Paper

Food insecurity during a cost‑of‑living crisis: trends and housing‑related vulnerability in Portugal (2019–2023)

Abstract

The study concludes that the rising cost of living and difficulties in accessing housing are associated with a higher prevalence of food insecurity in Portugal, highlighting the need for integrated policies to provide food, housing, and social support. This conclusion is based on an analysis of national data from 2019 to 2023, which reveals an increase in food insecurity from 13.8% to 16.3%, as well as greater vulnerability among young adults, single-parent families, people living alone, non-EU migrants, households facing financial difficulties, and renters with high housing costs.

Citation

Brissos, S., Ramos, V. Food insecurity during a cost‑of‑living crisis: trends and housing‑related vulnerability in Portugal (2019–2023). Agric & Food Secur 15, 44 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40066-026-00628-6

Economic Development as a Concept: Fissiparity Rather than Teleology? Introduction

Abstract

The word “development” inherently carries teleological connotations, referring to a progression from an “unattained” state to a desirable one (“to be developed”). It is argued that, paradoxically, this concept—its meanings (its epistemology) and its uses (in empirical reality)—does not follow an evolutionary trajectory in which phenomena converge toward a dynamic of “development,” nor do its successive paradigms demonstrate a dependence on a trajectory that leads to a better fit with reality.
On the contrary, the concept is subject to fragmentation and dilution as it is used by various disciplines and shaped more by “external” geopolitical events than by reflections on its epistemological validity, as well as by institutions that do not prioritize the advancement of knowledge. Furthermore, the very object of economic “development” has been losing definition, with groups of countries varying over time.
Thus, the concept exhibits a dynamic of fragmentation that is more pronounced than its teleological connotations, and it is not guided by the quest to better align its meanings with reality.

Citation

Sindzingre, A. N. (2026). Economic Development as a Concept: Fissiparity Rather than Teleology? Introduction. Forum for Social Economics, 55(3), 271–293. https://doi.org/10.1080/07360932.2025.2595258

Change, Language and Power: The Example of International Financial Institutions’ Policies in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

International financial institutions (IFIs—the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank) and their policies have faced several global crises since the late 20th century, and these institutions claim to have implemented significant changes in response. In this context, after examining the polysemy of the concept of change, this paper argues that the transformations have been limited and that language plays a fundamental role in maintaining the stability of policies, theories, and the international institutions that convey them.
This idea is illustrated through an empirical analysis of the policies demanded by the IFIs of Sub-Saharan African economies since these institutions assumed a central role in guiding economic policies in the 1980s. The economic performance of African countries remains weak, with the gap relative to other regions actually widening, while the underlying structural causes—namely, dependence on commodity-based export structures—have not changed. Despite the “small changes” heralded by theories and policies, an assessment of their effects demonstrates the persistence of these fundamental structures.

Citation

Sindzingre, A. N. (2026). Change, Language and Power: The Example of International Financial Institutions’ Policies in Sub-Saharan Africa. Forum for Social Economics, 55(3), 388–411. https://doi.org/10.1080/07360932.2025.2584295

Visa policy and its potential on attracting inbound tourism flows in Angola

Abstract

Over time, tourism has accompanied the evolution of societies and today it is often considered as a driver of economic and social development for many countries. Despite this, Angola continues to record relatively low numbers of international flows of tourists. According to Angola’s Tourism Master Plan a number of arrivals ranging from 1.4 to 3.5 million was expected for 2017, and in reality, 0.26 million were recorded, which is about 5 to 13 times lower than initial projections (MEPA, 2020). The analysis of this reality alerted to the fact that natural and cultural resources, the availability of quality infrastructure and the general operating conditions of a country such as safety, hygiene, and health conditions, are essential factors of competitiveness, but are not exclusive. Entry into Angola requires a visa application for most countries of origin of tourists. In 2017 of the fifteen countries that most traveled to Angola, only two did not require a prior visa and four did not require a visa upon arrival (MEPA, 2020). This finding and the legal changes introduced in 2018, in the visa policy, motivated this study which aims to answer the following starting question: To what extent the visa policy is important for the development of foreign tourism in Angola?

The paper is structured in different sections. It begins with an introduction, followed by the state of the art. The second section presents the evolution of tourism in Angola in the last decades, both in legislative and statistical terms, contextualizing the political and social economic situation experienced as well as the visa policy and the main options and legal framework. In the third section, the methodology adopted is presented followed by the discussion of results.

Cite this paper

Sarmento, E., & Silva, E. (2025). Visa policy and its potential on attracting inbound tourism flows in Angola. In Eduardo Brito-Henriques, Eduarda Marques da Costa & Patrícia Abrantes, Planeamento Territorial e Turismo. Estudos em homenagem a José Manuel Simões (Cap. 13, pp. 153-162). ISBN: 978-989-693-188-9. Lisboa: Centro de Estudos Geográficos da Universidade de Lisboa. ISBN 978-972-636-316-3 DOI 10.33787/CEG20250001

Pathways for Black Studies in Portugal. A New Field of Knowledge and Research

Abstract:

Reflecting on contemporary epistemologies of European Blackness
Long absent from research in the humanities and social sciences, Black people in continental Europe have become the focus of a growing body of literature in the past two decades that addresses their unique history and social positioning. Black Studies in Europe: An Anthology of Soil and Seeds brings together essays and case studies by a collective of scholars, writers, and activists to offer a critical overview of the emerging field of Black European studies and a vital reflection on contemporary epistemologies of European Blackness. This collection addresses key questions: What is Blackness from a European standpoint? Which epistemologies and theoretical tools have been used to offer a better understanding of Black experiences in Europe? How is this knowledge being produced and by whom? Can we define a common European conceptual framework for Black studies? Related to this work is an even more urgent enterprise: forging an epistemological distinction between the study of Black people and “Black studies” as an emancipatory project.

Women’s Agricultural Production in Guinea-Bissau as a Means of Strengthening Their Identity

Abstract:

This article was developed from the study done for the Swiss Cooperation in Guinea-Bissau on women horticulturists. The data were obtained by surveys and interviews in the regions of Bissau, Biombo, Bafatá and Oio, with the producers (which also include a limited number of male producers) of leguminous agricultural products, in a sample of 160/1063 people chosen at random. To better understand the results, it must be said that this business model is not very profitable, but it is an activity that gives a greater independence of women in relation to men in the family space, combating the existing male authoritarianism, since decisions about the use of profits belong to the women producers. It also has a potential environment of action for the affirmation of the social (and not just family) identity of women that should not be despised although, as far as we can see, this is expressed for now only in the organization of associations of producers. The data matrix and the qualitative observations file are the property of SWISSAID, but the tables obtained from it can be provided to researchers who request them.

Cite this Paper:

Sangreman, C., & Melo, M. (2024). WOMEN’S AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN GUINEA-BISSAU AS A MEANS OF STRENGTHENING THEIR IDENTITY. Ars Educandi, 21. https://doi.org/10.26881/ae.2024.21.05

African agency in geopolitical times: playing with EU and Chinese ontological security

Abstract

In 2021 the European Union (EU) launched Global Gateway (GG). This new €300 billion European strategy is intended to boost the EU’s involvement in areas such as transport infrastructure, green energy, and digitalisation in developing countries. The African continent is expected to benefit with half of the expected figures. Much of the debate in the past few years has attempted to dissect the (geo)political, financial and economic dimensions of GG from the perspective of Brussels and EU Member States’ policymakers. However, very little has been discussed on how African policymakers have perceived GG. This paper will thus focus on African agency in the context of GG and the broader framework of Africa–EU relations. Moreover, it will compare this agency with that which has been displayed in the past decade of relations between Africa and China. Drawing on an ontological security analytical framework, the paper seeks to understand the new dynamics and contestations of African agency in the continent’s relations with the EU and China that have been ignored in both mainstream and critical approaches to EU foreign policy studies.

Cite this Paper

Duggan, N., Haastrup, T., Hogan, J. J., Mah, L., & Bernardo, L. (2025). African agency in geopolitical times: playing with EU and Chinese ontological security. Third World Quarterly, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2025.2551134

Mozambique, 50 years (1975–2025): Does the struggle continue?

Abstract:

This article revisits Samora Machel’s famous slogan ‘A luta continua’ (‘The struggle continues’) to analyse the 50 years of Mozambican independence (1975-2025). It argues that the initial anticolonial struggle has transformed into a series of protracted internal conflicts. Drawing on historical analysis and long-term ethnographic insight, the article traces a sequence of challenges: from FRELIMO’s postindependence turn to Marxism-Leninism and the devastating civil war with RENAMO, to the contemporary pressures of extractive capitalism and the recent jihadist insurgency in Cabo Delgado. The article analyses this latest conflict as a complex manifestation of local grievances articulated through a religious idiom. It concludes that in the face of these persistent crises and a flawed 2024 election, Machel’s revolutionary slogan now functions as a poignant interrogation of Mozambique’s unresolved contemporary dilemmas.

Cite this paper:

Macagno, L. (2025), Mozambique, 50 years (1975–2025): Does the struggle continue?. Anthropology Today, 41: 21-24. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8322.70006

Claude Meillassoux dans la Révolution Mozambicaine

Abstract:

This article stems from a project entitled “Sources for the History of Economic Anthropology: Claude Meillassoux in Mozambique”, which, between January and March 2023, was funded by the programme “Visiting Senior Professor Abroad” (Capes-Print-Ufpr – Capes 88887.757020/2022-00, Brazil). Several people and institutions collaborated in this research over its three-month duration. I am grateful to my French colleagues who, at one point or another in their careers, were close to Claude Meillassoux and provided me with valuable advice and information. My thanks go to Michel Cahen, Jacques Marchand, Antoine Bouillon, Ingolf Diener, Jean Copans, Michel Samuel, Jean-Loup Amselle and Christine Verschuur. Needless to say, any shortcomings in this article are my sole responsibility.

Cite this Paper:

Lorenzo Macagno, « Claude Meillassoux dans la révolution mozambicaine », L’Homme [En ligne], 253 | 2025, mis en ligne le 01 avril 2025, consulté le 18 août 2025. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/lhomme/51517 ; DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/13olg

A Framework on Eudaimonic Well-Being in Destination Competitiveness

Abstract:

This research proposes a framework for Eudaimonic well-being in destination competitiveness. This framework is based on the theoretical Ritchie and Crouch’s model (1993, 2000, 2003) and the recent theoretical notion that a travel trip may influence life satisfaction through tourists’ experiences. We conducted a qualitative study based on 34 in-depth interviews with key tourism stakeholders in Cape Verde, a small island developing country (SIDS) dependent on the tourism sector. The findings contribute to identifying specific sources of positive and negative effects that may affect the tourists’ and residents’ overall sense of well-being and thus affect the overall destination competitiveness.

Cite this Paper:

Sarmento, E. M., Loureiro, S., Mendes, Z., Monteiro, J. M., & Fernandes, S. (2025). A Framework on Eudaimonic Well-Being in Destination Competitiveness. Tourism and Hospitality, 6(3), 135. https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp6030135