Food Safety and Security

Agriculture and Food Sciences Research

With the Climate change effects becoming more and more undoubted in the world populations, the reality of food production trends taking a negative curve is clear. This bring up the questions of whether the farmers will be able to produce food for the sustenance of the world population or not? The rate of developing food shortage coping mechanisms in this regard is slower that the ravaging negative climate change effects of drought and floods on farm performance. This commentary has the aim of requesting a fresh discussion around the fundamentals of what is food, what is a food security and what is nutritional security? It is possible that the humanity has a perception that needs refocusing. This is a perception that some people may choose out of non-food safety issues not to eat certain foods while other however healthily eat such food. It therefore becomes hard to technically accept that food is in short supply for those the opt not to eat that which is edible.

Food Security-here refers to adequate access to food all the times, throughout the year and from year to year. Access is ensured when all households and all individuals within those households have sufficient resources to obtain appropriate foods for a nutritious and balanced diet. A further component in the definition of food security concerned the actual quality and type of food supplied and a requirement that it should not merely satisfy protein-energy needs but provide the nutritional balance necessary for a healthy and active life; in addition to this was the recognition of preferences, traditional habits and socially acceptable food types when considering the definition of food security. The World Food Summit's 1996 definition includes these aspects when it mentions: " access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. " This generally accepted definition describes what are known as the Four Pillars of food security: accessibility, availability, utilization and stability. On the contrary The FAO definition of food insecurity is: " A situation that exists when people lack secure access to sufficient amounts of safe and nutritious food for normal growth and development and an active and healthy life. " Any analysis of food security will examine whether a change from security to insecurity or insecurity to security actually takes place and also the probability of such a change happening. Factors that may lead to a situation of food insecurity include non-availability of food, lack of access, improper utilization and instability over a certain time period. The 1996 World Food Summit declared the fight against food insecurity as one of its objectives:

2012

Trends in Food Safety and Protection, 2018

Global Governance and Rules for the Post-2015 Era : Addressing Emerging Issues in the Global Environment

2021

As United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, noted at the 2021 Africa Regional Food Systems Summit Dialogue, food insecurity is rising in many African countries (see 13 July 2021 address). The global pandemic has not only put global health inequality on display; it has also done the same for food security: nearly one out of five Africans experienced hunger in 2020 – more than double the proportion of any other region. This policy brief highlights the current situation, noting countries with a high prevalence of food insecurity as well as countries where large numbers of people experience hunger. We note the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food security as well as the negative consequences of food insecurity from a nutritional perspective. Before looking forward, this policy brief examines the historical context of social policies and safety nets, using a selection of contemporary case studies. It concludes with recommendations for protecting the right to food for all people at all times (e.g., investing in better data, best fit design, expanding coverage, moving beyond quantity to quality, nutritional diversity and food safety) as well as enabling food system change (e.g., enhancing resilience, transforming systems).

International Journal of Sustainable Engineering, 2018