Transport costs and inequality limit global food access

A new study finds that transport infrastructure and economic inequality are as critical as food production in determining whether people can actually access crops globally.

By Sama News Agency
August 31, 2026
An infographic showing a research framework with four columns presenting global data, scenarios, analysis, and outputs related to food ecosystem service accessibility.
The study examines how economic inequality, food production, and infrastructure shocks affect global food accessibility through a spatial analysis tool that maps supply and demand disparities at different transport cost thresholds across the world. (Phys.org)
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Producing enough food is not sufficient to ensure global food security, researchers said. Transport networks and economic inequality significantly affect whether food crops reach those who need them, according to a new study.

A research team led by the University of Oulu, together with researchers from Aalto University and Pellervo Economic Research in Finland, developed a spatial accessibility framework to examine how effectively global transport systems connect food supply with demand. The framework also assessed various economic and disruption scenarios.

Transport costs and inequality limit global food access | Sama News Agency