The impacts of trade freedom on food insecurity from countries with different profiles: an empirical analysis

Abstract

This research considered data from 124 countries (cross-section) to assess the effects
of trade freedom (TF) on food insecurity (FI). The TF proxies, defined by Extreme
Bounds Analysis, were tested in linear/non-linear formats, for different income-levels and using
quantile-regressions. We found that a higher TF could be useful in lower-income countries
and/or those with critical FI cases, but it would be ineffective where TF is very low/high.
Moreover, FI would be worse in poor/recessive, inflationary and landlocked economies, rural areas, with overvalued exchange rates, high population growth, low agricultural productivity,
with armed conflicts and/or natural disasters and a hot-dry climate.

JEL Classification: I18; Q18; F13; C21.