Understanding Food Security: Part 1 (The Problem)

This is Part 1 of 3 essays on Food Security under the Understanding: Series. Parts 2 and 3 will be on current solutions and potential areas of research towards Food Security respectively. The remaining two parts are currently still being written. Please email me at yuelinnchong@gmail.com if you wish to be notified when the other essays are published. Also feel free to share your feedback on the essays presented as I am not an expert in the topic presented. Thank you and I hope you find the following article informative.

Summary

On the surface, food security seems straightforward: it means ensuring sufficient food for all. While this is true, it also encompasses additional aspects that may not be immediately obvious to some. In this essay, some of these aspects are discussed to gain a holistic representation of the complex hurdles we must overcome to achieve food security. First, we note the importance of acknowledging the differing levels and types of food insecurity, with each level requiring different responses. Distinguishing between short-term and long-term Food Insecurity also highlights the need for sustained efforts to ensure a stable food system. Secondly, Food Insecurity not only encompasses insufficient quantity of food but also the inadequate quality of the food for all. Moreover, the resources covered under Food Security is discussed. The dimensions of food security: Availability, Accessibility, Household utilisation and Stability are also introduced.

Food Insecurity

To better answer the question “What is Food Security?”, it might be more useful to first make sense of Food Insecurity. The initial reaction for some readers might be to equate Food Insecurity with Famine. The measurable definition of Famine as classified by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) scale for Acute Food Insecurity is as follows: “at least 20 percent of households in an area face extreme food shortages with a limited ability to cope; acute malnutrition rates exceed 30 per cent; and the death rate exceeds two persons per day per 10,000 persons.” From this definition, I would like to highlight to the reader a few things. Firstly, Famine is the most severe level on a scale of Acute Food Insecurities, that is, Food Insecurity exists on a scale, with Famine at the extreme end. Secondly, Famine is a state of severity present in a community at a specific point in time. Thus, the state of Famine does not capture the progressive degradation of food systems over time.

Ignoring these two points not only discounts the consequences of failing food systems with lesser severity but also disables preventive efforts required to avoid Famines from occurring. Simply put, Famine is not sufficient to describe Food Insecurity. Similarly, merely avoiding Famine is not sufficient to ensure Food Security. To better represent Food Insecurity, let us consider the IPC scales instead. There are in total, three IPC scales: Acute Food Insecurity, Chronic Food Insecurity, and Acute Malnutrition. The three are tightly interlinked but each calls for varying responses.

Acute Food Insecurity measures pressing food deprivation with short-term measures while Chronic Food Insecurity measures persistent or recurring issues in food systems. Distinguishing between Acute and Chronic Food Insecurity is important because they have different causes and response actions. Acute Food Insecurity requires immediate but short-term solutions such as humanitarian food assistance to prevent further loss of lives, malnutrition, and starvation. However, it is not sustainable to rely on ad hoc assistance; instead, proper planning is necessary to overcome Chronic Food Insecurities. This includes putting in place reliable structural mechanisms and utilities to ensure stable and continuous access to food for all.

The third scale, the Acute Malnutrition scale, measures the effects of food insecurity in terms of thinness or malnutrition-related health conditions of individuals, particularly that of children. It should be noted that malnutrition has diverse causes, with food insecurity being one of the factors. Although equally important, other causes of malnutrition such as poor childcare practices are not covered in the scope of this essay. Food Insecurity leads to malnutrition when inadequate amounts of diverse and nutritious foods are available, accessible, or utilised. Therefore, Food Security must also encompass the quality of food to provide sufficient macronutrients and micronutrients required for a healthy and productive life for all.

Resources we consider in Food Security

Food is a concept the reader is sure to be familiar with in day-to-day life. However, in discussions for Food Security, there are some aspects of Food that are important to consider. As highlighted in the previous section, Food must be adequately nutritious in addition to providing caloric intake for all. It is important to take into account the needs of each group of people. With children being particularly affected by Food insecurities, Food for young children, particularly breast-milk, are often explicitly mentioned. Moreover, Food must be safe to eat, that is, to be edible Food must be free from disease-causing contamination. Finally, safe water is also included in discussions for Food Security.

Dimensions of Food Security

Famines can occur for a variety of reasons and key contributors may vary greatly. Each assessment of Food Insecurity must therefore identify specific to the current state of events. The IPC through its Technical Manual suggests understanding of Food Insecurity through the dimensions of Availability, Access, Household Utilisation, and Stability:

1. Availability
   Food Security requires a sufficient supply of food, either through food production, foraging wild foods, or importing food. Continuous food supply can also be ensured through food reserves. The availability of food is also dependent on the markets and transportation systems that the food system relies on.
2. Access
   Having available food resources may not equate to them being accessible to all. There may be physical or social constraints that may lead to Food Insecurity. The cost of Food may also be a large barrier to access food.
3. Household Utilisation
   As Food is deeply seeded in local culture, food preferences may limit what is perceived as Food by a community. Food preparation, water access, feeding and food storage practices also limit the communities’ Food Security.
4. Stability
   As discussed in previous sections, Food Security is only ensured if there are continuously reliable and stable food systems.

Future Essays

Although this essay merely gives a brief glimpse of the complexity of Food Security, I hope that it has given some basis to assess and respond to Food Insecurity occurrences. In the following essay, we will explore the current approaches in ensuring Food Security. Finally, the third and last essay of this series covers potential future areas of research required for continuous Food Security.