Food security and the triple crises: Evidence from the Western Balkans

This paper aims to analyse the impact of the triple crises on food security in the Western Balkans. It follows a two-fold approach. On the one hand, the food security situation in the different countries is analysed quantitatively using descriptive statistics of the main indicators on a time-series basis and the main determinants of food security. On the other hand, the results of the semi-structured interviews with local experts are presented in order to understand the reasons for the changing patterns of food security. Our findings suggest that food security and self-sufficiency are stable in most cases, while a large number of small farms, rural depopulation, climate change and harmonisation of food systems were cited as the main challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic does not appear to have seriously impacted food security, although it has certainly accelerated the restructuring within the agri-food sectors. However, the war in Ukraine has had a greater impact, particularly in terms of high price inflation and rising prices for agricultural inputs.