(1), pages 60-74, March.
    21. Hinks, Timothy, 2020. "Bribery, motivations for bribery and life satisfaction in transitional countries," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 17(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:ssefpa:v:14:y:2022:i:2:d:10.1007_s12571-021-01231-2. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.