Producing enough food is only one part of ensuring global food security. A new study shows that transport networks and economic inequality are important factors in determining global food accessibility. A research team led by the University of Oulu, together with researchers from Aalto University and Pellervo Economic Research (PTT), Finland, developed a new spatial accessibility framework to examine how effectively global transport systems connect food supply with demand under different economic and disruption scenarios.
Global food security depends not only on how much food is produced, but also on the ability of transport networks to deliver food where it is needed. To better understand this challenge, the researchers combined global data on food production, demand, transport infrastructure and transport costs to evaluate how transport systems influence food accessibility worldwide.
The analysis was based on the dietary energy supply and demand of six globally important crop groups: temperate cereals (barley, wheat and rye), maize, rice, tropical cereals (millet and sorghum), tropical roots (cassava) and pulses. These account for roughly half of all food calories traded internationally.
The study examined three scenarios: equal transport costs, economic differences between regions and disruptions caused by food production losses and infrastructure hazards.
"The study highlights that food availability alone does not guarantee food accessibility. Transport costs and economic inequalities can limit access to food even when sufficient supplies exist," says researcher Terhi Ala-Hulkko from the University of Oulu.
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