Food Insecurity: Who is Affected?
With 2 billion people unable to reach one or more of the dimensions of food security in 2013, it is clear that food security continues to be a significant global health issue. So, who experiences food insecurity? Do certain population groups experience food insecurity at higher rates? This discussion introduces how food security is measured, and highlights the extent of food insecurity at global, regional, and national levels.
The prevalence of undernourishment (PoU) is the most commonly used indicator of food insecurity. Measured by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, the PoU is the percentage of a given population whose food intake is not sufficient to meet the dietary energy requirement for a healthy and active life. As food security is a multidimensional issue, the state of food security in the world cannot be captured by a single measure, however, the PoU incorporates two of the three dimensions of food security – food availability and food access.
In 2014-16, 795 million people around the world were undernourished. Thus, the global PoU was 10.9%, meaning just over one in nine people in the world experienced undernourishment in 2014-16. However, food insecurity was not evenly distributed across the globe. Almost 780 million of the world’s undernourished people – over 98% – lived in developing regions. Accordingly, the PoU for people living in developing regions was 12.9%, greater than the global PoU, and far higher compared to the PoU of <5% for people who lived in developed regions.
Similarly, the extent of food insecurity is not equal among regions of the world. Almost two-thirds of the world’s undernourished people live in Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Over 281 million people in Southern Asia were undernourished in 2014-16, with the PoU for the region at 15.7%. Similarly, 220 million of the world’s undernourished people lived in sub-Saharan Africa, with a regional PoU of 23.2%. The highest PoU rates in sub-Saharan Africa were found in Zambia, the Central African Republic, and Namibia, with a PoU of >40% in each of these countries.
Within countries, particularly in developing regions, there are various population groups that are more vulnerable to food insecurity. Women and girls, for example, are overrepresented amongst people who are food-insecure. It is estimated that 60 percent of all undernourished people worldwide are women and girls. At household level, studies in countries such as Brazil and Kenya have found that female headed-households are more likely to experience chronic or severe food insecurity compared to households headed by men. Other population groups more vulnerable to food insecurity include rural populations, smallholder farmers, the landless, those who have been displaced, children and orphans, the elderly, and populations with a high burden of disease.
As stated, food insecurity is a significant issue throughout the world. Though food insecurity disproportionately affects developing countries, there are people living in developed regions who are also affected. In countries such as the United States and Australia, considered to be some of the most food-secure countries in the world, many population groups remain vulnerable to food insecurity. The United States, for example, has a national PoU of only <5%, yet among households in rural areas, low-income households, especially those at or below the poverty line, single-parent households, women living alone, and African-American and Hispanic populations, the rates of food insecurity were significantly higher. A similar pattern of food insecurity emerges for Australia, which will be the focus of the next discussion.
The world has made significant strides in reducing food insecurity. The global PoU has decreased by almost 8% since 1990-92, when almost one in five people were undernourished. However, though the global PoU continues to decrease, progress towards food security remains uneven. It can be seen that disparities exist between peoples’ ability to meet the three dimensions of food security – food availability, food access, and food use – at global, regional, national, and household levels. There are many vulnerable populations throughout the world who experience food insecurity, therefore its detrimental effects, at far higher rates. It is clear a renewed effort is required to address these disparities.
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