Food Insecurity: Why Does it Exist?
It appears that current global food production is sufficient to meet existing food requirements, so why does food insecurity exist? This video begins to explain how food insecurity may arise and why it often becomes a chronic problem.
The causes of food insecurity are numerous and complex, and are often closely linked to poverty, as was discussed in the introductory post. Here, we will discuss a few of the major factors that may cause and/or exacerbate food insecurity around the world.
Agricultural Practices
Many developing countries lack vital agricultural infrastructure such as roads, irrigation and warehouses. These factors result in high transport costs, an unsafe water supply and low storage capacity, all of which impair the rate of food production and limit food access.
Political and economic factors may also influence agricultural practices. For example, an increase in commodity crops used for biofuel production has reduced the amount of land used for food production. Countries may also export excess food crops at the expense of food security of the exporting country.
Food wastage
About one third of all food produced globally for human consumption (around 1.3 billion tonnes per year) is wasted or lost. The reasons for this differ around the world. Developing countries experience high losses during the post-harvest and processing stages of production due to food spoilage – related to the lack of agricultural infrastructure as described above. On the other hand, food waste in high-income countries, the majority of losses occur through retail or consumer-related waste.
Conflict and war
Conflict and war have the potential to affect all three dimensions of food security:
Food availability through disruptions to crop production and rearing of livestock
Food access through displacements of groups and disruption of livelihoods
Food use through changes in community relations that lead to inequitable food distribution
One recent example is the conflict in Syria, where fighting has forced many people to flee their homes at the cost of their livelihoods. These situations lead to hunger emergencies, in which many no longer have the means to feed themselves.
Weather and climate
Natural disasters are on the rise, with devastating consequences for the hungry in developing countries. One of the most common causes of food shortages is drought, which has caused widespread crop failures and livestock losses in parts of Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia. Disasters also disrupt livelihoods and cause the displacement of many people, which limits food access throughout the community. Climate change is predicted to increase the incidence of such events.
Price changes
Unstable markets have produced highly variable food prices in recent years. This makes it difficult for low-income earners to have access to safe and nutritious food on a consistent basis. Even small periods of food insecurity can have serious repercussions for young children. Another consequence is a shift to cheaper, less-nutritious foods, increasing the risk of micronutrient deficiencies, and increasing the risk of obesity.
Sources:
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2. FAO, IFAD, WFP. The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2015. Meeting the 2015 international hunger targets: taking stock of uneven progress [Internet]. Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations [cited 2016 April 3]. Available from: http://www.fao.org/3/a-i4646e.pdf
3. Gustavsson J, Cederberg C, Sonesson U, van Otterdijk R, Meybeck A. Global food losses and food waste [Internet]. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [cited 2016 April 3]. Available from: http://www.fao.org/docrep/014/mb060e/mb060e00.pdf
4. Tscharntke T, Clough Y, Wanger TC, Jackson L, Motzke I, Perfecto I, et al. Global food security, biodiversity conservation and the future of agricultural intensification. Biol Conserv [Internet]. 2012 [cited 2016 April 3];151(1):53-9. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Anthony_Whitbread/publication/256669057_Global_Food_Security_Biodiversity_Conservation_and_the_Future_of_Agricultural_Intensification/links/54577ce60cf2cf516480d2be.pdf
5. Wheeler T, von Braun J. Climate change impacts on global food security. Science [Internet]. 2013 [cited 2016 April 3];341(6145):508-13. Available from: Science online
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