Effect of inflation on Kenya’s maize production and food security

Abstract

The aim of this project was to examine the major determinants of Kenya's maize production. These objectives were actualized by evaluating the role of government policies on Kenya’s maize production for food security between 1992 and 2022 and examining the relationship between inflation and maize production for food security in Kenya between 1992 and 2022. The food availability decline theory would be instrumental in guiding this study. Time-series secondary data from the World Bank, FAOSTAT, and World Trade Organization (WTO) for the relevant period 1990–2022 was used to do this. Using a correlation research design, the econometric analysis of the time-series data revealed that inflation, unemployment, and eventually gross domestic GDP determined maize production. In the near term, the findings demonstrated that the exchange rate, one period's lag in the exchange rate, and the amount and quantity of maize imports all influence maize production. The results imply that in order to lessen the over-reliance on maize production, macroeconomic conditions should be effectively managed to improve domestic maize production, deter a spike in imports of the grain, and enhance food security in the nation.