The Institution of Excellence in Technical and
Vocational Education and Training
[Link]
Prepared by: Dr. Kishwar Ali, Version 3
Science & the Environment (SCIE 1002)
Environmental Issue: Food (In)Security
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Understand what is food security/food poverty
• Contributors to food insecurity
• Effects of food insecurity and
• Solutions to food insecurity/global hunger
What is Food Insecurity?
Food insecurity has been defined as a lack of consistent
access to enough food for an active and healthy life.
There are millions of people all over the world who suffer
from a shortage of food and cannot tell if they will be able to
feed themselves the next day or at the end of the day.
BACKGROUND TO FOOD SECURITY
• In a broader context, the term ‘food
(in)security’ identifies whether countries have
adequate food supply to feed their populations.
• Food is a basic human right !
• Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights (1948) = “the right to adequate
food and the fundamental right of everyone to
be free from hunger”
• Sustainable Development Goals 2030 call for:
• An end to poverty in all its forms
everywhere
• Zero hunger: End hunger, achieve food
security and improved nutrition, and
promote sustainable agriculture.
According to WFP 2021
“Up to 811 million people – 1 in 10 of the
global population – do not get enough to eat.”
THE GLOBAL FOOD SITUATION
The world’s population is forecast to reach 9.3 billion by
2050 (UN Dept. Economic & Social Affairs, 2012).
• Food prices rose rapidly after 2006 and peaked in
2012.
• In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic compounded the
effects of conflict and climate shocks and left 235
million people in need of humanitarian assistance in
2021.
• Rising food prices have driven an estimated 811 million
people into poverty.
CONTRIBUTORS TO FOOD INSECURITY
1. A growing population
2. Intensive farming
3. Climate change and severe weather events
4. Lack of Access to Farming Lands
5. Land Grabbing
6. Conflict, Violence and Wars
7. Unfair Trade Rules
8. Wastage of Food
• The world population continues to increase but this
growth might slow down sometime in the near future
• Population growth = demand for more food making it
harder to feed everyone
• The planet has been unable to feed its growing
population
• Threat of food insecurity
• The rich have been over eating while the poor have
been starving
We live in a world where despite the rates of deaths, the birth
rates are higher. The growing population means there are extra
mouths to feed daily. The rise in population, with limited
growth in the food available, means an increase in food
insecurity.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
2. INTENSIVE FARMING
• Intensive farming practices were designed to
produce sufficient food for a growing
population.
• Produces high-yield crops, using fertilizers and
pesticides.
• Food production has increased but there are
unwelcome side- effects:
• Land degradation
• Soil erosion due to deforestation
• Environmental pollution
• Reduced biodiversity due to growing limited
crop varieties
• Potential harm to health
Example: Intensive Biofuels production
Some fuels called biofuels are made from plants like corn and sugar cane. People are
making more of these biofuels to help fight climate change. But this means that some
farms are using their land to grow these plants for fuel instead of growing food crops.
Because of this, there's less food available, and the prices of food like grains go up.
Making more biofuels also leads to more trees being cut down in places like Malaysia
and Indonesia. This is bad for food security because it destroys habitats and makes
the weather more extreme, causing floods and damaging crops.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
This Photo by Unknown Author
is licensed under CC BY
3. CLIMATE CHANGE - CONTEXT
• Thinking positively, it had been thought we could restrict global
temperature increases to 2oC.
• According to the World Bank, if global temperatures increase by
4oC: “There will be water and food fights everywhere” [Jim Yong
Kim – World Bank President]
• Currently we expect global temperature increases of 1.1 oC -
6.4oC by the end of the 21st century
We need to act urgently and radically
Changes in climatic patterns have fundamentally affected
agriculture. Farmers are experiencing the effects of climate
change,
- as rains are coming in earlier than before, and droughts
are lasting longer.
- Freshwater is also scarcer as a result of rising sea levels,
- storm surges, cyclones and other extreme weather
events, which are more frequent and intensive.
4. Lack of Access to Farming Lands
Food is grown or produced from the land. In doing so, income
is also generated. However, many people do not have their
own land, or cannot afford to have access to farmable land.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
5. Land Grabbing
It is closely related to the point on the previous
slide.
Land grabbing is when land, traditionally owned or
farmed by families or groups or communities, is
taken away from them by large investors or
influential government officials.
They acquire the land to expand their empires,
extract natural resources, or even grow food for
export.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
6. Conflict, Violence and Wars
Conflicts, wars and violence impact food production and
supplies. In most countries where civil war has been prevalent
over the years, food insecurity is very high.
Examples are Somalia and South-Sudan in Africa.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
7. Unfair Trade Rules
The ways in which large corporations do business with
local food producers are largely unfair and do not
reward farmers for the worth of their labor or produce.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed
under CC BY
8. Wastage of Food
There are billions worth of edible food being thrown away every
year, mostly in developed countries. For instance, during this
Coronavirus pandemic, farmers are throwing away billions’ worth
of foods since restaurants and supermarkets, which previously
bought such food, are shut down.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC
CC BY-SA-NC
OTHER CAUSES OF FOOD POVERTY/INSECURITY
Rising housing
and energy
costs
Low wages /
Aging
insecure work
population
contracts
Increasing Welfare
number of school
Reform
children
Rising food
prices
Effects of Food
Insecurity
1. Effects on Children
2. Food Insecurity Leads to
Hunger
3. Increases in Food Prices
4. Unemployment
5. A Rise in Health-related Costs
6. Violent Conflict
1. Effects on Children
Children who are food insecure or come from families that are food
insecure are more likely to require hospitalization and are at a higher
risk of chronic health conditions like anemia and asthma. They also
have frequent oral health problems.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
2. Food Insecurity Leads to Hunger
Hunger can also result from food insecurity. Hunger costs billions every year, with the
US using about $178.9 billion every year.
This makes the government spend more on feeding the nation, instead of
concentrating such monies to other projects such as infrastructure, healthcare, and
education.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC
3. Increases in Food Prices
Food insecurity means there is a shortage of food commodities, making the available food
expensive to purchase. This means the prices will go up and will result in related items being more
expensive. People’s access to food, care, feeding and access to healthcare may also become limited
as a consequence, making the nation more insecure.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
4. Unemployment
When a nation is insecure about their availability of food, the economy will
slow down. This means more people will lose their jobs, wages will be lost,
and losses in income will be prevalent.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
5. A Rise in Health-related Costs
The higher the rate of food insecurity, the higher the risk of developing chronic
illnesses such as heart diseases. The burden is, therefore, placed on the
healthcare system.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
6. Violent Conflict
Despite violence being a cause of food insecurity, the reverse is also true.
Food insecurity, especially when caused by a rise in food prices, is a threat
and results in violent conflict.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
SOLUTIONS TO GLOBAL HUNGER/FOOD INSECURITY
1. Climate Smart Agriculture
2. Responding To Forced Migration
3. Fostering Gender Equality
4. Reducing Food Waste
5. Disaster Risk Reduction
6. Supporting Hygiene And Sanitation
7. Controlling Infestations And Crop Infections
8. Enhancing Crops With Biofortification
9. Improving Food Storage Systems
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND
1. Climate Smart Agriculture
Farmers can use techniques that adapt
to and mitigate the effects of climate
change. For example, they might grow
drought-resistant crops or use water-
saving irrigation methods during dry
seasons.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
2. Responding To Forced Migration
When people are forced to
leave their homes due to
conflict or environmental
disasters, providing them with
food aid and support in refugee
camps or resettlement areas
can help ensure they have
enough to eat. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
3. Fostering Gender Equality
Giving women equal access to resources, education, and
employment opportunities empowers them to contribute
to food production and decision-making, ultimately
improving household food security. For instance,
providing women farmers with the same access to land
and agricultural training as men can boost food
production.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND
4. Reducing Food Waste
For instance, food banks and
charities can collect surplus food
from supermarkets and restaurants
to redistribute it to people facing
hunger.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
This Photo by Unknown Author is
licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
5. Disaster Risk Reduction
Implementing measures to reduce the impact of
natural disasters, such as early warning systems,
emergency preparedness plans, and infrastructure
improvements, can help communities better
withstand and recover from food-related crises
caused by disasters like floods or droughts.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
6. Supporting Hygiene And Sanitation
Ensuring access to clean water, sanitation facilities, and
hygiene education helps prevent waterborne diseases
and improves overall health, which in turn contributes to
better nutrition and food security.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
7. Controlling Infestations And Crop Infections
Using pest control methods, resistant crop varieties, and good
agricultural practices can help prevent crop losses due to pests
and diseases. For example, farmers might use organic
pesticides or crop rotation techniques to control pest
infestations.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
8. Enhancing Crops With Biofortification
For instance, developing varieties of staple
crops like rice or maize that are enriched with
essential vitamins and minerals can help
combat malnutrition.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC
9. Improving Food Storage Systems:
Implementing proper storage facilities and techniques, such as silos or
refrigeration, can prevent post-harvest losses and extend the shelf life
of perishable foods. This ensures that more food reaches consumers
and reduces food insecurity.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
Further readings
• News Articles:
• –The Independent (2017) Food banks run out as hungry children on summer holidays have no access to free school meals.
Available from:
[Link]
[Link]
• –BBC (2017) Who really goes to a food bank? Available from: [Link]
• Websites:
• –Trussell Trust: [Link]
• –Child Poverty Action: [Link]
• –Food Ethics Council: [Link]
• Published Reports:
• –Church Action on Poverty (2014) Below the Breadline. Available from:
[Link]
• –FSA (2015) Understanding Food in the Context of Poverty, Economic Insecurity and Social Exclusion. Available from:
[Link]
Any Questions ?
Thank you
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info@[Link]
Location
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P.O. Box 24449 Doha, Qatar
