{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.021759697256385997, 'fraction_numerical': 0.01229895931882687, 'mean_word_length': 5.011363636363637, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
STRENGTHENING FOOD SECURITY BY FOSTERING INVESTMENTS IN IMPROVED LOGISTICS AND ECONOMIC COORDINATION: ILLUSTRATIONS FROM AFRICA

In the late 1980s, the logistical system for the processing of maize (the main staple) in most of Eastern and Southern Africa was set up in a way that produced a high-cost, nutritionally inferior product that raised the price of maize meal to consumers by 30% or more. The system, although appearing " modern " , worked against the food security of the poor. Through a series of policy reforms in the early 1990s, the private sector was given a new set of incentives to modify the logistical system, saving consumers $11 million and $8 million per year in Kenya and Zimbabwe, respectively. These changes in the logistical system significantly improved the food security of millions of low-income consumers in the region. How and why did such situations arise and what led to their solution? Understanding the answer to these questions involves looking at the relationship between economic coordination and food system logistics.