What is food security?

Being able to reliably obtain, consume and metabolise sufficient quantities of safe and nutritious
and foods, is essential to human well-being.

This building block explains the meaning of the food security concept.

Last update: 12 March, 2018

Definitions

Explanation

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1.0 Introduction
2.0 What is food security?
2.1 The four components of food security
2.2 Cultural acceptability
2.3 Definition
3.0 How can food (in)security be assessed?
3.1 What are levels and types of food (in)security?
3.2 Measuring food (in)security

1.0 Introduction
Malnutrition, or the risk of it, is a universal human problem: while some people’s diets lack
sufficient nutrients for an active and healthy life (e.g. undernutrition and micronutrient
deficiencies), others consume excess food energy (overnutrition), and this also leads to negative
health consequences. A person may consume energy excess to requirements and so be
overweight, while also suffering from micronutrient deficiencies.
Effective action to address malnutrition in all its forms requires an understanding of the various
mechanisms that can affect it. It is this nuanced understanding, developed over decades of
research, which is captured in the concept of food security.
2.0 What is food security?
Food security is a concept that is used to think systemically about how and why malnutrition
arises, and what can be done to address and prevent it. Underlying it is a moral ideology that can
be linked to realising the international goal of food as a human right.2,3
Up to the mid-1970’s, discussions about food security primarily focussed on the need to produce
more food and to distribute it better. Discussions prioritised the total availability of food calories
at the national and global level as the primary means to address malnutrition (primarily
undernutrition).4
Over time, the food security concept has been broadened considerably to encompass a wide
range of factors that can have an influence on malnutrition (of all forms) ranging across the
whole food system and - in some applications - including recognition of the important social and
cultural role that food plays.4
Today, the concept of food security is generally understood to incorporate four main
components: availability, access, utilisation, and stability; although some see stability as a
separate cross cutting factor. For a state of food security to exist, all of these components must be
sufficiently present (see Figure 1).5–8
 Figure 1: The four components of food security.9
2.1 The four components of food security and supporting elements5,6,8
1. Food availability. Enough nutritious food of sufficient quality needs to be available to people
for their consumption. Availability can be affected by:
o Production: how much and what types of food are available through food that is produced and
stored locally.

o Distribution: how is food made available (physically moved), in what form, when, and to
whom.

o Exchange: how much of food that is available can be obtained through exchange mechanisms
such as barter, trade, purchase, or loans.

2. Food access. Individuals and households must be able to acquire sufficient food to be able to
eat a healthy, nutritious diet, or have access to sufficient resources needed to grow their own
food (e.g. land). Access can be affected by:
o Affordability: the ability of individuals, households or communities to afford the price of food
or land for producing food, relative to their incomes.

o Allocation: the economic, social and political mechanisms governing when, where, and how
food can be accessed by consumers and on what terms. For example, food may be unequally
allocated according to age and gender within households.
o Preference: social, religious, and cultural norms and values that influence consumer demand
for certain types of food (e.g. religious prohibitions or the desire to follow a specific dietary
pattern such as vegetarianism).

3. Food utilisation. People must have access to a sufficient quantity and diversity of foods to
meet their nutritional needs but must also be able to eat and properly metabolise such food.
Utilisation can be affected by:
o Nutritional value: the nutritional value provided by the foods that are consumed, as measured
in calories, vitamins, protein, and various micronutrients (e.g. iron, iodine, vitamin A).
o Health status: the effect of disease (e.g. HIV/AIDS or diarrhoea) on the ability to consume the
food and absorb and metabolise its nutrients.

o Food safety: access to food free from food spoilage or from toxic contamination introduction
during the producing, processing, packaging, distribution or marketing of food; and from
food-borne diseases such as salmonella.

o Preparation and consumption: the resources (e.g. cooking tools and fuel), knowledge and
ability to prepare and consume food in a healthy and hygienic way.

4. Stability. Food may be available and accessible to people who are able to utilise it effectively,
but to avoid increases in malnutrition and in order for people not to feel insecure, this state of
affairs needs to be enduring rather than temporary or subject to fluctuations.
2.2 Cultural acceptability
Some stakeholders also see cultural acceptability as an important aspect to incorporate within the
food security concept.

This recognises that the way in which food contributes to the basic needs and well-being of
individuals, households and communities, goes far beyond its nutritional adequacy alone, and
encompasses enjoyment, as well as the various social, religious, and cultural functions that food
plays in peoples’ lives.10
Other stakeholders, however, argue that this broadens the food security concept so far as to make
it impractical.

2.3 Definition
Together, the importance of the four food security components, and of cultural acceptability is
reflected in the widely-accepted definition of an aspirational state of food security, put forward
by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation:

“Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic
access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs and food
preferences for an active and healthy life.”1

3.0 How can food security be assessed?

3.1 What are levels and types of food (in)security?
The state of food security varies over a range of scales, ranging from the individual to global
(Figure 2). Even where food security is present at a particular individual or household level, it
may not be so on a regional level. Conversely, while a nation or region may be generally
considered to be food secure, certain (groups of) individuals may still suffer from food
insecurity.

Figure 2: Levels of Food Security. Reproduced from Gibson, 2012.6

Types of food insecurity can also be distinguished by their frequency or duration:5,11
o Chronic food insecurity. A long-term and persistent condition of food insecurity. A
population suffers from chronic food insecurity when it is unable to meet minimum food
consumption requirements for extended periods of time (approximately six months of the year
or longer).
o Transitory food insecurity. A short-term and temporary condition of food insecurity. A
population suffers from transitory food insecurity when there is a sudden drop in the ability to
produce or access sufficient food for a healthy nutritional status (e.g. after a period of drought
or as a result of conflict).
o Seasonal food insecurity. A condition of food insecurity that reoccurs predictably, following
the cyclical pattern of seasons.
3.2 Measuring food (in)security
No single tool can account for all dimensions of food security. However one useful method for
measuring food insecurity on an individual level is the FAO’s Food Insecurity Experience Scale,
which is based around the following 8 questions.12
During the last 12 months, was there a time when, because of lack of money or other resources:

1. You were worried you would not have enough food to eat?

2. You were unable to eat healthy and nutritious food?

3. You ate only a few kinds of foods?

4. You had to skip a meal?

5. You ate less than you thought you should?

6. Your household ran out of food?

7. You were hungry but did not eat?

8. You went without eating for a whole day?

 These questions compose a scale that covers a range of severity of food insecurity from mild to
severe (Figure 3).

Figure 3: A scale to measure food insecurity based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale.
Adapted from FAO, n.d.12
Note that the Food Insecurity Experience Scale measures food insecurity as it is experienced by
individuals. To estimate and predict the presence and severity of food insecurity on a national
level, the FAO uses a range of factors including Gross National Products, volume of food
production and consumption, poverty levels, and the risk at food emergencies (e.g. resulting
from droughts or war).13
Food security, as defined by the UnGlobal Food Security

The United States is leading international efforts to address the need that people
around the world have for reliable sources of quality food. American aid is, in part,
directed to food security — ensuring every nation has the ability to feed its population
adequate amounts of nutritional foods.

IMPORTANCE OF GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY

Growth in the agriculture sector has been found, on average, to be at least twice as
effective in reducing poverty as growth in other sectors. Food insecurity – often rooted
in poverty – decreases the ability of countries to develop their agricultural markets and
economies.

Access to quality, nutritious food is fundamental to human existence. Secure access to

food can produce wide ranging positive impacts, including:

 Economic growth and job creation

 Poverty reduction
 Trade opportunities
 Increased global security and stability
 Improved health and healthcare

NIFA’S IMPACT

NIFA supports global efforts to strengthen agricultural production and end hunger by:
 Helping countries to improve their agricultural markets and increase food production
 Funding research to heighten disease resistance in beans and increase crop production
 Joining with USDA and other federal agencies on global initiatives intended to break the
cycle of hunger and poverty
 Developing and testing new food products designed to improve the nutritional value of
the food aid that is delivered overseas
 Strengthening developing countries’ extension systems
 Helping developing countries improve their agricultural economies

5 ways to improve global food security

Manon Verchot maverchot

July 25, 2014

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© Manon Verchot || Rice farmers in Malang, Indonesia
Nearly 1 billion people around the world suffer from hunger. Considering that we

already produce enough food to feed the whole planet, this should no longer be a

problem. But there are a number of factors that get in the way, including inefficient use

of water, fertilizers and crop rotations.

That’s why Paul C. West and a team of researchers developed a set of ways to improve

global food security.

“Our aim in writing this paper was to do an analysis that highlights that the

opportunities and challenges to create a sustainable food system are concentrated in a

small set of crops and places,” West, co-director of the Global Landscapes Initiative at

the University of Minnesota, told TreeHugger. “Targeting actions in these places can

have not only local, but also regional, and in some cases global impact.”

According to their report, tightening up on a number of key leverage points would

provide enough calories to nourish 3 billion people while also taking environmental

welfare into account:

1. Close the yield gap

By 2050, 120 million hectares of natural habitats will be converted to farming in

developing countries, the World Wildlife Fund estimates. In many parts of the

world, current agricultural land is not reaching its potential, yielding 50 percent

less than what it could produce. Closing the gap between what is being produced

and what could be produced would both reduce the need to clear land for

agriculture and feed 850 million people. The next points address how this gap

can be diminished.

2. Use fertilizer more efficiently

At TreeHugger, we’re not big fans of synthetic fertilizers, but the reality is that

they are used in large quantities around the world. There is some good news:
 based on previous studies, West and his team estimated that the use of fertilizers

with nitrogen and phosphorus on wheat, rice and maize crops could be reduced

by 13-29 percent and still produce the same yields. Further efficiency could be

gained through adjustments in the timing, placement and type of fertilizer.

3. Raise low water productivity

Water is a major issue, and we’ve written about it many times. Improving

irrigation systems and planting crops that use less water would be an effective

way to tackle this. For example, rice and sugar cane are among the crops that

need the most water. But it’s not simple to change the types of crops grown since

farmers make decisions of what to grow based on market values, International

Food Policy Research Institute Senior Research Fellow Lawrence Haddad

pointed out to TreeHugger. One way to encourage change would be to provide

economic incentives, but that can change based on regional differences and

cultural tastes.

4. Target food for direct consumption

A lot of caloric efficiency is lost when crops are converted for animal feed and

other non-food uses. If these crops were used directly to feed people, West and

his team calculated that they could provide enough calories for 4 billion people.
 In some cases, this would mean changing where certain crops are grown, but like

point number 3, changing crops isn’t straightforward. Farmers grow crops that

will ensure that they and their family can eat, whether that means eating their

own crops or selling them to be able to afford food. “Lots of assumptions are

made in this study: that people are willing to change their diets; that people in

wealthy countries are willing to take significant measures to reduce food waste;

that poor countries have the political and economic means to rectify yield gaps,”

said Dr. Carol Barford, director of the Center for Sustainability and the Global

Environment at the University of Wisconsin.

But West had a response to this: “It would be very naive to assume that diets

could radically shift soon. In fact, the trend toward more meat consumption is

happening in many parts of the world. Our main point here is that the amount of

calories that we already grow but feed to animals is a *huge* number of calories.

Even small changes in diet can have a profound impact.“

5. Reduce food waste

Globally, 30-50 percent of food production goes to waste because of inefficient

preparation or inadequate storage facilities. The United States is one of the

biggest culprits for this and needs an agricultural land base that is 7 to 8 times

larger than a land base in India to compensate for this waste. Reducing food
 waste in the United States, India and China could feed 413 million people per

year.

While West’s study provides some areas which need to be considered by policy makers,

the study does not delve too far into economics.

“The research focuses on food availability, but I would say that most of the problem of

hunger is around food access —do people have enough income to purchase food?”

Haddad, of IFPRI, said in an email. Haddad writes that a discussion of global food

security should also address the different needs of higher and lower income groups,

maximize resilience of the food chain in the face of climate change and social conflicts,

and minimize greenhouse gas emissions.

To be fair, West did acknowledge that his article fell short of addressing food access and

nutrition, but he added, “It does address many of the key aspects of creating a

sustainable food system using low-tech tools, including using fertilizer to boost

production in food insecure areas to benefit the people in those areas as well as be less

dependent on the major breadbaskets, minimizing waste, as well as reducing the

environmental impacts through changes in management practices that increase

efficiency. Access, nutrition, and cultural preferences all need to be addressed in concert

with the aspects we addressed.”

The complexity of issues like food security is the reason hunger is such a prevalent issue

in the 21st century. Tackling hunger will take a multi-dimensional and multi-

disciplinary approach.
ited Nations’ Committee on World Food SFactors affecting food security

Global food supply is not even. Some places produce more food than others.

Physical factors (such as climate, soil quality and gradient) and human factors (such as
technology) have historically controlled the quantity and type of food produced in any location.
Today, there are many other factors that explain why some countries produce more food than
others:

 Climate - global warming is increasing temperatures by around 0.2°C every 10 years.

Rainfall is increasing in some places, but decreasing in others. Higher temperatures and
unreliable rainfall make farming difficult, especially for those farming marginal lands, who
already struggle to survive. Even advanced countries (ACs) can be affected by drought.
Countries such as Russia and Australia are huge exporters of wheat and barley respectively.
When they suffer drought there is less food available globally and global food prices
increase, leaving the poor most vulnerable.

 Technology - improvements in technology have increased the amount of food available.

Technology can overcome temperature, water and nutrient deficiencies in the form of
greenhouses, irrigation and fertilisers. This can incur an economic or environmental cost.
ACs import food from across the globe, all year round.

 Loss of farmland - the growth of the biofuel market is taking up valuable farmland which
is then not used for food.

 Pests and diseases - pesticides have increased crop yields. Farmers in ACs can afford
pesticides, whereas most farmers in low income developing countries (LIDCs) cannot
afford them.

 Water stress - irrigation systems provide water for countries with unreliable or low
rainfall. Irrigation can double crop yields, but it is expensive to put these systems in place.
Water can be taken either from underground aquifers or directly from rivers. Both have
environmental consequences.

 Conflict - war forces farmers to flee their land or to fight in conflict. Food can be used as a
weapon, with enemies cutting off food supplies in order to gain ground. Crops can also be
destroyed during fighting. Food shortages have caused riots and conflict. The South Sudan
region has faced conflict for years, with 4 million people facing food insecurity. In the
Darfur area conflict has lasted years because of disagreement over land and grazing rights.

 Poverty - when people have less money, they cannot afford food and they become unable
to work. Families in developing countries spend much of their income on food.

Impact of food insecurity

Food security is when the entire population of a country has access to enough safe and nutritious
food to maintain an active life. The opposite is food insecurity, which is a problem for lots of
different countries. Countries that do not have enough food to feed everyone usually have other
associated issues to overcome. Some impacts of food insecurity include:

 Famine - the World Food Programme classifies three hunger conditions:

1. Undernourishment is when people do not consume enough calories. Over 800

million people in the world are undernourished.

2. Malnutrition is when people do not eat enough of the right kind of foods to keep
them healthy.

3. Wasting is the most serious type of hunger. It is severe weight loss due to acute
malnutrition resulting from starvation.

 Soil erosion - the removal of soil occurs more rapidly in areas that are very dry. Food
insecurity can lead to soil erosion as farmers try to get more out of their land.

 Deforestation, overgrazing and over-cultivation expose the soil and make it vulnerable to
wind and water erosion.

 Rising prices - when there is less food available, the prices of food increase - since the year
2000 prices have risen. Poorer countries are more vulnerable to increasing food prices.

 Debt - food prices can be set by speculators in ACs. This can cause great swings in the
prices offered to farmers for their crops from year to year. Farmers may incur debts by
borrowing to buy seeds and equipment and then find they cannot sell their crops at a high
enough price to repay the loan.

 Social unrest - everyone needs to eat and so when food supplies are low people have to
fight for their survival. Riots in Algeria in 2011 were caused by high food costs. The prices
of cooking oil, sugar and flour doubled within the space of a few months.

ecurity, means that all people, at all timeTHE WORLD’S 10 HUNGRIEST

COUNTRIES
October 15, 2019
Photo by Jiro Ose
Despite global hunger levels falling, one in nine people worldwide still face hunger. Here

are the 10 hungriest countries according to the 2019 Global Hunger Index.
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Global hunger levels have risen in the last 3 years, from 785 million in 2015 to 822 million in
2018. This is in no small part due to climate change and the resulting climate crisis, which are
causing crop failures due to weather-related disasters. As the former President of Ireland, Mary
Robinson, writes in the introduction to the 2019 Global Hunger Index, “it is a terrible global
indictment that after decades of sustained progress in reducing global hunger, climate change and
conflict are now undermining food security in the world’s most vulnerable regions.”

Produced annually by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe, the Global Hunger

Index examines the available data for hunger levels around the world. Overall, the 2019 GHI
scores indicate that global hunger is moving from serious to moderate, reflecting a 31% decline
in global hunger since 2000. However, multiple countries have higher hunger levels in 2019 than
they did in 2010. Conflict, inequality, and the effects of climate change are all contributors to
these instances of high levels. Here, according to the 2019 Global Hunger Index, are the current
top 10 hungriest countries.

10. AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan recently experienced its worst drought in decades, brought on by the effects of La
Niña. In 2018, it faced a rain, snow, and sleet deficit of 70% that led to a harvest that was over
60% below the country’s five-year average. While the drought’s impact is expected to wane in
2019, ongoing conflict combined with climate and livelihood crises means that there are still
nearly 5 million people who are food-insecure, roughly 14% of the population. This includes 4
million Afghanis who are food-insecure due to natural disasters. In 2019, 3.6 million are at
Emergency levels of food insecurity, which is a 24% increase compared to 2018 figures.

9. ZIMBABWE
Food insecurity in Zimbabwe was exacerbated this year by a combination of ongoing drought
and, in several provinces, the adverse effects of Cyclone Idai. While drought contributed to a
number of crop failures, flooding from the cyclone washed away crops in the affected areas. The
country is now once again in the grips of drought, which contributed to a cereal deficit of over
900,000 metric tons and has left 3.6 million people food-insecure. The UN estimates that 5.5
million (or 59% of the country’s rural population) will be food insecure at the peak of the
“hungry season” between harvests (next January through March).
8. TIMOR-LESTE
The small island nation of Timor-Leste is one of Asia’s poorest countries. One-third of the
population of 1.2 million suffers chronic food insecurity. While the rate of stunting children ages
5 and younger has gone down in the last 10 years (from 58% in 2009/2010 to 46% in 2016), that
number is still high — as is the rate of undernutrition for women of reproductive age. The United
Nations recommends improving the health and diet of women ages 15-49 in order to break the
cycle of stunting.
Haiti has suffered from a series of natural disasters, including Hurricane Matthew in

2016. Matthew brought heavy rains and flooding to the capital city and devastated

coastal communities. Photo: Andrew McConnell / Concern Worldwide

7. HAITI
Haiti has the highest level of hunger in the Western Hemisphere. The island nation has suffered
from a destructive combination of political instability and natural disasters including the ongoing
effects of the country’s 2010 earthquake and Hurricane Matthew in 2016. At the beginning of
2019, 2.6 million Haitians were food insecure, roughly 23% of the country’s population. The UN
estimates that number is higher, with aid for many of the food-insecure populations unable to
reach the designated areas due to security issues.

6. LIBERIA
Liberia is a new addition to 2019’s ranking of the world’s hungriest countries, but its food
insecurity stems back to its 1989-2003 civil war. In the last two years, the country’s food security
has been threatened due to ongoing rains. Roughly 1.8 million Liberians are undernourished, and
2.9 million are food-insecure (just over 62% of the population). 35.5% of Liberia’s children
suffer the effects of stunting. Still in recovery from both civil war and the West African Ebola
epidemic, Liberia also ranks among the poorest countries in the world, and is one of 41 countries
to receive foreign assistance for food.

5. ZAMBIA
Despite enjoying a long period of peace and stability, climate change has severely impacted the
landlocked country of Zambia, where most farmers rely on rain to grow their crops. In 2019,
many areas in southern and western Zambia saw the lowest rainfalls since at least 1981 (when
record-keeping began for the country). The northern and eastern sectors of the country,
meanwhile, have also suffered due to flash floods and waterlogging. 40% of Zambian children
continue to be stunted, a figure that has remained consistent over the last few years, and the UN
estimates that the current number of acutely food-insecure Zambians (1.7 million) will rise to 2.3
million by March 2020.
4. MADAGASCAR
Every year, Madagascar is hit by an average of 1.5 cyclones, the highest number in Africa. In
2019, the country saw the effects of both Cyclone Idai in March and Cyclone Kenneth in April.
Like many of the world’s hungriest countries this year, these periods of extreme flooding are
matched by long periods of drought, which has left nearly half of the country’s districts classified
at crisis-level food insecurity. As of this writing, the UN estimates over 730,000 citizens face
food insecurity (including over 134,500 at an emergency level of food insecurity). This number
may seem small, but it accounts for 21% of the population. By the end of this year, the UN
estimates that number will rise to over 916,000 — 26% of the population. Over 188,550 children
are suffering from acute malnutrition.
Khamissa Ibrahim is 32 years old. She has six children and is six months pregnant.

Concern’s support has greatly benefited Khamissa’s village of Doroti as there are less

child and adult illnesses than the national average. There is a lower rate of malnutrition

in women and children. Photo: Lucy Bloxham/ Concern Worldwide

3. CHAD
Part of the Sahel region of West Africa, Chad faces continuous drought and unpredictable rains
that have created a crisis in the area. The resulting food insecurity that comes from these climate
disasters has been exacerbated due to an influx of refugees from conflict-torn Nigeria, Sudan,
and the Central African Republic — all of whom need emergency food assistance. Nearly 3.7
million Chadians are food-insecure, a 29% increase since 2018. The number of children
suffering from acute malnutrition also rose from last year’s total of 220,000 to surpassing
350,000 in 2019.
19-month-old Tolowana Graceadieu is being treated for malnutrition at a mobile health

clinic run by Concern Worldwide at Bougoin, Central African Republic. Photo: Kieran

McConville

2. YEMEN
Yemen is in the grips of a brutal conflict that currently ranks as the world’s worst humanitarian
crisis. Food insecurity has risen in the last year, with more than 20 million people across the
country facing hunger and 10 million people suffering from extreme levels of hunger. There are
an estimated 7.4 million Yemenis requiring malnutrition treatment, including 2 million children
facing acute malnutrition. These figures have led to the UN declaring Yemen the world’s largest
food security crisis, driven primarily by conflict.

1. CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

While Yemen is currently the site of the world’s largest food security crisis, the Central African
Republic (CAR) remains at the top of this list as the “hungriest country in the world.” One of
the world’s poorest countries, CAR has suffered from instability, ethnic violence and conflict
since 2012, disrupting food production and leaving 63% of the total population in need of
humanitarian assistance. This includes 2.1 million people (46% of the population) suffering from
food insecurity, a 10% increase from last year. Per the UN, the current level of food consumption
in the CAR is at its second lowest, just behind levels recorded in 2016.

In many countries where we know that hunger is widespread and at levels that are a cause for
significant concern, there are insufficient data for assessment and inclusion in the GHI. For 2019,
these include: Burundi, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Libya, Papua New
Guinea, Somalia, South Sudan, and Syria.

https://www.concernusa.org/story/worlds-ten-hungriest-countries/

s, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious
food that meets their food preferences and dietary needs for an active and
healthy life.

Over the coming decades, a changing climate, growing global population, rising
food prices, and environmental stressors will have significant yet uncertain
impacts on food security. Adaptation strategies and policy responses to global
change, including options for handling water allocation, land use patterns, food
trade, postharvest food processing, and food prices and safety are urgently
needed. IFPRI’s work on food security includes analysis of cash transfers,
promotion of sustainable agricultural technologies, building resilience to shocks,
and managing trade-offs in food security, such as balancing the nutritional
benefits of meat against the ecological costs of its production.