Hungry for Food Security. What is Food Security? …food security entails access, by all people, at all times, to the safe and nutritious food that they.

Hungry for Food Security

What is Food Security?food security entails access, by all people, at all times, to the safe and nutritious food that they need to lead healthy livesACCESSALL PEOPLEALL TIMESSAFE & NUTRITIOUS

Categorizing Food Insecurity ACUTE CHRONIC OCCASIONAL

Severe hunger & malnutrition to the point that lives are threatened immediately (as in cases of famine)Ability to meet food needs is consistently under threat (due to either an inability to produce enough food or purchase enough food on a regular basis)When food insecurity occurs due to a specific temporary circumstance- when one would otherwise be food secure

Hunger In Our WorldIn 2002, 852 million people were undernourishedIn Sub-Saharan Africa there are over 200 million people who are food insecureEvery year the number of food insecure people is INCREASING (with the notable exceptions of China and India)In Sub-Saharan Africa the number of undernourished grows by 1 million a yearSource: FAO

Chart3

7

10

10

16

33

% (2002 figures)

Proportion Undernourished By Region

Sheet1

Countries in Transition7

North Africa10

Latin America/Caribbean10

Asia/Pacific16

Sub-Saharan Africa33

Sheet1

% (2002 figures)

Proportion Undernourished By Region

Sheet2

Sheet3

Implications for Health & DevelopmentHunger & malnutrition are the leading cause of death in the developing worldHalf of all childhood deaths due to illness can be attributed to being underweightIndirect Costs: Toll of disease and general ill-health on productive capabilities- economic declineDirect Costs: Caring for the sick, food interventions etc.

Causes of Food Insecurity In Africa 2. Food Access Who has it? Where is it? Who can afford it? 1. Food AvailabilityIs there enough food? Factors affecting agricultural production (including natural environmental occurrences and human caused factors) Factors affecting trade (import of food or export of food for income) Cultural practices affecting control of food Issues about what kind of food is available? Does it meet nutritional needs? 3. Food UseDoes it meet needs? Is it useable?

Natural CausesDrought a protracted period of deficient precipitation resulting in extensive damage to crops and loss of yield

Naturally occurring environmental factors leading to a decline in food productionHow long does the drought last?Was the drought expected?How frequently do droughts occur?

Even natural factors are exacerbated by human actions.

Drought on its own does not result in acute food insecurity or famine.

Human EconomicsCan an economy/community/household withstand shocks to food production?Are there food stores?Can food be purchased using saved income?

Malawian Example: Malawi prone to seasonal droughts Government sells off grain stores in order to meet other financial obligations (debt etc.) enforced by the Global North Seasonal drought becomes famine NGOs like CPAR have to intervene with food aid

Human WarsWars cause/exacerbate food insecurity by: Causing damage to land and disrupting trade systems Displacing people from their land (IDPs & Refugees) Diverting $ for military expenditures

Ugandan Example: 19 year civil war Rebels staging raids on villages & laying mines 1.4 million forced to relocate to IDP camps Malnutrition rates in IDP camps 20% and 40% for children under 5 vs. 15% national average

HIV/AIDS25 million Africans have HIV/AIDS. 2 million die every year. 13 million children have been orphaned.AIDS is devastating to household food security: Agricultural workers sick and dying = production Excess income diverted to care for sick and pay for funeral expenses = household ability to purchase food Widows and orphans with no land tenure rights are left particularly vulnerable As are guardian households with more mouths to feed Lack of nutrients can shorten incubation period of HIV and causes AIDS to progress more quickly

Environmental DegradationDamage to the natural environment through deforestation, over-cultivation, overgrazing etc. causes:Soil ErosionDecline in soil fertilityDepletion of water tablesDecline in rainfallDestruction of alternative sources of food and income

Poverty, Political Crises, War and HIV&AIDS=Desperation=Increased likelihood of abandoning sustainability in favour of short-term needs=Environmental Degradation

How do you think globalization can affect food security?

Group 1 : Food availabilityGroup 2: Food accessGroup 3: Food use

Solutions?Sustainable Livelihoods Approach:Examining the variety of factors that affect ability to meet food needs including:

Ability to produce food Ability to purchase foods Ability to withstand shocks to food supply Cultural factors influencing access within household Sustainable intensification of agriculture (drought resistant crops, irrigation, tree planting etc) Diversifying food production (at agricultural and household level) Income generation (diversifying income sources) Challenging inequality Coping with broader issues (peacebuilding, HIV/AIDS interventions etc)

Tree planting can help revitalize agricultural land by increasing soil fertility, encouraging rainfall and preventing soil erosion

Trees can also provide fuel for cooking and be an important source of nutritious foodSolutions on the ground

Improved agricultural practices which are environmentally and socially appropriate can help to improve crop yieldsSolutions on the ground

Backyard farming is a great way to diversify household food supply and is ideal for vulnerable households who have limited access to land and other resourcesSolutions on the ground

Through skills training and small scale loans, individuals can diversify their income and protect their households from shocks to food supplySolutions on the ground

A food secure world, free from hunger, really is possible!