A Multidimensional Assessment of Food Security in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: System Performance and...

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Nutrition Science
• Development Studies

Background:

• Food security systems are vital for nutritional health and Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG 2).
• Limited attention has been given to cross-dimensional coordination within food security assessments.
• This study evaluates system performance and coordination in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) from 2019-2021.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the performance of food security systems in LMICs.
• To evaluate the coordination across the four dimensions of food security: availability, access, utilization, and stability.
• To identify key bottlenecks and inform integrated strategies for strengthening food security.

Main Methods:

• A multidimensional 25-indicator framework and the entropy-weighted Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) were used for system performance evaluation.
• Spearman's rank correlation and Bland-Altman analyses validated the index against the SDG 2 Index and Under-Five Mortality Rate (U5MR).
• The coupling coordination degree (CCD) model assessed interdimensional coordination.

Main Results:

• Composite food security scores in LMICs ranged from 0.103 to 0.698, with Europe and Central Asia performing strongest and Sub-Saharan Africa weakest.
• Access and stability were identified as major global bottlenecks in food security system development.
• While interdependence among dimensions was high, coordination levels did not always ensure balanced development.

Conclusions:

• Food security systems in LMICs are hampered by deficiencies in access, stability, and cross-dimensional coordination.
• Enhancing food security requires integrated, cross-sectoral strategies that boost both system performance and interdimensional synergy.
• Addressing these weaknesses is critical for achieving SDG 2 and improving global nutritional health.