Importing Insecurity? The Paradox of Cereal Trade Openness and Food Security in Sub‐Saharan Africa

ABSTRACT Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG2) aims to end world hunger, but Africa is currently not on track to meet this goal. Sub‐Saharan Africa is particularly affected, with a significant increase in undernourished people. The issue of food security is, therefore, a pressing concern, and promoting trade has been suggested as one solution. This study examines the impact of cereal import openness on the prevalence of undernourishment for 27 Sub‐Saharan African countries for the period 2000–2020. Using a two stage least squares instrumental variable (2SLS‐IV) estimator, we found that greater cereal import openness is significantly associated with higher levels of undernourishment in Sub‐Saharan Africa and then increases food insecurity. Our empirical findings are robust according to several tests, including adding additional control variables and alternative food security indicators. Our analysis also highlights that government effectiveness and political stability increase food security.