Improving food security in the rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal province,South Africa: Too little,too slow

Food insecurity is still remarkably high in the poorest areas of the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Many rural households struggle to have sufficient access to the food they need or prefer. This article explores the extent of food access insecurity and assesses the perceived impact on food security of an Empowerment for Food Security Programme that was launched in the Province in 2007. One of the programme aims was to improve agricultural practices in community gardens, home gardens and broiler production. Data were collected among 390 beneficiary households involved in these agricultural projects in 2010. Findings confirmed that experience-based food insecurity levels were still high, despite the agricultural support programme and the government income transfers. Nevertheless, respondents attribute an improved dietary diversity and better access to resources to the programme.     

Review of the South African Agricultural Legislative Framework: Food security implications

Although South Africa has reported national food security for decades, current production patterns, land uncertainty and consumer preferences put future national household food insecurity in question. Household food insecurity in South Africa is at unacceptable levels. This paper reviews the country's agricultural legislative framework in terms of food security and the right to food. The review found that South African agricultural policies do not actively promote food security and the lack of enforceable food security policy makes it difficult to coordinate existing policies. The lack of food security legislation means that the right to food has no enforceable framework. A comprehensive food security policy, legislative framework and implementation strategy are urgently needed to address hunger poverty to progressively achieve the targets set out for national growth and development and realise the right to food enshrined in the Constitution.     

Effects of remittances on food security in sub-Saharan Africa

The objective of this research was to analyze the effects of remittances on food security in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), while assessing the role of governance. The analyses covered a panel of 26 SSA countries over the period from 2002 to 2017. Based on the double least squares method, two main results were obtained. On the one hand, remittances have a positive effect on overall food security and on each of its dimensions in SSA. On the other hand, this positive effect of remittances on food security and its dimensions is increasingly important when the quality of governance improves.     

农业补贴政策影响及调整方向研究

本文深入研究了农业补贴政策对粮食供给总量安全、粮食供给结构安全以及农户总收入水平的影响效果。基于构建的农业DSGE模型,从宏微观结合的多方位视角考察了多种农业补贴政策以及政府一般性服务支持政策对农业生产要素资本积累水平、农户投入行为决策、农业生产力水平以及农户总收入的影响效果和传导路径,并在此基础上结合宏观经济数据的真实反馈分析,全面考察了核心经济变量在农业补贴政策实施期间的真实影响效果。研究结果显示：（1）农业补贴政策能够有效刺激农户对农业生产要素投入水平的提高,深层激发和释放了农业生产力;（2）农业补贴政策能够有效保证农户基本经营收入水平,并显著增加农户可支配转移净收入水平,对保障农户基本总收入起重要作用;（3）最低收购价和临时收储等托市价格政策会刺激农产品价格呈现上升趋势,并不利于农业种植结构不平衡的调节。     

安徽省粮食安全的影响因素分析

安徽是农业大省,如果出现粮食安全问题,不仅会给安徽省的社会稳定带来重大影响,同时也会对全国的粮食供应造成不利影响。文章认为影响安徽省粮食安全的是耕地数量和质量不断下降、政策扶持力度不够、农业生产基础设施薄弱和农村劳动力素质较低等四个因素,并提出相应措施。     

西藏农牧民养老保障满意度及影响因素研究

社会保障是民生之依,直接关系到人民群众的切实利益,是百姓生存、发展和延续的重要保证。老有所养是我国社会保障改革与发展的重要目标与方向之一。本文使用西藏民生研究中心2018年拉萨市农牧区民生发展调查数据(LLDR),其数据显示,拉萨市农牧民的养老保障满意度整体较高,其没有满意的主要原因是对办事流程不了解、经办人员的工作效率较低、经办机构开展政策不了解等。通过Logit回归分析发现,个体特征变量在一定程度上会显著影响养老保障的满意度,社会资本是影响社会养老保障满意度的重要因素。     

湖南省粮食生产时空格局演变及影响因素分析

新时代背景下,粮食生产稳定愈发关系到国家安全。以湖南省为对象,采用泰尔指数、标准差椭圆等方法从多个尺度对湖南省2009-2018年粮食生产时空格局进行了分析,并在此基础上探讨了影响其空间格局的驱动机制。得到以下结论：①近10年湖南省粮食产量总体呈下降的趋势,对国家粮食安全的贡献在下降;洞庭湖板块的粮食产量占比一直处于领先地位;②湖南省粮食生产区域差异总水平呈缓慢上升的趋势,其组内差异贡献度较高;③粮食生产的重心变化不大,粮食生产呈现“东南－西北”的空间分布格局;④耕地资源是影响粮食生产格局的最基本因素,而城市化等社会经济因子是其格局变化的重要扰动因素。并就结论提出相关建议,以期为湖南省粮食生产安全提供参考。