Volume 10, Issue 3 (Aug 2025)                   JNFS 2025, 10(3): 341-342 | Back to browse issues page


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Sabando R A, Sy F A R, Lucero-Prisno III D E. Exploring the Interconnectedness of Income Inequality, Food Security, and Global Hunger. JNFS 2025; 10 (3) :341-342
URL: http://jnfs.ssu.ac.ir/article-1-1262-en.html
Research, Innovation and Extension Services, Southern Leyte State University, Sogod, Southern Leyte, Philippines
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Exploring the Interconnectedness of Income Inequality, Food Security, and Global Hunger

Ruen Apondar Sabando; BSc*1, Francis Ann Redublado Sy; PhD1 & Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno III; PhD1,2

1 Research, Innovation and Extension Services, Southern Leyte State University, Sogod, Southern Leyte, Philippines;
2 Department of Global Health and Development, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT
LETTER to EDITOR This letter to the editor critically engages with the article “Agriculture-Based Food-Producing Countries Are Less Secure in Food” by Aktar and Islam (2025). It highlights the paradox that nations with high agricultural output often struggle with food security, emphasizing technological advancements in developed countries as a mitigating factor. The letter suggests integrating Global Hunger Index (GHI) and Gini Coefficient to provide a more comprehensive analysis of food security and income inequality. These metrics could strengthen the study’s insights by addressing structural barriers that limit food access and exacerbate disparities, reinforcing the need for inclusive policies to achieve global food security.
Article history:
Received: 18 Feb 2025
Revised: 22  Feb 2025
Accepted: 22 Mar 2025
*Corresponding author
rsabando@southernleytestateu.edu.ph
1080 Sto. Niño St., Poblacion, Albuera, Leyte 6542.

Postal code: 6542
Tel: +63 995 4326884
Keywords
Food security;
Income inequality; Hunger.
Dear Editor of the Journal of Nutrition and Food Security
The author is writing in lieu to the recently published article in JNFS journal, titled “Agriculture-Based Food-Producing Countries Are Less Secure in Food” by Aktar and Islam (Aktar and Islam, 2025). This article offers a compelling and insightful analysis of the global agricultural landscape in relation to food security. The paradox it highlights-where nations that primarily produce agricultural commodities often face heightened food insecurity-is a critical issue. This study provides valuable insights that global agencies, such as the United Nations, can utilize to shape policies supporting Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being).
The article effectively discusses how developed nations, despite their low agricultural GDP shares, secure food stability through advanced technologies such as vertical farming, aquaponics, internet-driven agriculture, and technology-enhanced food waste management. The emergence of platform technologies supporting alternative and unconventional food sources further strengthens their food systems (Mok et al., 2020). This analysis underscores the challenges faced by developing nations that lag in technological advancements, reinforcing that food security is now more constrained by access than production, as innovations have mitigated past limitations (Hazell and Wood, 2008).
While the article establishes these relationships well, its analysis could be further enhanced by integrating the Global Hunger Index (GHI). The GHI not only evaluates food availability but also captures the real-world consequences of food insecurity, such as undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting, and child mortality. Including GHI would provide a more comprehensive perspective on food security dynamics, particularly in agricultural economies where food insecurity has severe human impacts (Ani et al., 2021, Herrera et al., 2021). Furthermore, the author proposes incorporating the Gini Coefficient as a measure of income inequality, which plays a significant role in food security. A country may have a substantial agricultural GDP share, but if wealth is concentrated among a few, lower-income populations may struggle with food access. Income disparities exacerbate food insecurity by limiting the purchasing power of vulnerable communities, restricting their ability to obtain adequate nutrition despite sufficient food availability (Stone et al., 2024). Integrating income inequality metrics would offer deeper insights into the structural barriers hindering equitable food distribution and security.
Acknowledgement
Not applicable
Authors' contribution
R Sabando designed the research; R Sabando wrote the paper; and FA Sy and DE Prisno had primary responsibility for final content. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. 
Conflict of Interest
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
References
Aktar J & Islam KMS 2025. Agriculture based food producing countries are less secured in food. Journal of nutrition and food security. 10 (1): 5-14.
Ani KJ, Anyika VO & Mutambara E 2021. The impact of climate change on food and human security in Nigeria. International journal of climate change strategies and management. 14 (2): 148-167.
Hazell P & Wood S 2008. Drivers of change in global agriculture. Philosophical transactions of the royal society B: Biological sciences. 363 (1491): 495-515.
Herrera JP, et al. 2021. Food insecurity related to agricultural practices and household characteristics in rural communities of northeast Madagascar. Food security. 13 (6): 1393-1405.
Mok WK, Tan YX & Chen WN 2020. Technology innovations for food security in Singapore: A case study of future food systems for an increasingly natural resource-scarce world. Trends in food science & technology. 102: 155-168.
Stone RA, et al. 2024. The impact of the cost of living crisis and food insecurity on food purchasing behaviours and food preparation practices in people living with obesity. Appetite. 196: 107255.

Type of article: letter to the editor | Subject: public specific
Received: 2025/02/18 | Published: 2025/08/28 | ePublished: 2025/08/28

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