Global Food Security
The Contemporary World
GAC Babanto
1st Semester 2024-2025
What is Food Security?
Based on the 1996 World Food Summit, food security is
defined when all people, at all times, have physical and
economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food that
meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an
active and healthy life.
Physical availability of food Economic and
physical access to food
Food
Security
Stability of the other three
Food utilization
dimensions over time
Physical availability of food
Food availability addresses the “supply side” of food security
and is determined by the level of food production, stock levels
and net trade.
Economic and physical access to food
An adequate supply of food at the national or international level
does not in itself guarantee household level food security. Concerns
about insufficient food access have resulted in a greater policy focus
on incomes, expenditure, markets and prices in achieving food
security objectives.
Food utilization
Utilization is commonly understood as the way the body makes
the most of various nutrients in the food. Sufficient energy and
nutrient intake by individuals are the result of good care and
feeding practices, food preparation, diversity of the diet and intra-
household distribution of food. Combined with good biological
utilization of food consumed, this determines the nutritional status
of individuals.
Stability of the other three dimensions over time
Even if your food intake is adequate today, you are still considered to
be food insecure if you have inadequate access to food on a periodic
basis, risking a deterioration of your nutritional status. Adverse
weather conditions, political instability, or economic factors
(unemployment, rising food prices) may have an impact on your food
security status.
Impacts of Food Security
• Economic growth and job creation
• Poverty reduction
• Trade opportunities
• Increased global security and stability
• Improved health and healthcare
Food Security and poverty
GDP growth generated by agriculture is up to four times more
effective in reducing poverty than growth generated by other
sectors (IFAD 2012).
A 1% increase in agricultural yields leads to a 0.6–1.2% reduction
in the number of people living below $1 per day (Thirtle 2003)
Food Security and Gender
If women had the same access to productive resources as men,
they could increase yields in their fields by 20-30%.
This alone would raise total agricultural output in developing
countries by 2.5-4%, which could reduce the number of hungry
people in the world by 12-17% or 100-150 million people ( FAO
2011).
Global Food Security Index
Global Overview
2022
References
• https://impact.economist.com/sustainability/project/food-
security-index
• https://www.unccd.int/resources/knowledge-sharing-
system/global-food-security-index
• https://www.caritas.org.au/global-issues/food-security/
• https://aifsc.aciar.gov.au/food-security-and-why-it-matters.html
• https://www.usaid.gov/agriculture-and-food-security
