Multidimensional Food Security Index: A Comprehensive Approach
Janvier Kini *
Institute of Health Sciences Research (IRSS)/Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique (CNRST), Burkina Faso and Impact Research Institute (IRI), Burkina Faso.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The major challenge in measuring food and nutrition security is to provide policymakers with a single comprehensive measure that is valid, reliable, comparable over time and space, and captures all various elements of food security. Several indicators have been developed for this purpose. However, most of these indicators appear to be limited in capturing all aspects of food and nutrition security, and a comprehensive approach to this measurement requires further investigation. This study introduced a multidimensional food security index for this debate. This index was applied using survey data from 1832 households in Burkina Faso. The study concludes that policymakers should avoid using the easiest and incomplete approaches in measuring food and nutrition security if they expect to know the real situation on the ground.
Keywords: Food security, measurement, multidimensional index, Burkina Faso