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The concept of food security consists
of four main dimensions: availability of
sufficient quantities of food of appropriate
quality; economic and physical access to
food; utilization of food through adequate
diet etc.; and stability of the other three
dimensions over time. Source: FAO,
Policy Brief, 2006.
Despite the increase in agricultural
productivityinrecentdecades,itisevident
today that the transition to a low carbon
economy and, more generally, towards
a more environmentally conscious
society prioritizing conservation of the
precious resources of the planet cannot
come about without a radical change in
patterns of food production, distribution
and consumption.
Foodhasbecomeaglobal issue influenced
by broader political and economic trends
related to the geographic distribution of
resources, trade links, the supply chain
and accessibility of products in any part
of the world, regardless of seasonality. In
this context there is growing interest in
the topic of food security
2
and the need
to ensure a balanced diet, associated with
far-reaching changes on a cultural level.
With regard to the latter, it is readily
apparent that a profound transformation
of eating habits is in progress in
developing countries; the nutrition
transition means that traditional diets,
directly linked to the ready availability
and supply of local resources such
as grains and vegetables, are being
replaced by a higher energy density
diet with meals high in fat and sugar, a
greater calorie intake, reduced economic
and nutritional value, and an increase
in obesity together with the risk of the
associated chronic diseases. The greater
demand for animal protein reflects not
only a worse-balanced diet but also
the threat of adverse and potentially
irreversible environmental impacts such
as soil erosion and desertification, or
incorrect use of water resources.
THE CHALLENGE
OF FOOD SUSTAINABILITY