World Food Policy Volume/Issue 2-2/3-1 Fall 2015/Spring 2016 | Page 79

World Food Policy - Volume 2 Issue 2/Volume 3 Issue 1, Fall 2015/Spring 2016

Constructing a Database for Food Security Assessments
in Southeast Asia
Ulrike GroteA & Hermann WaibelA
In many Southeast Asian countries, food insecurity remains an important
problem. However, the assessment of food security is often difficult due to the
lack of adequate data. Studies undertaken by international organizations
are mostly rapid appraisal type of analyses lacking scientific rigor and depth.
Against this background there is a need to establish sound databases, which
allow for more in-depth analyses. Although the collection of data in remote
rural areas of poor countries is challenging, data quality is crucial in order to
advance research on the economics of food security. Own case studies from
Southeast Asia highlight the need to account for multidimensional facets of
food security in data collection. They highlight the need to differentiate between
monetary and nonmonetary poverty aspects and to look into diverse livelihood
activities. They also stress the importance of the time dimension due to price
increases or many other shocks and coping strategies. We suggest incorporating
food security research into long-term panel data projects such as the long-term
panel data project for Thailand and Vietnam, which we believe is unique and
valuable also for food security assessments.
Keywords: food security, case studies, database, assessment, Southeast Asia

Introduction

targets aim to stimulate further action
over the coming 15 years in areas of
n September 2015, the United Nations critical importance for the whole planet
(UN) decided to adopt the post-2015 (UN 2015). The second of the 17 SDGs is
development agenda. It consists directed toward achieving food security
of 17 Sustainable Development Goals and improved nutrition, among others.
Food security remains a prevailing
(SDGs) as a follow-up to the Millennium
problem
in many developing countries,
Development Goals which have been
only partly reached. The new goals and including Southeast Asia. Assessing food
insecurity is often impaired by the lack

I
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Leibniz University Hannover, Germany
doi: 10.18278/wfp.2.2.3.1.6
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