FOOD SECURITY

According to World food summit report of 1996, Food security refers to a situation where all
people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food
that meets their dietary requirements and food preferences for an active and healthy life.
Populations or individuals who are food secure live in no fear of hunger or starvation.

Therefore food insecurity will mean a situation where there is limited access or uncertain
availability of adequate nutritious and safe food resources that are acquired in socially
acceptable ways. Food security consists of four major pillars namely: Availability, Access, Use
(utilization) and Stability.

Availability
Availability relates to food supply through production, distribution and exchange. Food
production is determined by a number of factors such as:

 Land ownership and use

 Soil management
 Crop selection, breeding and management
 Livestock breeding and management
 Harvesting and postharvest handling
 Weather and climate change
 Availability of water
 Availability of capital and access to other agricultural inputs

Crop and animal production is not necessarily sufficient for populations and countries to
achieve food security. Food must be distributed to or from different regions within a country or
to other countries. The chain of food distribution is affected by
 Processing
 Packaging
 Storage
 Marketing
 Transport

Distribution is accompanied by considerable food losses depending on storage and processing

technologies and nature of the food product. Few household or individuals are food secure and
as such there is need for efficient trading systems and market institutions. There is need for
barter trade or cash economy to acquire food.
Food Access
Food access refers to affordability and allocation of food. This is affected by individual and
household preferences. Poverty usually limits access to food by many individuals and
households since they may not be able to afford the available food resources at the current
prices. Either they may not have or afford the resources required to produce their own food.

Food access can be classified as Direct Access where individuals and households produce their
own food and Economic Access where food is bought from elsewhere. Economic access is
affected by location and preferences. Preference of food can be affected by demographics,
level of education, gender, health and social status and culture.

Use or Utilization
The quantity and quality of food that reaches the households and individuals and the food
choice are affected by various factors:

 Food safety
 Food preparation
 food processing
 cultural preferences
 education and awareness
 Nutritional value
 health status

Food Stability
This refers to the ability of individuals to obtain enough food over time

Measurement of Food Security

Food security can be measured by calorie intake per person per day. The measures of food
security aim to capture some or all of the main components of food security. The methods were
developed by Technical Organizations such as Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance- FANTA),
AfriCare and World Vision and include:

1. Household Food Insecurity Access (HFIAS)

Continuous measurement of food insecurity or access in the household on monthly basis

2. Household Dietary Diversity Scale (HDDS)

Focuses on the number of different food groups consumed over a given specified period ( 24
hrs/ 48 hrs/ 7 days)
 3. Household Hunger Scale (HHS)

Measures the experience of household food deprivation based on a set of predictable reactions
captured through a survey

4. Coping Strategies Index (CSI)

Assesses the household behaviours and rates them on the basis of a set of varied established
behaviours on how household deal with food shortages

Food insecurity can be transitory, seasonal or chronic. Transitory food insecurity arises from
natural disasters like floods, storms, droughts etc. these result in crop failure and animal\
livestock death. Civil conflicts also cause instability in market supply. This lead to food prices
spikes that can cause transitory food insecurity.

Seasonal food insecurity is caused by regular seasons of production or growing patterns of

crops. Chronic or permanent food insecurity refers to long term and persistent lack of adequate
food.

Enabling Environment for Food Security

Food and Nutrition Security

Availability Access Use or Utilization

+Crop production +Income + Food & Nutrition knowledge

+Efficient water use +Prices + Food preparation

+Stocks +Markets + Nutritional behavior

+Trade +Transfer + Cultural traditions

+Infrastructure + Standards

+Food distribution + Hygiene

+Gender issues + Health care

Stable supply, Risk reduction and Environmental sustainability

CAUSES OF FOOD INSECURITY

1. Drought and other extreme weather conditions such as frost and hail result in crop failure or damage
hence poor harvest.

2. Pests, crops and livestock diseases. These lead to loss of livestock and produce hence loss of food
resources. It also involves use of money that will have been otherwise used for buying food

3. Climate change leads to unpredictable weather conditions and recurrent extreme droughts and other
conditions that adversely affect crop and livestock performance such as frost, hail damage, floods etc.

4. Rapid population growth which will put strain on existing food resources

5. Agricultural problems such as soil erosion, soil degradation

6. AIDS and related challenges reduces available workforce and loss of revenue to AIDS related costs

7. Military conflicts affect agricultural production and food aid distribution

8. Corruption and political instability

9. Cash crops dependence has taken much of the land that will have been used for farming food crops

TACKLING FOOD INSECURITY

1. Improving agricultural productivity for small scale farmers

2. Rain fed agriculture

3. Improving soil fertility and management

4. Expanding land under food crop production

5. Investing in relevant agricultural and technological research such as crop and animal breeding,
biotechnology etc

6. Investing in irrigation

7. Reducing post harvest losses

8. Diversify diets

9 Agricultural insurance
CHALLENGES TO ACHIEVING FOOD SECURITY
1. Water crisis/scarcity or shortage

2. Land degradation and desertification

3. Soil pollution and exhaustion

4. Climate change and global warming

5. Geographical locations (latitudes)

6. Agricultural and livestock diseases

7. Alternative land uses

8. Politics

EFFECTS OF FOOD INSECURITY

1. Famine and hunger

2. Stunting and chronic nutritional deficiencies

3. Premature failure of vital organs

4. Defects in cognitive development