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Abstract
Food security extends beyond a population’s immediate nutritional intake. It is not only
an essential pillar of the nation concept, but has far-reaching implications that extend beyond
national borders in today’s globalized trading of agricultural commodities. The Global Hunger
Index (GHI), an established metric for measuring food insecurity in developing countries, can be
used to measure the overall impact of agricultural economic policies. Multiple regression and
ANOVA tests were implemented to examine the significance a range of predictors had on
determining GHI in India, Nigeria, and Brazil. Each country has a major impact on food security
for their region, along with global economic policies. The predictors encompass a variety of
factors including basic, political, economic, and infrastructural needs. The data for the research
was acquired from The Food Agricultural Organization Food Security Report and the
International Food Policy Research Institute for 1995-2011. The study finds that the GHI in India
and Nigeria was significantly affected by gross domestic product per capita (GDPC) and water
access, while only water was significant in determining Brazil’s GHI. With this research as a
template, policy makers can better tailor aide programs to optimize the global decrease of the
GHI and improve global food security.