Food Security & Insecurity Flashcards
What is food security?
Consistent access to enough nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life.
Food insecurity without hunger involves adequate food quantity but limited ____ and ____ of available food.
Quality; variety.
A family experiences regular hunger because they lack the means to buy food. What level of food security is this?
Food insecure with hunger.
What are the four dimensions of food security?
Availability, access, food use, and stability.
Availability refers to the presence of ____ food, including cost, variety, and location.
Sufficient.
A rural community struggles with transportation and storage options for food. Which dimension of food security is this?
Access.
What is food use in the context of food security?
Knowledge and resources required for food selection, preparation, consumption, and sanitation
An area faces seasonal food shortages due to instability in food production. Which dimension of food security is impacted?
Stability.
Stability in food security ensures consistent ____ and ____ of food over time.
Access; availability.
How is food security monitored at a national level?
Using a single-item tool every three years to assess sufficiency of food intake.
A city implements food waste reduction programs and addresses overproduction. What are the potential societal benefits?
Improved health, well-being, productivity, and environmental benefits.
What are the main focus areas for preventing food insecurity?
Mitigating overproduction, reducing waste, and addressing climate change for a resilient food system.
Food security is a complex issue involving ____, ____, and ____ factors.
Individuals; communities; environment.
An individual lives in an area with high unemployment and limited job opportunities, affecting their ability to buy nutritious food. What influence of food insecurity is this?
Economic factors.
How do environmental factors like climate change and natural disasters impact food security?
By reducing food availability through crop failures and disruption of supply chains.
Food deserts are areas with limited ____ to affordable and nutritious food.
Geographic access.
Gender inequality and cultural practices prevent certain groups from accessing sufficient food. Which influence of food insecurity does this represent?
Social and cultural factors.
What role do political and policy factors play in food insecurity?
They contribute through conflict, instability, and trade policies affecting food access and availability.
A region faces increased food insecurity due to poor transportation infrastructure. Which influence is this?
Infrastructure and technology.
Addressing food insecurity requires a ____ approach to ensure access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food.
Multi-dimensional.
How can food waste mitigation benefit both individuals and the environment?
By optimizing food production and distribution, reducing waste benefits those in need and lessens environmental impact.
A country invests in better food storage and processing technologies. How does this improve food security?
By reducing food spoilage and enhancing distribution efficiency.
Economic factors influencing food insecurity include poverty, ____, and ____.
Unemployment; underemployment.
What are some health factors that influence food insecurity?
Healthcare access, illness, and disease affecting food affordability and utilization.
Levels of Food Security
Food Secure: Consistent access to enough nutritious food for a healthy and active life.
Food Insecure Without Hunger: Adequate food quantity, but limited quality and variety, leading to poor nutrition.
Food Insecure With Hunger: Regular hunger due to inadequate access to food.
Dimensions of Food Security:
Availability: Presence of sufficient food, considering cost, variety, location, and quality.
Access: Resources (financial, transport, storage) needed to obtain food.
Food Use: Knowledge and resources for proper food selection, preparation, and consumption (includes sanitation and safe water).
Stability: Ensures consistent access and availability of food over time, addressing long-term food security.
Monitoring Food Security
National Tool:
A single-item tool used every three years to assess food sufficiency rather than severity of food insecurity.
Influences and Causes of Food Insecurity:
- Economic Factors: Poverty, unemployment, underemployment.
- Access and Distribution: Geographic limitations, such as food deserts.
- Environmental Factors: Climate change, natural disasters.
- Agricultural Factors: Crop failures, land degradation.
- Social and Cultural Factors: Gender inequality, cultural practices.
- Political and Policy Factors: Conflict, instability, trade policies.
- Health Factors: Illness, healthcare access affecting affordability and food use.
- Infrastructure and Technology: Transport, storage, and processing challenges.
What distinguishes “food insecure with hunger” from “food insecure without hunger”?
Food insecure with hunger involves regular hunger due to inadequate access, while food insecure without hunger indicates limited quality and variety but no hunger.
Food use includes ____ and ____ for proper food selection and preparation.
Knowledge; resources.
A household struggles with seasonal instability in food supply due to floods. Which dimension of food security is most impacted?
Stability.
How does food waste mitigation contribute to food security?
By optimizing food distribution and reducing waste, it benefits both the environment and those in need.
A policy addresses climate change by encouraging sustainable farming practices. What focus area of food security does this address?
Prevention and mitigation.
How do trade policies contribute to food insecurity?
By impacting the availability and affordability of imported or exported food.
A region faces rising food insecurity due to political conflict and disrupted trade routes. Which factors are influencing this?
Political and policy factors.
What is a price index in the context of food?
A measure that tracks the relative cost of a standard set of food items over time, used to assess inflation in food prices.
What does average income refer to in economic terms?
The average amount of money earned by individuals or households in a specific region or country.
How do price index and average income together affect food accessibility?
If food prices increase faster than average incomes, it indicates worsening food accessibility. This situation requires adjustments in food service management like revising menu options to include more affordable ingredients.
What strategic roles do dietitians play in managing food accessibility based on economic factors?
Dietitians use economic data to make informed decisions on menu planning, pricing strategies, and develop programs to assist populations affected by poor food accessibility.
Explain the importance of understanding economic factors in dietetic practice within food service management.
Understanding economic factors like price indexes and average incomes is crucial for ensuring that food services are affordable and accessible, which impacts public health outcomes and ethical considerations in dietetics.
What practical applications can dietitians implement to manage economic challenges in food service?
Conducting surveys on local food prices and incomes, community engagement to understand financial limitations, and designing inclusive food service programs.
