Food security has been defined by UN FAO as ready availability of sufficient, nutritious and hygienically safe foods and free access to it which will meet food preferences and dietary needs for an active and healthy life. USDA adds to this definition another factor viz. the food must be available in socially acceptable ways (without stealing, scavenging and resort to emergency food supplies). The contemporary definitions speak of four main factors for food security. (Disabled World towards to-morrow, 2012, 1). These include Availability, Access for all, consumption, overconsumption and quality and appropriate utilization.
Food insecurity is just the opposite and causes hunger, malnutrition, under-nourishment, poverty and vulnerability. By 2050 about 9 billion people have to be fed in the world and this onerous task calls for a new and broader vision on agriculture, ensuring food security, and economic opportunity though agriculture and environment sustainability. In order to energize the rural economies more food has to be produced with lesser resources. (Karim Hussein, 2002, 626-647) This task can be accomplished through investment, collaboration and innovation if all the stakeholders join hands together. A number of countries have undertaken ambitious projects to transform their agriculture sectors and give shape to this new vision. In the coming years the world’s agriculture scenario will be seriously challenged by water scarcity, change and volatility in climate thus entailing a risk in shortfall of agricultural production.
The New Vision for Agriculture as envisaged by World Economic Forum has decided the following issues: Developing agricultural markets with special emphasis on small farmers, Fostering private and public sector investment, Improving availability of nutritious and affordable food and Taking resort to best environmental practices.
Food security is a global concern and all nations must unite to drive out the ghost of Hunger. Increased investments, application of improved methodologies and better analytic capacities at all level national and private are vital. (World Economic Forum, 2012, 3).
Bibliography
1. Disabled World towards to-morrow (2012). Food security definition and information. 3 May 2012. Retrieved from web. www.disabled-world.com/fitness/nutrition/foodsecurity/
2. Food Security: Rights, Livelihoods and the World Food Summit-Five Years Later by Karim Hussein. Social Policy & Administration ISSN 0144-5596 VOL.36, No.6, December 2002, pp. 626-647
3. World Economic Forum (2012). Agriculture and food security. 3 May 2012. Retrieved from web. www.weforum.org/issues/agriculture-and-food-security
