Resource Reliance Revision Notes

Defining Food Security

Food security means that all people, at all times, have reliable access to enough affordable, safe, and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and preferences for an active and healthy life. It encompasses four main dimensions: availability (sufficient quantities of food), access (people's ability to obtain food), utilisation (proper biological use of food), and stability (consistent availability and access over time). A lack of food security is known as food insecurity, which can range from temporary shortages to chronic hunger.

Natural Factors Affecting Food Security

Natural factors significantly impact food production and, consequently, food security. Climate change is a major driver, causing more frequent and intense extreme weather events like prolonged droughts that destroy crops, severe floods that wash away farmland, and rising temperatures that affect growing seasons. Other natural factors include soil degradation, leading to reduced fertility and lower yields, and water scarcity, which limits irrigation for agriculture. Pests and diseases can also devastate crops and livestock, further diminishing food supplies.

Economic and Social Factors

Economic factors like poverty directly limit people's ability to buy food, even if it is available. Volatile global food prices can make essential foodstuffs unaffordable for low-income households. Poor infrastructure, including inadequate transport and storage facilities, can lead to significant food waste and difficulty distributing food to areas of need. Social factors include rapid population growth, which increases the overall demand for food, and health issues that reduce people's capacity to work and earn income to buy food. Limited education can hinder the adoption of efficient farming practices.

Political Factors and Conflict

Political stability and effective governance are crucial for food security. Conflict and war can severely disrupt food production, destroy infrastructure, displace populations, and block aid, leading to famine. Government policies on agricultural subsidies, trade agreements, and food distribution can either enhance or undermine food security. Corruption can divert resources away from agricultural development. Ineffective land ownership policies can also prevent farmers from investing in their land, impacting long-term productivity.