DETERMINANTS OF FOOD SECURITY IN THE FORMER BARLINGMASCAKEB REGION

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the factors influencing food security in the former Barlingmascakeb region during 2018–2024. Food security is measured using the Food Security Index (FSI), with independent variables consisting of UMK, population size, and rice prices on the demand side, as well as rice production, rainfall, and government spending on agriculture on the supply side. Using panel data from five regencies/cities over seven years (35 observations), the study applies panel data regression with the Common Effect Model (CEM) using EViews 12. The results show that all independent variables simultaneously significantly affect food security. Partially, UMK and rainfall have positive and significant effects, while rice prices have a negative and significant effect. Population size, rice production, and government agricultural spending have no significant effect. The R² of 0.8662 indicates that 86.62% of the variation in food security is explained by the model. These findings highlight the importance of household purchasing power, food price stability, and climatic conditions in strengthening food security through policies supporting income growth, food price control, and sustainable natural resource management.