Food security

When all people at all times have physical and economic access to enough food for an active, healthy life. It rests on four pillars — availability, access, utilisation and stability — and is a central goal of agricultural policy, humanitarian programmes and international organisations such as the FAO. FAO measures it through the Food Insecurity Experience Scale and undernourishment prevalence; climate shocks, conflict and price volatility are the main destabilisers. Utilisation covers nutrition and food safety — safe food is a prerequisite — while stability demands resilience across seasons and crises, from strategic reserves to social protection.