Abstract:

Reducing the inequality of food supply is an important way to achieve the goal of "zero hunger". This study examined the temporal and spatial evolution characteristics of global food production from 1986 to 2018 based on the Lorentz curve and Theil coefficient, and measured the global and regional food production inequality and the impact of trade. The results show that: 1) The production of all categories of food showed an increasing trend, and the output structure has changed significantly. The proportion of cereals in total food production has decreased, while the proportion of oils, vegetables, and fruits has increased. There were significant differences in food nutrition sources among different regions and countries, and the largest variance was observed at the country level. 2) The concentration degree of grain, sugar, and fruit production was relatively low, while vegetables, oil crops, roots and tubers, and aquatic product production was relatively concentrated in a few countries. The inequality of beans, vegetables, oil crops, sugars, and stimulants production per capita showed an increasing trend, while roots and tubers, fruits, livestock, and aquatic products production per capita showed a decreasing trend. The inequality of caloric output per capita was lower than that of fat and protein. 3) Trade played a significant role in reducing the inequality of global food supply, especially for sugars, oil crops, and stimulants, and the impact of trade is intensifying gradually. Thus, the formulation of nutrition-oriented food production and trade policies is of great significance for improving the equality of food supply.

Key words: food supply, inequality, Theil index, trade, global