13.1 – What is food security and why is it of global significance?

Question 1

Define food security:

Answer 1

“Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food that meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active healthy lifestyle” – UN FAO

Question 2

Causes of food security:

Answer 2

1) Economic and physical access to food – adequate supply of food at national level doesn’t guarantee household level security
2) Food utilisation – the way the body makes the most of nutrients in food and the result of good care and feeding practices, food preparation, diversity of diet and household distribution of food
3) Stability over time – affected by political stability, economic factors

Question 3

What MDG is related to food security?

Answer 3

1 – aims to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Question 4

How much has undernourishment fallen in developing regions?

Answer 4

From 23% to 13% with Latin America and southeast Asia have the most progress

Question 5

What factors lead to food insecurity?

Answer 5

1. Geographical location
2. Poor economy eg. Chad
3. Corrupt govt eg. Somalia
4. Lack of infrastructure eg PNG
5. Conflict eg. Afghanistan
6. Lack of free trade eg Brexit
7. Lack of education

Question 6

1 degree rise in temperature has what effect on agricultural production:

Answer 6

10% decrease

Question 7

How often does a child die of hunger?

Answer 7

Every 5 seconds

Question 8

Two types of food insecurity:

Answer 8

Chronic and transitory

Question 9

What is chronic food insecurity?

Answer 9

Long-term insecurity that occurs when a country is unable to meet the minimum food requirements over a sustained period.
It results from extended periods of poverty

Question 10

How can chronic food insecurity be overcome?

Answer 10

Education

Question 11

What is transitory food insecurity?

Answer 11

Short term insecurity that occurs when there is a sudden drop in food production/supply
It results from short-term shocks and fluctuations in food production/prices and incomes

Question 12

How can transitory food insecurity be overcome?

Answer 12

Early warning and safety net programmes

Question 13

Give an example of a place with variations in food security within a country:

Answer 13

China:
East provinces are lowland with fertile soil so large crop yields
West provinces are Himalayan mountains with steep slopes and often waterlogged
Second largest number of poor people in the world
9 out of 31 provinces are food insecure eg Tibet – 60% of people consume less than recommended grain products for staple diet