Land-use and food security in energy transition: Role of food supply

Who Eats, Where, What, and How? COVID-19, Food Security, and Canadian Foodscapes

The Need for Investment in Rigorous Interventions to Improve Child Food Security

Comparing Food Security Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Considerations When Choosing Measures

Food Insecurity on College and University Campuses: A Context and Rationale for Solutions

Feeding the City, Pandemic and Beyond

Food insecurity is a global issue, with higher prevalence of hunger in developing countries. Low crop yield and food production - due to difficult topography and traditional farming methods - combined with lower income; fluctuations in prices and supply, and low quality of food have been causing food insecurity in Nepal. This research examines food (in)security situation in Upper-Mustang, Nepal. The results are derived from the data collected through face–to-face interviews with the heads of 66 households, in-depth interviews conducted with 22 key informants, and discussions with the group of local people in different (6) places. The household food system was studied from livelihood perspectives and food (in)security was assessed in relation to self-sufficiency or production sufficiency, access, utilization, and stability of food. Households in the Trans-Himalaya acquire food from multiple sources such as farming and livestock ranching, buy food from the market, and also receive food aid for the sake of survival during the food crisis. Food security situation in terms of self-production in Upper-Mustang is at worst stage that many households are facing severe to chronic food insecurity. Studied households access marketed food, though the price they pay is very high. The worrisome issue is that there is no significant improvement in food security situation over time in the Trans-Himalaya. Study found that not the household size but dependency ratio in the household increases food insecurity. On the other hand, quality of farmland in terms of cropping intensity and availability of irrigation rather than the farm-plot size contribute for food security. The issue of food security is still a valid development policy goal for Nepal in general and for the Trans-Himalaya in particular. Accordingly, food security interventions are important. Yet, policy for interventions should look into all components of food systems, particularly providing irrigation, promoting local food varieties, and provisioning for food subsidies and food aid together with subsidies in food transport.

The present research is realised in the frame of the ZEU project “LUCA” (Land Use, Ecosystem Services and Human Welfare in Central Asia). LUCA builds a platform for joint analysis of land use effects for a whole region, involving participants from various countries of Central Asia. In the transition from planned to market economies, the Central Asian Republics experienced rising poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition as well as serious degradation of water and land resources. The process to a market oriented economy has not been adequately supported by national institutional development. It resulted in a reduced living standard. Land use strategies in Uzbekistan determine the level of food security. While the area of rangelands is vast, the livestock farming and production of grains, fruits and vegetables play a major role in food security and also are the basic source of rural population income. More than 60% of Uzbeks live in rural area. Uzbekistan produces adequate calories to supply the population but almost 30 % lives below the food poverty line (IFPRI, 2006). The poorest population spends more than 60 % of income for food and takes a diet dominated by cereals. The existing system of the “state order” to produce cotton and wheat does not allow to growing up food crops in adequate amount. The survey is focused on questions on the socio-economic situation, societal determinants of food supply, food consumption patterns, eating habits, and coping strategies managing food crisis on household level. Markhamat region of Andijan province and Denau region of Surkhandarya province are the two most populated regions of Uzbekistan and presented as the study area. The data collection is based on the own structured questionnaire, on the Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM), Food Consumption Score (FCS), and Food List Recall. Data analysis was done with SPSS. The main results show the percentage of food secure and food insecure households as well as the food consumption status of these households concerning cash and food crops households are producing on their farm land and/or on their homestead plot. The results show that the main indicator of the level of income, food security situation and food consumption status of household is the production strategy. Thereby the more households produce cotton and wheat they will have less income, and a worse food security and food consumption status.

Design/methodology/approach: food insecurity is discussed within population health and food supply chain framework. Research shows that food insecurity is one of the three main causes in impacting population health. After exploring the relationship between food insecurity and population health, this study explores possible solutions to address food insecurity through food supply chain management framework. Food supply chain is different from commercial supply chain in many important attributes. Literature does not provide research framework linking these three attributes (food insecurity, population health and food supply chain). Therefore, we use an exploratory map to build roadmap to a successful integration of these three attributes. Purpose: social determinants of health are considered as a precondition for population health. Food security forms basis for catalyst in population health. Food security touches human dignity. Many people face starvation while tons of foods are wasted globally. There is a mismatch between supply and demand for food production and consumption. Distributions of foods from producers to consumers become a focal point in managing starvation and waste/glut of foods. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how food supply chain mitigates food insecurity and provides sustainable food supply. Findings: this paper reveals mismatch between supply and consumption of food at a global scale. Inadequate supply chain assets -technologies, storages, distribution networks, etc. - at the producer’s ends causes lower return on investments for producers. Unique characteristics of food supply chain compared with commercial supply chain raises challenges to the imbalance between supply and demand. Oligopolistic market structure may solve the chronic mismatch. Originality/value: literature addresses these three constructs – food security, population health and food supply chain – separately and independently from each other. This paper argues these three constructs should be addressed together in order to solve global food insecurity and waste. As far as we know, this is the first attempt to unify these three constructs.

Food (in)security in relation to nutrition (in)security in a national cross-sectional sample of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participants: considerations of an emerging construct

ABSTRACTWe analyzed households that use emergency food assistance (EFA) programs (eg, food pantries, soup kitchens) to better understand the repeated but seemingly anomalous finding that many EFA participants report being food secure. Using bivariate descriptive statistics and simple probit models to data from the 2005–2012 Current Population Survey (CPS), we examine 3 hypotheses: (1) food secure EFA participants are systematically different from food insecure participants; (2) food secure EFA participants are reporting food security and EFA usage from different times; and (3) among food secure households, EFA participants are more likely to be marginally food secure. We find limited evidence that food secure EFA participants are more advantaged than their food insecure counterparts. The 30-day food security reports are markedly higher than the 12-month reports, which suggests recall bias. Finally, among the food secure, EFA participants are more likely to be marginally food secure. We conclude that the 12-month measure of food security used in the CPS may result in overreports of food security among EFA participants, and many participants characterized as food secure may still face uncertainty about their food supply.

Food insecurity is a major public health concern in the United States, particularly for pregnant and postpartum individuals. In 2020, ∼13.8 million (10.5%) U.S. households experienced food insecurity. However, the association between food security and pregnancy outcomes in the United States is poorly understood. The purpose of this review was to critically appraise the state of the evidence related to food insecurity as a determinant of health within the context of pregnancy in the United States. We also explored the relationship between food insecurity and pregnancy outcomes. PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Food and Nutrition Science databases were used. The inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed studies about food (in)security, position articles from professional organizations, and policy articles about pregnancy outcomes and breastfeeding practices. Studies conducted outside of the United States and those without an adequate definition of food (in)security were excluded. Neonatal health outcomes were also excluded. Included articles were critically appraised with the STROBE and Critical Appraisal Skills Program checklists. Nineteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Inconsistencies exist in defining and measuring household food (in)security. Pregnant and postpartum people experienced several adverse physiological and psychological outcomes that impact pregnancy compared with those who do not. Intersections between neighborhood conditions and other economic hardships were identified. Findings regarding the impact of food insecurity on breastfeeding behaviors were mixed, but generally food insecurity was not associated with poor breastfeeding outcomes in adjusted models. Inconsistencies in definitions and measures of food security limit definitive conclusions. There is a need for standardizing definitions and measures of food insecurity, as well as a heightened awareness and policy change to alleviate experiences of food insecurity.

Short food supply chains to resolve food scarcity during COVID-19 pandemic—An Indian model

The purpose of this book is to critically examine food security issues in Australia, a country that is often assumed to be food secure. Australia, although a substantial producer of agricultural products, currently has many citizens suffering food insecurity (Temple 2008) and a growing number with diet-related health problems (AIHW 2010). Governments see diet issues as important social and economic problems because: Many diet-related chronic diseases … are the major cause of death and disability among Australians. Poor nutrition is responsible for around 16% of the total burden of disease and is implicated in more than 56% of all deaths in Australia (NHMRC 2011a p7). In addition to health-related food insecurities, a range of other pressures impact increasingly on the cost of food as well as its production. For example, globalization exposes food supply systems in Australia to rising resource prices as world demand increases. Australia’s agricultural production is not immune to the negative aspects of climate change. Indeed Garnaut maintains that Australian agricultural and resource industries are likely to be affected profoundly by climate change and the global response to it (Garnaut 2010 p9). Economic and population growth, changing attitudes to biodiversity conservation, and the pressure of climate change on native biodiversity (Lindenmayer et al. 2010), also have implications for food security by increasing competition for resources, such as land and water (Alston and Whittenbury 2011; Carey et al. 2011). Consequently, the food production status of Australia will change and food security, including dietary issues, is likely to become increasingly important for Australians. In order to contextualize Australia’s food security challenges, and how a more sustainable, resilient and equitable food system might be created, we need an appreciation of global food security issues.

Many Sub-Saharan African countries are highly dependent on the agricultural sector for the livelihood of the population. Agriculture is source of livelihood for 64 percent of the population in the region; the sector contributes about one-fifth of total gross domestic product, and about 12 per cent of the total export earnings for the region. These countries are gifted with abundant land, labor and natural resources indicating existence of comparative advantage in the agriculture sector. With the existence of comparative advantage, one can reasonably expect the continent to be able to feed its citizens. However, food security is of particular concern to many Sub-Saharan African countries and a daily problem for large parts of the population. Many of the countries which faced recurrent food shortage for the period 1998-2002 are found in Sub-Saharan Africa.Food security of a country is affected by different factors; one of which is international trade policy. Trade policy reform resulting from the WTO negotiations involves a combination of the three pillars of the Agreement on Agriculture: tariff, domestic support measures and export subsidies. Each of these pillars have one way or another an implication on food security. Lowering of tariff in agricultural products would lead to an increase in import and declining of price of imported goods thereby enhancing food security. However, for a continent like Africa, where more than 64% of the population depends on the sector, the negative consequences could out weigh. The rules on domestic support and export subsidy also have an impact on food security in that their removal will increase the price of food in the world market there by increasing the import bills of food importing countries and decreasing the amount of food supply to food deficit countries in the form of food aid. The removal of support, however, is beneficial in the long run as it would enhance competitiveness of agricultural products from African countries. In light of the fact that trade policy plays a great role in the food security of countries, the issue deserving consideration is the effect of the WTO agricultural trade liberalization on food security and the available mechanisms for addressing the issue.The article examines the food security implications of the WTO agreement on Agriculture. It asserts that the Agreement on Agriculture favors agricultural producers of the developed countries at the cost of producers in developing countries, including Africa. The article will also address the extent to which the realization of the objectives of the Agreement on Agriculture will promote food security in food insecure African countries. Accordingly, the next section will define food security and look into the state of food (in)security in Sub-Saharan African countries as well as the causes for food insecurity. The third chapter touches upon the three pillars of the AoA and their implementation and will also discuss their relationship with food security. The fourth section will highlight the state of affairs in the current negotiation and indicate the reforms necessary to be undertaken under the current round of negotiation which aims towards enhancing food security in the region. The paper will finalize by making some concluding remarks.Presented at the SIEL 2010 Conference in Barcelona.

Assessing Food and Nutrition Security in Patients Undergoing Total Joint Arthroplasty.