4.2. Why food security?

The poorest section of the society might be food insecure most of the times while persons above the poverty line might also be food insecure when the country faces a national disaster, calamity like earthquake, drought, flood, tsunami, widespread failure of crops causing famine, etc.

Natural disasters significantly threaten food security. The poorest people are often food insecure even during normal circumstances, but their situation worsens drastically during disasters. For example, after an earthquake or a drought, the production of food decreases drastically, affecting those already on the edge of survival and even those who are above the poverty line, leading to widespread food insecurity.

Think about a town that experiences an unexpected earthquake. Buildings are destroyed and many people lose their jobs. For those already struggling financially, this may mean that they can't buy food even for their families, making such natural disasters a critical point where food security is shattered.

Due to a natural calamity, say drought, total production of foodgrains decreases. It creates a shortage of food in the affected areas. Due to shortage of food, the prices goes up.

When a natural disaster strikes and food grain production falls, the immediate effect is a shortage of food. This shortage leads to an increase in prices because the available food becomes scarce. As food becomes more expensive, many families cannot afford to buy sufficient quantities, leading to hunger and malnutrition.

Imagine a scenario where a drought hits a farming community, causing crops to fail. As farmers have less to sell, the prices of remaining crops rise significantly. Many families who could once afford to feed their children may now find themselves unable to buy enough food, forcing them to make difficult choices about how to prioritize their limited resources.

If such calamity happens in a very wide spread area or is stretched over a longer time period, it may cause a situation of starvation. A massive starvation might take a turn of famine.

Severe calamities affecting large areas for extended periods can lead to starvation as food supplies dwindle. If the situation is not addressed, it may escalate into a famine, characterized by widespread deaths due to starvation and related diseases. This emphasizes the critical role of timely intervention in averting such humanitarian crises.

Consider what happened during severe famines in history, such as the Irish Potato Famine, where potato crop failure led to starvation for millions. In modern times, authorities must act quickly in disaster scenarios to prevent a similar fate, ensuring that disrupted food systems can recover.

A Famine is characterised by widespread deaths due to starvation and epidemics caused by forced use of contaminated water or decaying food and loss of body resistance due to weakening from starvation.

A famine is not merely a lack of food; it also results in significant health crises. People facing starvation often resort to unsafe food and water sources, leading to epidemics. This compounded health effect, combined with the weakening of the body's immune system, results in increased mortality rates and exacerbates human suffering. This complexity highlights the critical importance of food security mechanisms.

Consider a community facing famine due to crop failures. Starving individuals may drink contaminated water, leading to disease outbreaks like cholera. This illustrates not just the physical need for food but also the importance of clean water and hygiene, making comprehensive food security strategies crucial.

In the 1970s, food security was understood as the 'availability at all times of adequate supply of basic foodstuffs' (UN, 1975). Amartya Sen added a new dimension to food security and emphasised the 'access' to food through what he called ‘entitlements’...

The understanding of food security has evolved over the years. Initially, it focused solely on the availability of food. However, scholars like Amartya Sen argued that access is equally important. Simply having food is not enough if people cannot afford it or if food is not within their reach. Access through means such as income, purchasing power, and social safety nets plays a crucial role in food security.

Imagine a wealthy community that has plenty of food discussed in their local markets. However, if an individual from a low-income family cannot afford the food prices, they are still considered food insecure. Thus, both availability and accessibility must be balanced for true food security.

The 1995 World Food Summit declared, 'Food security at the individual, household, regional, national and global levels 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' (FAO, 1996, p.3).

As per the 1995 World Food Summit definition, food security encompasses not just having enough food, but also ensuring that it is nutritious, safe, and accessible to everyone consistently. This comprehensive view calls for an integrated approach, addressing both the quantity and quality of food available to the populace.

For instance, consider a family receiving a large quantity of food that is spoiled or lacking in important nutrients. They may technically be food secure in quantity, but they are not food secure in terms of quality. It reflects that food security must cover all dimensions of food sufficiency.

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