Food security, human health, and economy: a holistic approach to sustainable regulation

Abstract

Purpose. The research aims to formulate recommendations for sustainable food security regulation taking into account the agriculture intensification’s impact on public health, health-associated economic loss, and regional variations of these effects. Methodology / approach. The impact of agricultural intensification on public health was analysed using national and regional (climate zones) data on cancer cases per 100,000 population and mineral fertiliser application per hectare of sown area from the State Statistics Service of Ukraine for 2010–2019. Regression analyses were performed using GRETL 2022c, employing OLS and ARMAX models. Additionally, health-related economic losses from contaminated food consumption in 2020 were estimated based on regional environmental damage assessments and data on environmental damage structure. These assessments informed and guided the suggestions of an organisational and economic framework essential for sustainable food security regulation. Results. Based on global research experiences, we identified a notable positive correlation between cancer morbidity and the application of mineral fertilisers in Ukraine, both on a national scale and within four distinct natural geographical zones. These findings highlight the imperative to reconceptualise the notion of food security by incorporating the dimension of human health. Given the eco-destructive nature of the agricultural environment and the socio-ecological and economic factors influencing public health, we articulate the structural and functional elements of an organisational and economic framework essential for the sustainable regulation of food security. Originality / scientific novelty. The research results underscore the need to redefine the concept of food security to encompass the dimension of human health. Moreover, it evaluates the economic losses related to health state resulting from consuming contaminated food across various natural and climatic zones. It demonstrates that a harmonious coexistence of food security objectives and the preservation of human health can be achieved by developing a suitable organisational and economic framework for sustainable food security regulation. Practical value / implications. The comprehensive assessment of environmental and economic damage to public health caused by contaminated food consumption, considering regional contexts and natural geographical zones, enables determining the scale of environmental, economic and medical risks and, thus, making adequate and optimal management decisions in sustainable food security regulation based on ecologisation of agricultural production.