Does Climatic shocks matter for Food Security in Developing Countries ?

This paper analyses the effect of climatic shocks on food security over the period 1960-2008 for 77 developing countries. We apply modern econometric methods, use panel data and two indicators of food security that are malnutrition and food production. The results are as follows: Firstly we show that rainfall volatility is a factor of food insecurity in developing countries. Indeed rainfall instability reduces food production and increases the percentage of total undernourished population. Secondly we find that African countries are more vulnerable to rainfall instability than other regions. By reducing food production and increasing the proportion of undernourished population, rainfall instability is a factor of food insecurity in these countries.