13.4 Improving food security

Question 1

What approaches are there to increase food security?

Answer 1

Short term relief or log-term system redesign and capacity building

Question 2

What is capacity building?

Answer 2

Refers to the ability of communities, countries and global institutions to build a resilient food system

Question 3

Figures for food emergencies since 1980s?

Answer 3

Average of 15 per year in 1980s to 30 per year in millennium – FAO

Question 4

How can capacity building in food supply system be achieved?

Answer 4

• Economic development
• Government monitoring of food supply and distribution
• Access to fair trade agreements
• Investment in research
• Investment in transport infrastructure
• Educating people in healthy and nutritious diets

Question 5

What techniques are there for improving food security?

Answer 5

Large scale technological techniques or small-scale bottom-up and appropriate approaches

Question 6

What are large scale technological techniques?

Answer 6

Include GM crops with high yields and resistance to pests as well as development of water conservation and new irrigation schemes

Question 7

What are small-scale bottom-up and appropriate approaches?

Answer 7

Seek involvement of local farmers and include self-hep schemes such as rainwater harvesting, sack gardening in Kenya, Acacia project in Sahel