Regional trade and food security in SADC
Abstract A number of pertinent questions on regional trade and food security in southern Africa is addressed in this paper, namely: Should a country go it alone or should it belong to a regional trade bloc? Within the SADC region, should countries be content to be cereal importers? How can free trade be phased in? How can intra-SADC trade be expanded? Potentially sensitive agricultural products are listed and the sensitivity in grain milling and cereals is discussed in detail. The major conclusion is that trade in the region can contribute substantially to provide improved food security. There is also considerable scope for greater intra-regional trade in grain and other food products, and for greater cross-border investment in agriculture and agro-industry.
A study on the relationship between international trade and food security: evidence from less developed countries (LDCs).
Hunger and poverty are main critical issues in less developed countries (LDCs) and can be attributed to the fact that almost 70% of the LDC populations are employed in the agricultural sector. Although the international trade can reduce food insecurity in LDCs, for example, facilitating the access to larger markets, the volatility in food prices since the late 2000s has negatively aff ected the food availability. Th is study examines the eff ects of trade on the food security and traces a U-shaped relationship between two variables, using 2000–2010 panel data for the LDCs. Th e results are robust across different methods and show that the food security decreases in the initial stages of the trade expansion but increases beyond a given threshold. Th e key fi nding of this study is the U-shaped relationship between trade and food security, which suggests that the policy makers should pay more attention to expanding investments in the agricultural productivity, particularly from the viewpoints of the self-suffi ciency and self-reliance.
Description of roughness profiles by separating the random and periodic components
Abstract The probability that it is not possible to obtain a significant description of roughness profiles composed of random and periodic components by using statistical methods is discussed. It is shown that the random and periodic components can be separated by using the frequency spectrum and the autocorrelation function of the profile. The physical significance of the separate components is discussed and it is shown that it is possible to describe a long crested surface by a single profile using these components The method of separating the random and periodic components allows a parametrical description of the roughness profile to be given. It is then possible to use these parameters to calculate a synthetic signal sign with the same basic properties as the measured profile.