Cultivating food security through local mineral supply chains (2026-2028)

This project is the first global study to examine the intersections between mineral security and food security. Over half of the 1.1 billion people who are multidimensionally poor engage in subsistence farming without access to fertilisers, and >150 million of these people rely on artisanal and small-scale mining for livelihoods. The project aims to investigate the potential for local agricultural mineral supply chains to supplement reliance on imported fertilisers and address food insecurity. By exploring the coincidence of mineral fertiliser inaccessibility and food insecurity, the research could offer alternative pathways for poverty reduction, promote self-sufficiency and reduce reliance on declining Official Development Assistance.