Food security
food security: when the entire population of a region have access to
sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life
- the total amount of food produced today worldwide is enough
for everyone to have a healthy diet
● some countries produce a food surplus, and can also import
more if needed
● other countries are not able to produce enough to cover the
countries entire demand, and have a lack of financial
resources for any necessary imports - food deficit
- 1/9 of the world's population remains chronically undernourished
- global distribution of undernourishment has changed recently
1974 food summit: Rome
- rapidly rising food prices + quickly growing population = concern
over how humankind's ability to produce food would be strained
1996 food summit: Rome
- also discussed the problems of rising food prices and falling stocks
- new concerns: the impact of global warming on the global food
production + consequences of genetic engineering
recently:
- rising food prices ---> global food crisis
- there is a rising need to produce food + agricultural investment
where poverty and hunger is high - 2009 food summit
Huge geographical imbalance between food production and food
consumption:
- lack of food security in many countries
- 3 main strands of food security:
● food availability - quantity of food available on a consistent
basis
● food access: sufficient resources to have a nutritious diet
, ● food use: knowledge of basic nutrition and care + adequate
water and sanitation
- nowadays, the greatest degree of risk is in South-East Asia, Africa
and the Middle East
- The fundamental threats of the current food crisis:
● pushing more people into poverty
● eroding already established development gains
● causing political instability ---> conflict ---> more food
shortages
Adverse influences on global food production and distribution
Economic
- demand for certain products has outstripped supply
- rising energy prices, agricultural production and transport --->
pushed up costs along the farm-to-market chain
- underinvestment in production and technology in LICs --->
underdeveloped infrastructure
- decline in production for local markets due to a larger focus on
exports
Ecological:
- period of poor weather - possible effects of climate change
- soil degradation due to mismanagement
- declining biodiversity
Socio-political:
- agricultural production and trading (tariffs and subsidies) usually
favour production in LICs - disparities in LICs
- inadequate system of managing food relief
- disagreements over trans-boundary resources - rivers
food security: when the entire population of a region have access to
sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life
- the total amount of food produced today worldwide is enough
for everyone to have a healthy diet
● some countries produce a food surplus, and can also import
more if needed
● other countries are not able to produce enough to cover the
countries entire demand, and have a lack of financial
resources for any necessary imports - food deficit
- 1/9 of the world's population remains chronically undernourished
- global distribution of undernourishment has changed recently
1974 food summit: Rome
- rapidly rising food prices + quickly growing population = concern
over how humankind's ability to produce food would be strained
1996 food summit: Rome
- also discussed the problems of rising food prices and falling stocks
- new concerns: the impact of global warming on the global food
production + consequences of genetic engineering
recently:
- rising food prices ---> global food crisis
- there is a rising need to produce food + agricultural investment
where poverty and hunger is high - 2009 food summit
Huge geographical imbalance between food production and food
consumption:
- lack of food security in many countries
- 3 main strands of food security:
● food availability - quantity of food available on a consistent
basis
● food access: sufficient resources to have a nutritious diet
, ● food use: knowledge of basic nutrition and care + adequate
water and sanitation
- nowadays, the greatest degree of risk is in South-East Asia, Africa
and the Middle East
- The fundamental threats of the current food crisis:
● pushing more people into poverty
● eroding already established development gains
● causing political instability ---> conflict ---> more food
shortages
Adverse influences on global food production and distribution
Economic
- demand for certain products has outstripped supply
- rising energy prices, agricultural production and transport --->
pushed up costs along the farm-to-market chain
- underinvestment in production and technology in LICs --->
underdeveloped infrastructure
- decline in production for local markets due to a larger focus on
exports
Ecological:
- period of poor weather - possible effects of climate change
- soil degradation due to mismanagement
- declining biodiversity
Socio-political:
- agricultural production and trading (tariffs and subsidies) usually
favour production in LICs - disparities in LICs
- inadequate system of managing food relief
- disagreements over trans-boundary resources - rivers
