Food Security Flashcards
Case Study to show the start of when the world saw the importance of food security - 4 points
Ethiopia 1983-85
1) Was unknown to most the world until reporter did a 5-minute report on BBC News
2) Triggered outpour of anger and efforts
3) First big case where rock stars decided to do something – Live Aid
4) Massive Concert – massively raised awareness of situation
How did the definition of food security change?
1974 World Food Conference: “Availability at all times of adequate world food supplies of basic foodstuffs to sustain a steady expansion of food consumption and to offset fluctuation in production and prices”- 1st PILLAR
1983 FAO definition: “Ensuring that all people at all times have both physical and economic access to the basic food stuff that they need.” - 2nd PILLAR
Movement from supply-side to demand focus, it’s more about access and infrastructure that yields
Used Today As defined by the United Nation’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO, 1996 Food Summit):”exists when all people at all times have both physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs for an active and healthy life” - 3rd PILLAR
Now extends to quality of food
Supply to Demand to Quality
3 Quotes
Amartya Sen
“There is no such thing as an apolitical good problem”
“starvation is the characteristic of some people not having enough food to eat. It is not the characteristic of there being not enough food to eat. While the latter can be a cause of the former, it is but one of many possible causes.”
No famine has taken place in a “functioning democracy”
What are the 3 pillars of food security according to WHO
- Availability
- Access
- Utilisation
3 Pillars - Availability
Production
Distribution
Exchange
3 Pillars - Access
Affordability
Allocation
Preference
3 Pillars - Utilisation
Nutritional Value
Social Value
Food Safety
4 foundations of 3 pillars
1) Political
2) Economic
3) Price
4) Weather
How many calories are produced per person in the world a day
2900Kcal when 2000 is all that is needed
How much protein does the world produce a day
81g, 50g recommended
Food Security in MDGs
Eradicating Extreme Poverty and Hunger was one of the best achieved
by these numbers were mainly achieved through economic growth in BRICs, whilst SS Africa and Latin america things are still well below targets
How can we measure food security? 2
Research must be interdisciplinary
Quantitative and Qualitative
What are the 3 challenges with measuring food security?
Data Challenges
Metric Challenges
Challenges are often greatest where it is needed the most
What are the 4 data challenges of measuring
Scale
Reliability
Consistency
Cost
What are the 3 Metric challenges with measuring?
Micro vs Macro
Address different needs in different places for different people
Non-standard units – 53 bags of maize don’t tell you anything
6 Problems with agriculture
Use of harmful chemicals
Uses a lot of land
Accounts for over 25% of greenhouse emission
Deforestation
70% of water withdrawals
Phosphorus will run out - fertiliser
9 Challenges for Food Security
Biofuels
Population Growth
Changing Diets
Globalisation - Transport
Tax Avoiders
Distribution of Wealth
Waste food
Weather
Pests and Disease
Population Growth?
9 billion by 2050 – potentially 12 billion by 2100
Why are diets changing?
Economic growth changes diets and increases demand
Biofuels Stat
40% of maize in US not for food but for fuel
Distribution of global food insecurity
1 Billion eat too much
1 Billion eat too little
Over-consumption definition
the action or fact of consuming something to 20% excess.
3 Stats for over-consumption
Diabetes cost UK £30Bn
Over 50% of adult chinese are pre-diabetic - also big problem in india now
Associated with Over 20% of death - more than underconsumption
2 Problem with globalisation
More Transport
Less diversity - just 5 major wheat producing countries - political change can have massive effect
