Determinants of food security in developing countries: An econometric study on a sample of Arab and African Countries using Panel-ARDL Model

The objective of this study is to address food security challenges within a sample of developing countries, delineated into Arab and African regions. It scrutinizes the roles played by population size, agricultural land area, agricultural labor force, and fixed capital formation in bolstering food security within these regions. Empirical findings underscore pervasive food production inadequacies across the surveyed countries. Despite the presence of ample agricultural labor and arable land, these variables fail to adequately offset production shortfalls exacerbated by burgeoning population sizes. Consequently, many of these countries resort to importing food to meet demand, rendering them susceptible to global price volatility and international supply disruptions. This vulnerability is particularly pronounced considering the Russian Ukrainian conflict, given these countries' status as leading producers and exporters of wheat.