Migration and Food Security Nexus in Latin America and the Caribbean

Francisco Antonio GAVIDIA CARRANZA

Master's thesis

Linkages between migration and food security

Abstract:

Over the last two decades migration and remittances have rapidly increased. Nevertheless, its impact on food security does not have a definitive conclusion. Moreover, the migration and food security nexus has been thoroughly studied in Africa and Asia, but Latin America and the Caribbean is also a region with important challenges in both topics. In this sense, acknowledging the nexus and its interactions are fundamental for the development of efficient and effective public policies, and the achievement of the SDGs. Using international comparable data from World Bank and FAO, the current thesis develops a dynamic empirical model based on system Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) which controls potential endogeneity and unobserved heterogeneity of the variables. Particularly, the study measures the impact of migration (using remittances as a proxy variable of migration) on the four pillars of food security in Latin America and the Caribbean countries from 2000 to 2017. The results show a negative link for availability, access and utilization, but a positive link for stability. It seems that when remittances have a higher weight in the economy, they have a negative impact on food security.

Abstract:

Over the last two decades migration and remittances have rapidly increased. Nevertheless, its impact on food security does not have a definitive conclusion. Moreover, the migration and food security nexus has been thoroughly studied in Africa and Asia, but Latin America and the Caribbean is also a region with important challenges in both topics. In this sense, acknowledging the nexus and its interactions are fundamental for the development of efficient and effective public policies, and the achievement of the SDGs. Using international comparable data from World Bank and FAO, the current thesis develops a dynamic empirical model based on system Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) which controls potential endogeneity and unobserved heterogeneity of the variables. Particularly, the study measures the impact of migration (using remittances as a proxy variable of migration) on the four pillars of food security in Latin America and the Caribbean countries from 2000 to 2017. The results show a negative link for availability, access and utilization, but a positive link for stability. It seems that when remittances have a higher weight in the economy, they have a negative impact on food security.

Keywords

Migration, Remittances, Food Security, Latin American and the Caribbean, GMM Estimator

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 8. 6. 2020

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: prof. Maria Sassi

Palacký University Olomouc

Faculty of Science

Master programme / field:
Geography / International Development Studies