The relationship between food security and economic growth in G20 countries

The urbanization problem that arises as a result of the rapidly increasing population in the world causes a rapid increase in consumption, as a result, an increase in the need for food production. All over the world, people need to be able to continue their vital activities, in other words, they need to meet their most basic necessities such as heating, housing and feeding without any difficulties. For this purpose, international economic cooperation is carried out to ensure the production-consumption balance, and thus, increasing export and import activities, causing the emergence and spread of biological elements that threaten human health. Such reasons pose a great risk for the food safety. The conditions of countries in the world and important components such as the hunger problem in underdeveloped countries determine the food security gap and vary from country to country depending on the security situation. Increasing needs along with the rapidly growing population in recent years have caused consumption habits to change and the effects of globalization on food security have also required further research and examination. In order for human beings to survive and easily access their needs, the food they demand must be affordable. Therefore, ensuring that all people have safe and alternative access to food is the subject of the food security. People's ability to access food safely and with alternatives means providing easy socio-economic and physical access. In this study, the relationship between food security, agricultural product prices, population, life expectancy at birth and economic growth in G20 countries between 2000 and 2019 was tested with panel data analysis. According to the findings, it has been determined that there is a unidirectional causality relationship from food security to economic growth, and a bidirectional causality relationship between population and food security variables, and climate change and food security.