Abstract
Malaysia ranks fairly high in the Global Food Security Index, 32 out of 105 countries, which include dimensions of affordability, availability and quality to accessing food. Using the same dimensions, the paper attempts to show whether this ranking is reflected at the local level. Kedah, a state located in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia is chosen for the case study due to high incidence of poverty, the third highest in Peninsular Malaysia. The paper is based from findings in the district of Pendang, Kedah, comparing food insecurity between three Mukim-Mukim Ayer Putih, Mukim Guar Kepayang and Mukim Bukit Raya. All three Mukim have high incidence of hard core poor, as indicated by the e-Sinar online data. The research approach is based on quantitative household survey, using the e-Sinar information as a sampling frame. A total number of 595 respondents were interviewed, 284 in Mukim Ayer Putih, 171 in Mukim Guar Kepayang and 140 in Mukim Bukit Raya. Types of food insecurity are then mapped using the GIS system to analyse the distribution and trends of food insecurity over the study area. DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2014.v3n4p349
Highlights
Food security can be defined as a state when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life (FAO, 2012)
The concept of food security started when Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) was established in 1945 and the rights to food as basic needs was recognized under the Universal declaration of Human Rights in 1948
The spatial pattern of food security shows no concentration in one specific area, with those households under the category “enough but not always the kinds of food wanted” and “sometimes not enough to eat” clustered in similar areas
Summary
Food security can be defined as a state when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life (FAO, 2012). Food security exists when all people at all times have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life (Anderson, 2009). This definition has widely established the four pillars of food security: availability, accessibility, utilization and stability. This was followed by conferences and summit to promote food security such as World Food Summit in 1996 and the World Food Summit in 2002
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