The Dynamic Impact of the Energy Transition on Food Security in Developing Countries

ABSTRACT In the context of persistent food insecurity and the global push for the transition toward clean energy in developing countries, understanding the association between clean energy access and food affordability is increasingly important to inform multisectoral policy interventions. Against this background, this study explores the dynamic impact of the transition to clean cooking energy on the cost and affordability of a healthy diet in developing countries. Using recent panel data and robust estimation techniques, including quantile regression, fixed effects models, and asymmetry tests, we find that access to clean cooking fuels can, in some contexts, exacerbate food costs. The results reveal a nonlinear relationship between access to clean cooking energy and the cost of healthy diets. Specifically, in countries with the lowest levels of food costs, access to clean cooking energy improves the affordability of healthy diets, whereas in countries where diet costs are already high, the transition to clean cooking energy tends to exacerbate the cost of healthy diets. These findings underscore the need for multisectoral policy interventions that jointly address clean energy access, nutrition, and social protection to address interconnected challenges such as climate change and food insecurity.