Resilience of Households to Food Insecurity: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Resilience in the context of food security is a widely studied concept, but there is heterogeneity in how it is conceptualized and measured. This raises questions about whether researchers are measuring the same concept using different methods or if there are varying conceptual understandings of resilience. This study aims to provide a comprehensive review of the concepts, methodological approaches and empirical evidence related to household resilience to food insecurity, with a focus on socio-economic research. The review seeks to identify gaps in the literature and provide a clearer understanding of how households can better cope with shocks and stressors. A systematic literature review (SLR) with bibliometric analysis was conducted, focusing on articles that study resilience from a household food security perspective. A total of 51 studies were reviewed in detail to analyse the historical evolution of resilience, methodological approaches and empirical evidence. Out of the 51 studies reviewed, 47 were empirical, two conceptual and two review papers. Most studies were conducted in the United States, Germany and Ethiopia. The Resilience Index Measurement and Analysis (RIMA-II) framework emerged as the most widely adopted methodology for quantifying household resilience to food insecurity. Key factors contributing to resilience include social capital, market access, women’s empowerment and informal safety nets. Adaptive capacity was identified as a critical factor in mitigating the negative impacts of shocks such as natural disasters.

JEL Classification: O12, Q10, Q12, Q18, Q50