TY - JOUR
T1 - Food Aid Shocks and Food Insecurity
T2 - Does Democracy Matter?
AU - Gamso, Jonas
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI) 2024.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - This study investigates the relationship between negative food aid shocks, which occur when food aid falls sharply, and food insecurity. I theorize that democracy levels in aid-recipient countries are a crucial moderating factor. Political leaders in democratic countries can be held accountable electorally if they fail to quickly find alternative means of keeping the public fed when faced with a negative food aid shock. Conversely, authoritarian governments lack this electoral accountability mechanism and are, therefore, less likely to take steps to offset the impacts of aid shocks. Consistent with these expectations, my empirical findings suggest that democratic leaders shore up food security in response to negative food aid shocks, in contrast to authoritarians. This study contributes to the academic literature and offers insights for development practice by providing the first analysis of aid volatility and hunger, while clarifying how a country’s political system influences its ability to manage a crisis.
AB - This study investigates the relationship between negative food aid shocks, which occur when food aid falls sharply, and food insecurity. I theorize that democracy levels in aid-recipient countries are a crucial moderating factor. Political leaders in democratic countries can be held accountable electorally if they fail to quickly find alternative means of keeping the public fed when faced with a negative food aid shock. Conversely, authoritarian governments lack this electoral accountability mechanism and are, therefore, less likely to take steps to offset the impacts of aid shocks. Consistent with these expectations, my empirical findings suggest that democratic leaders shore up food security in response to negative food aid shocks, in contrast to authoritarians. This study contributes to the academic literature and offers insights for development practice by providing the first analysis of aid volatility and hunger, while clarifying how a country’s political system influences its ability to manage a crisis.
KW - Democracy
KW - Food aid
KW - Food insecurity
KW - Foreign assistance
KW - I380
KW - O150
KW - O190
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85189010725&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85189010725&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1057/s41287-024-00634-z
DO - 10.1057/s41287-024-00634-z
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85189010725
SN - 0957-8811
JO - European Journal of Development Research
JF - European Journal of Development Research
ER -