The Big Question: Food Security 

Food security is the ability of individuals to have physical, social, and economic access to nutritious food, essential for a healthy life. Broadly, food security has four dimensions – physical availability of food, economic and physical access to food, food utilization, and stability. 

Food availability is determined by the level of production, net trade, and stock. Household incomes, expenditure, and prices of agricultural products influence economic and physical access to food. Food utilization is how the body makes use of the food. This varies by the quality of food intake, energy, nutrient, food preparation, and diversity in preparation. Stability in these three dimensions is vital for food security. Political uncertainty, climate related events, unemployment, and inflation may negatively impact food security. 

Fulfilling food security objectives requires all the four dimensions to be met simultaneously.   

Currently, global population growth continues to outpace food supply. The difference in demand and supply of food is causing shortages and leading to rise in prices of food. Higher food prices have triggered a crisis and driven millions to poverty, magnified malnutrition, and resulted in households consuming less nutritious food. Inability to access food is denying large sections of the population an opportunity to lead healthy lives. 

In recent times, the COVID-19 pandemic, climate related events, loss of marine and coastal ecosystems and water crisis have created a food-insecure world. Unfavourable changes in temperature and precipitation are reducing agricultural output leading to shortages, price hikes, and in widening existing inequalities. 

These challenges highlight the vulnerability of our food systems. 

Tackling Food Security

In 2023, 733 million people faced hunger globally compared to 613 million in 2019. Although progress in hunger reduction was observed in Asia and Latin America, hunger was still rising in Western Asia, Caribbean and across Africa. The worst affected region was Africa where one in five persons were facing hunger. If these trends continue, the world will not meet its Sustainable Development Goal of ending hunger by 2030. 

Globally, 2.33 billion people faced moderate or severe food insecurity of which 864 million did not have access to food for an entire day or more. Addressing food security will require a concerted effort by governments, organizations, and institutions. 

Through the food and nutrition security portfolio, the World Bank has intervened to extend social protection, boosting productivity, and benefitted millions of people. The Food Systems Resilience Program is a $2.75 billion project aimed at tackling growing food insecurity in Eastern and Southern Africa. Another initiative is the $125 million project in Jordan targeted at strengthening the agricultural sector, increasing inclusion, and ensuring food security. 

Coordinated efforts are required to bridge the inequality, improve resilience, and ensure access to nutritious and healthy food for people across the globe. 

Role of Technology in Addressing Food Security 

In search of food security, technology plays a pivotal role in transforming primitive agricultural practices and supply chains. Innovative technologies are changing the methods of food production, distribution, and consumption. 

Technological solutions have emerged to address problems concerning agricultural productivity and stability. Advanced tools and technologies such as crossbreeding to produce crops resistant to pests and diseases can help in enhancing crop yield and combating food insecurity. 

Precision agriculture involves the usage of data-driven insights, GPS, drones, sensors, machine learning algorithms to manage agricultural processes. By using these technologies, farmers can maximize crop yield. 

Technologies to enhance food preservation have been instrumental in extending shelf life, reducing wastage, and improving food safety. Advances such as freezing, canning, refrigeration, and drying have increased the availability and diversity of food. 

Blockchain technologies enhance food access by streamlining supply chain processes and reducing market entry barriers for small farmers. By eliminating intermediaries and associated costs, farmers receive fair compensation for their produce, access better economic opportunities, and improve livelihoods.  

With an increasing reliance on the transformative power of technology, collaboration in Research and Development will be essential for migrating to a future where food is affordable and accessible to all. 

Ensuring Sustainability of Food Supply Amid Growing Climate 2vents 

In the coming decades, climate change, growing global population, food price fluctuations, and weather-related events will put pressure on food security. By 2050, the global population will reach 10 billion, requiring a 60% increase in food production as climate change continues to play havoc. The agricultural sector must transform rapidly to meet this demand sustainably. 

Farmers adequately equipped with finance, technology, and knowledge will be well placed to drive this transition. Innovations in science and technology are essential for finding environmentally friendly solutions. 

Climate friendly practices at the beginning and end of the supply chain will be crucial as the agricultural industry innovates in the face of climate change. Data from food providers and companies can provide valuable insight to build sustainable practices in food production. 

The agriculture industry requires new business solutions, sources of capital, and insurance to face the risks of climate change and ensure sustainability of food supply. 

Photo Caption: Addressing food security will require a concerted effort by governments, organizations, and institutions.