What is food security?
What is food security?
Food security is viewed as a major axis of development and the environment, as it is the term through which the world works to ensure that food is provided to the population in a sustainable and safe manner at all times. If food security is a concept closely linked to sustainable development, societies must pay attention to it and strengthen all its projects, the most important of which are: projects to improve food production efficiently.
We must realize that if a person’s food security is not achieved, his health will be harmed and his environment will deteriorate. Because lack of nutrition and the spread of hunger lead to the deterioration of health, education, and other sectors. To ensure food security, communities must promote sustainable agricultural practices, improve environmental management, in addition to activating awareness methods on the importance of healthy nutrition, and working to implement green economy plans. For all of this, we seek in this article to clarify the concept of food security and explain its basic pillars.
The concept of food security
The concept of food security refers to providing food to individuals without any shortage. Food security is achieved when an individual does not suffer from hunger or lack of food. This concept is used as a criterion for evaluating food supply chains, which may be weakened by many dangerous factors, including: drought – wars – soil degradation – climate changes.
Food security can be divided into two levels: absolute and relative. Absolute food security is the state’s ability to produce food at a rate that exceeds domestic demand. As for relative food security, it is the state’s ability to partially meet the needs of its people.
It is worth noting that food security – according to World Health Organization reports – has four pillars: abundance, capability, consumption, and stability. In this part of the article, we will explain these pillars in more detail.
First – Food Abundance
Food abundance means providing food supplies through production, distribution and exchange. Food production depends on a variety of factors, including: land tenure, the way it is used, soil management, selecting, planting and caring for crops, as well as implementing livestock projects in a sustainable manner, and finally: the method of harvesting crops. The effect of changes in rainfall on crop production is also a factor in food production.
Second: Access to food
Accessibility of food is linked to the ability of individuals to bear the burden of its costs and distribution, in addition to their personal preferences and those of their families. We must realize here that hunger and malnutrition are not – according to the report of the United Nations Committee on Economic Rights – due to scarcity of food, but rather due to the difficulty of accessing – materially – to available foods, and this matter is usually due to poverty.
But how does poverty restrict a person’s ability to provide his food? Poverty makes individuals or families vulnerable to high food prices. In addition, obtaining food depends on the presence of sufficient income that allows a person to purchase food, and this is according to prevailing prices.
Third: Food consumption
Food consumption is linked to the digestion process, and its type and quantity are affected by a variety of factors. Therefore, the food that is consumed must be safe and meet human nutritional needs, and this is because food safety strongly affects how it is consumed. This safety may be affected by multiple factors, such as food preparation and preparation processes; Therefore, feeding methods must be improved.
Fourth: Food stability
What is meant by food stability is the ability to access it at all times. This food stability may be lacking temporarily or seasonally, and whenever the stability of food security is unstable and insecure, we immediately realize that there are natural disasters or periods of drought. Local conflicts also cause food instability, and market fluctuations and excessively high food prices also lead to food security instability.
What are the effects of food insecurity disorder?
The lack of food security can have severe negative effects on the individual and society as a whole. Food security disorder is a quick path to people starving. Which negatively affects their health and their ability to work and learn, and then the chances of diseases and epidemics spreading among them increase, especially in communities that suffer from a noticeable lack of food security.
Also, food insecurity may cause increased conflict andSocial unrestin those communities affected by it; Because competition for limited food resources among members of these societies is a common denominator betweenpoverty and wars.
Strategies for achieving food security
Strategies to achieve food security depend on five axes.
The first axis– Increasing agricultural production, improving its efficiency, and supporting livestock projects.
The second axis– Paying attention to international trade activities related to food and its regulations, and diversifying its import sources.
The third axis– Improving water resources management, developing modern irrigation techniques, and promoting sustainable agriculture.
Fourth Axis– Supporting scientific research capable of developing crop strains resistant to diseases and harsh environmental conditions.
The last axis– Informing, informing and educating people about the importance of eating healthy, nutritionally balanced foods.
In conclusion, we can say: Food security is a crucial element in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and preserving the environment and its resources. Providing food to the population at sufficient rates has the greatest impact on increasing economic growth indicators, in addition to being helpful in stabilizing societies. Therefore, this article was in support of the magazineDefenders of the Earth, so that everyone would be aware of this global problem; So that we do not deviate from achieving theSustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
