Questions About Food Security !
**Food security is defined as a state in which all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and preferences for an active and healthy life. ** This widely recognized definition, first introduced at the 1996 World Food Summit in Rome and later refined in 2001, highlights four essential pillars: availability, accessibility, utilization, and stability. It emphasizes not only the quantity of food but also its quality—both are critical for supporting health and overall well-being.
While this definition presents an ideal vision, the global reality is far more complicated. **Is food security still a challenge in the world today?** Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Millions of people continue to struggle with hunger and inadequate access to nutritious food.
According to the 2023 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report, 733 million people faced hunger in 2023—one in five of them in Africa. Alarmingly, global hunger levels have shown little improvement over the past three years. Compared to 2019, an additional 152 million people are now undernourished, marking a significant setback. In fact, the report notes that current hunger levels resemble those last seen in 2008–2009, effectively erasing 15 years of progress. If current trends continue, 582 million people are projected to remain chronically undernourished by 2030, with half of them in Africa, putting the Zero Hunger goal at serious risk.
Despite these challenges, considerable efforts have been made to improve food security. In 2022, the World Food Programme (WFP) provided food assistance to over 150 million people across more than 120 countries. The Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) has invested over $2 billion to support smallholder farmers in low-income countries. Initiatives like the FAO’s Hand-in-Hand also focus on addressing hunger and poverty hotspots by promoting agricultural development.
This brings us to a key question: **Why does food insecurity persist despite global interventions?**
The main challenges of achieving global food security that we often hear about include: conflict and political instability, which disrupt food production, transportation, and markets; climate change and natural disasters, which damage crops, reduce yields, and threaten food supply chains; poor infrastructure and weak supply systems, especially in rural or remote areas, which hinder effective food distribution; and economic shocks and global market disruptions, such as those triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic or the war, which drive up food prices and reduce availability for millions of people.
When we look at the current state of global food security, we are left with critical questions: **Where are the gaps that prevent global food security from being achieved? Are they in the efforts used to address food insecurity? In our understanding of the challenges surrounding food security? Or in the way we define global food security itself?**
Food security is often associated with the concept of "Zero Hunger," but the two are not synonymous, nor is one simply a subset of the other. Achieving food security means achieving Zero Hunger, but the reverse is not necessarily true. It is possible to provide enough food to prevent hunger and allow someone to survive, yet this does not equate to fully achieving food security. Food security goes beyond merely ensuring that people are not hungry. It involves providing access to a balanced and nutritious diet that meets both the quantity and quality of food needed to support a healthy life. True food security means individuals not only have enough food to avoid hunger, but also the proper nourishment to maintain health and well-being in the long term.
**But what exactly does "food" mean in the context of food security?** In other words, what are the essential elements of food that must be sufficient in both quantity and quality to promote good health? We understand that food can be broadly divided into two main categories: cultivated food, which includes grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes, and animal-based food, which includes meat, dairy, and eggs. In terms of price, animal-based foods are typically more expensive than cultivated foods due to the costs associated with raising animals, including feed, land, and labor. This price disparity can create barriers to access, particularly in low-income communities where people may prioritize quantity over quality. However, both categories are essential for a balanced diet. Cultivated foods provide important carbohydrates, fiber, and micronutrients, while animal-based foods offer high-quality proteins and essential fats, as well as key vitamins and minerals like vitamin B12 and iron.
Achieving food security requires access to both types of food. In other words, the challenge lies in identifying an optimal strategy for selecting key elements from both categories and focusing efforts on ensuring their availability. Rather than dispersing resources across a broad range of foods within the same category or with similar nutritional value, we should first prioritize the most essential nutrients and food types. Then, efforts should be concentrated on making these critical foods accessible, affordable, and sustainable for all populations with reasonable prices. This targeted approach can help bridge the gaps in food security, ensuring that people not only have enough food but also the right kind of food to promote long-term health.
Many of us may perceive food as a trivial part of daily life, something we take for granted. However, when a crisis strikes—such as during pandemics or wars—people quickly rush to secure food, highlighting its fundamental role in survival and stability. This behavior underscores how essential food is, not only for day-to-day living but also for maintaining societal resilience during times of uncertainty.
