Food Security and Poverty Depth in Indonesia: Evidence from Provincial Fixed-Effects Panel Data (2019–2023)

Fathimah Kurniawati

doi:10.37680/ijief.v6i1.9694

Authors

Fathimah Kurniawati Universitas Diponegoro

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37680/ijief.v6i1.9694

Keywords:

food security, poverty depth, poverty gap index, panel data, Indonesia

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between food security and poverty depth in Indonesia using provincial panel data from 34 provinces during 2019–2023. Poverty depth is measured using the Poverty Gap Index, while food security is represented by the Food Security Index. Using a fixed effect panel model with cluster robust standard errors, this study finds that food security has a negative but statistically insignificant effect on poverty depth. In contrast, GRDP per capita, unemployment, and social assistance expenditure significantly affect poverty depth. These findings suggest that poverty depth in Indonesia is more strongly associated with labor market conditions, the inclusiveness of economic growth, and social protection responses than with short-term changes in aggregate food security. This study contributes to the literature by shifting the focus from poverty rate to poverty depth and by examining food security as a determinant of the poverty gap at the provincial level. The findings imply that food security policies should be integrated with employment creation, inclusive growth strategies, and regionally adjusted social assistance to reduce poverty depth more effectively.

References

Andrianarison, F. (2022). Unravelling the Linkage between Food Security, Poverty Reduction, and Education for Sustainable Development. Journal of Development Studies, 58(11), 2198–2221. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220388.2022.2096445

Baltagi, B. H. (2021). Econometric Analysis of Panel Data. Retrieved http://www.springer.com/series/10099

Barrett, C. B. (2010). Measuring food insecurity. Science, 327(5967), 825–828. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.118276

Barraclough, S. (1997). Food and poverty in the Americas: Institutional and policy obstacles to efficiency in food aid. Development in Practice, 7(2), 117–129. https://doi.org/10.1080/09614529754585

Borjas, G. J. (2004). Food insecurity and public assistance. Journal of Public Economics, 88(7–8), 1421–1443. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0047-2727(02)00188-3

Bulkis, S., Agussabti, Nugroho, A., Summase, A. P., Mudatsir, R., & Summase, I. (2026). Institutional framework for improving food security in crisis-prone areas in Indonesia. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2026.102774

Cafiero, C., Viviani, S., & Nord, M. (2018). Food security measurement in a global context: The food insecurity experience scale. Measurement, 116, 146–152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.measurement.2017.10.065

Carletto, C., Zezza, A., & Banerjee, R. (2013). Towards better measurement of household food security: Harmonizing indicators and the role of household surveys. Global Food Security, 2(1), 30–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2012.11.006

Daulay, C. C., & Arka, S. (2025). Determinants of Indonesia’s food security 2019–2023: A panel data analysis. LITERACY: International Scientific Journals of Social, Education, Humanities, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.56910/literacy.v4i2.2313

Devereux, S. (2001). Sen's entitlement approach: Critiques and counter-critiques. Oxford Development Studies, 29(3), 245-263. https://doi.org/10.1080/13600810120088859

Directorate General of Fiscal Balance (DJPK). (n.d.). Data on Transfers to Regions and Village Funds. Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia. https://djpk.kemenkeu.go.id/portal/data/tkdd

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2008). An Introduction to the Basic Concepts of Food Security. www.foodsec.org

Foster, J., Greer, J., & Thorbecke, E. (1984). A class of decomposable poverty measures. Econometrica, 52(3), 761-766. https://doi.org/10.2307/1913475

Gantina, A., Martianto, D., & Sukandar, D. (2020). The development of food and nutrition security index at provincial level in Indonesia. Jurnal Gizi dan Pangan, 15(3), 175–184. https://doi.org/10.25182/jgp.2020.15.3.175-184

Guyalo, A. K. (2025). Food security and its determinants among rural households in Gambella region, Ethiopia. Cogent Economics and Finance, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23322039.2025.2484651

Hadiprayitno, I. I. (2010). Food security and human rights in Indonesia. Development in Practice, 20(1), 122–130. https://doi.org/10.1080/09614520903447437

Hoddinott, J., & Yohannes, Y. (2002). Dietary diversity as a food security indicator. Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance Project (FANTA), Academy for Educational Development.

Maxwell, S., & Smith, M. (1992). Household food security: A conceptual review. In S. Maxwell & T. Frankenberger (Eds.), Household Food Security: Concepts, Indicators, Measurements. IFAD/UNICEF.

Merkeb, Y., Yasunobu, K., Elias, A., & Endalew, B. (2024). Comparative analysis of household food security and its determinants among Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) beneficiary, graduated, and non-beneficiary in Northwestern Ethiopia. Cogent Economics and Finance, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23322039.2024.2344269

Nairobi, N., Ambya, A., & Yusuf Afif, F. (2025). Analyzing Poverty Across Indonesian Provinces Using Panel Data Regression. Jurnal Ekonomi Pembangunan, 14(2), 77–85. https://doi.org/10.23960/jep.v14i2.4133

National Food Agency. (2025). Food Security and Vulnerability Atlas 2025. https://badanpangan.go.id/

Nnyepi, M. S., Phegelo, M., Galase Ramolefhe-Mutumwa, T., & Mmopelwa, D. (2023). Association between household food insecurity (access) scores, poverty indicators and child malnutrition in Botswana. Ecology of Food and Nutrition, 62(3–4), 130–145. https://doi.org/10.1080/03670244.2023.2202392

Pinstrup-Andersen, P. (2009). Food security: Definition and measurement. Food Security, 1(1), 5–7. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-008-0002-y

Sen, Amartya. (1983). Poverty and Famines: An Essay on Entitlement and Deprivation. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/0198284632.001.0001

Soon, J.-J., Abdul Adzis, A., Applanaidu, S. D., & Zainal Abidin, N. (2024). Food expenditure of the poorest deciles: Expected vulnerability and counterintuitive indulgence? Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy, 29(3), 1239–1256. https://doi.org/10.1080/13547860.2023.216671

Statistic Indonesia. (n.d.). Statistics Indonesia. Retrieved February 17, 2026, from https://www.bps.go.id/id

Tangkudung, S. N., & Nasrudin, R. (2025). The purchasing power of non-cash food program and household food security in Indonesia. World Development Perspectives, 40, Article 100748. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wdp.2025.100748

United Nations Development Programme. (n.d.). Sustainable Development Goals. UNDP Indonesia. https://www.undp.org/indonesia/sustainable-development-goals

Wooldridge, J. M. (2010). Econometric analysis of cross section and panel data (2nd ed.). MIT Press.

World Bank. (2026). What is food security? World Bank. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/agriculture/brief/food-security-update/what-is-food-security