Food Poverty in Uganda: Estimation, Profile and Drivers

The problem of food poverty has not received due attention, yet it remains a challenge in many developing countries including Uganda. This paper examines the incidence, depth, severity, and drivers of food poverty in Uganda. Using nationally representative datasets, we employed the Foster-Greer-Thorbecke (1984) indices to estimate the incidence, depth and severity of food poverty in Uganda. Quantile regression analysis was applied to assess the influence of drivers at different points in the distribution of food expenditure. The results show that the incidence of food poverty increased from 36.6 to 40.6% between the survey years. The depth of food poverty increased from 10.3 to 12.5%, while severity increased from 4.2 to 5.5%. In terms of profile, food poverty varies across subregions and socioeconomic backgrounds. The quantile regression showed that the drivers of food poverty don't have uniform parameters. Proactive policies are recommended to support the vulnerable and to address structural causes of food poverty.