food security

Access by all people at all times to enough food for an active healthy life; food produced in sufficient quantity to meet the full requirements of all people i.e. total global food supply equals the total global demand. Food security at a minimum includes the ready availability of nutritionally adequate and safe food, and an assured ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways, that is, without having to resort to emergency food supplies, scavenging, stealing, or other coping strategies. For households it is the ability to purchase or produce the food they need for a healthy and active life (disposable income is a crucial issue). Women are typically gatekeepers of household food security. For national food security, the focus is on sufficient food for all people in a nation and it entails a combination of national production, imports and exports. Food security always has components of production, access and utilization. Causes of food insecurity may include poverty, civil conflict, governmental corruption, environmental degradation, and natural disasters.

Authorization Path: 2.5.7.2.27.0