Food insecurity erodes trust*

This paper examines the relationship between food insecurity and trust. Trust improves public institutions, social capital, public health interventions, and economic development. Vertical trust is represented as an index of trust in national institutions, while horizontal trust is represented as a measure of trust in friends and family. We find that food insecurity is associated with a decrease in both measures of trust. We further document heterogeneous effects of food insecurity across economic development rankings. Our results suggest a need for governments to increase food security to bolster public trust, strengthen the social contract, and enhance the effectiveness of future development efforts. Given the greater difficulty in restoring trust once it has been damaged, ensuring food security is critical for maintaining trust in institutions.