Food Security Concept Flavia Araujo da Silva National Programme Officer Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (VAM)
with support from UK DFID
Definition Food Insecurity exists when people do not have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.
with support from UK DFID
Food Security COMPONENTS Food Availability is the amount of food that is physically present in a country or area through all forms of domestic production, commercial imports and food aid Food Access is a household’s ability to regularly acquire adequate amounts of food through a combination of their own stock and home production, purchases barter, gifts, borrowing or food aid. Food Utilization is a (a) household’s use of the food to which they have access and (b) the conversion efficiency of food by the body. World Food Programme (WFP) with support from UK DFID
Causes of Food Insecurity - AVAILABILITY
Poor
access to adequate farmland, particularly irrigated farmland;
Soil
infertility and outdated farming techniques;
Underdeveloped
Pre-harvest
agricultural markets; and
and post-harvest crop losses
with support from UK DFID
Causes of Food Insecurity - ACCESSIBILTY
Poor
access to income generating activities other than agriculture; Poverty,
limited purchasing power; and
General
isolation and lack of infrastructure;
with support from UK DFID
Causes of Food Insecurity - UTILIZATION Food Utilization related: •Poor access to healthcare; •Inadequate sanitation and hygiene practices; and •Food taboos and dietary practices leading to poor diet;
with support from UK DFID
WFP Food Security Monitoring System [FSMS] Definition: A system that, on a continuous and timely basis, collects analyzes and report on data relevant to the food security status and vulnerability of population groups vulnerable to food insecurity in specified geographic areas. Objectives: Identify
and monitor trends of variable identified as critical to the availability, access and utilization of food for population groups vulnerable to food insecurity in specified geographic areas;
Identify
potential threats to households food security; and
Provide
timely information to inform decisions to initiate an assessment, influence policy, or to adjust an on-going food security intervention. with support from UK DFID
FSMS Continued FSMS Example: WFP’s Weekly market price collection Method: Collect local market price information through interviews with the traders. Objectives: To
find out what goods are available on the market as well as their prices; To
get and anticipate seasonal price changes, which can have a huge impact on food access for people who rely on market purchases for most of their food. WFP EFSA Handbook, 2005
with support from UK DFID
FSMS Continued Methods: Community Group interviews to gather data on access to markets, seasonal food shortages, changes in terms of trade, price fluctuations, and credit terms used by traders. For example: changes due to climatic variations, policy shifts, conflicts, macroeconomic shifts or demographic trends – that have occurred in the context of the community and affected food and livelihood security. WFP EFSA Handbook, 2005
with support from UK DFID
Questions?
with support from UK DFID