Work

How Inequality and Repression Affect the Link Between Food Insecurity and Urban Social Disorder

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: We examine the relationship between food insecurity and urban social disorder, featuring the degree of inequality and levels of governmental repression. We develop a formal theoretical model, and our empirical results suggest that food price volatility contributes significantly to conflict events as measured by the PRIO Urban Social Disorder data. We measure vertical inequality using the V-DEM egalitarian index, which is negatively significant; greater inequality sparks unrest. Inter-group horizontal inequality is also statistically significantly related to the risk of food riots. Government transfers are weakly associated with reducing conflict incidence. Governmental repression, in contrast, is associated with food riots across our estimations.

Source: Peace Economics Peace Science and Public Policy

DOI: 10.1515/peps-2024-0059

Authors: Syed Mansoob Murshed, Scott Gates, Rashel Hasan, Muhammad Badiuzzaman

Institutions: International Institute of Social Studies, University of Oslo, Peace Research Institute Oslo, Bangladesh Bank

Language: English

Topic: Political Conflict and Governance

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Reduced inequalities, No poverty, Zero hunger

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: