Projects

Humanity’s path to global food security has been hampered by the twinned challenges of over-consumption and undernutrition under the growing hazards of global climate change. This challenge is particularly evident in Jamaica, where food systems operate at the cross-section of environmental hazards and nested trade relationships as an island state. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have provided initial direction towards the achievement of global food security through SDG 2 (End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture). In this context, it has been theorized that outcomes measured by one SDG could have implications for outcomes measured by another SDG. In other words, there may be conditionally dependent relationships, and spillover effects, among the SDGs. By understanding this network of relationships, Jamaican policymakers can plan more efficient policies and interventions aimed at bolstering sustainable food security according to the SDG goal of eradicating hunger. Using Bayesian networks, this project will assess SDG 2 achievement in Jamaica and identify conditionally dependent relationships among the SDG outcomes to inform efficient policy pathways towards achieving this target.