ICT and food security nexus in the GCC region: exploring corruption control, FDI, and environmental sustainability dynamics

Climate change and food imports threaten the “Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)” nation’s food security (FS). ICT can assist the GCC nations in addressing these difficulties and increasing food security. This study examines the impact of ICT on FS, regulating control of corruption, foreign direct investment (FDI), and CO2 emissions in the GCC states. It applies the second-generation unit root, Westerlund bootstrap cointegration test, and the “Augmented mean group (AMG)” method, using data from 2002 to 2021. To determine the validity of the AMG outcomes, we also employ the “Panel dynamic ordinary least squares (PDOLS)” and the “Dumitrescu-Hurlin (D-H) causality test.” The bootstrap cointegration confirms a long-run association between FS and other variables. The AMG results reveal a positive association between ICT and FS, whereas control of corruption and FDI also contribute to FS. The outcomes suggest that promoting ICT is crucial to enhancing FS in the GCC area. Results from the Westerlund cointegration outcomes are coherent with the outcomes of the AMG estimate, proving the AMG results are consistent. The PDOLS and “D-H causality” prove the Westerlund cointegration and AMG outcomes.