Food Security

Understanding Food Security

National governments and international organizations are paying closer attention to the importance of food security. For example, food security aligns closely with the first two of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals targeted for achievement by 2030. Food security is considered a cornerstone of good health, national security and development. However, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, extreme weather events and armed conflict have reversed years of development gains, increasing the number of those facing acute food insecurity.

Amid this dynamic, food security is now accepted as a global imperative—a “must” necessary to stem the growth of malnutrition, hunger and poor health in parts of the world. The absence of food security also can contribute to civil unrest.

Four conditions are needed to ensure food security: availability, access, sufficient nutritious content and stability of supply.

• Availability of food includes the supply side of food security. It depends on national stock levels, the level of food production, imports and food assistance or aid. An adequate supply of food at the national or international level does not in itself guarantee household-level food security.
• Access to food includes either a retrievable harvest or sufficient income, as well as transportation resources that provide people with appropriate food at affordable prices.
• Nutrition depends on the way that the body processes the various nutrients in the food. It involves a variety of factors, including clean drinking water, a hygienic environment, and good preparation and feeding practices.
• Stability of the three factors above over time are essential for people to be able to withstand shocks and stresses, such as climate changes, political instability or sharp increases in food prices.

Drivers of Global Food Insecurity

Food security is threatened when disruptive events, such as armed conflict, natural disasters or other unexpected changes, cause sharp drops in food production. For instance, desert-locust and army-worm outbreaks in East Africa and the Sahel, as well as conflicts in the Middle East, have resulted in significant food shortages. The global outbreak of COVID-19 and subsequent containment measures disrupted food-supply chains, resulting in reduced incomes and new vulnerabilities that limited access to food. Food insecurity also becomes an issue where poverty affects the ability to produce sufficient food.

Food security is threatened by longer-term demographic trends, as well. By 2050, the world’s population is estimated to rise to 9.8 billion. Much of this growth will occur in developing countries, especially in the urban areas of Asia and Africa, as migration from rural areas continues in many regions. Demographers project that by mid-century, two-thirds of all global citizens will live in cities. The expected growth of mega and secondary cities has implications for food security—especially in Asia, where its impact will be exacerbated by an aging population. This drift toward urban centers, which is led by male youth in search of better opportunities, brings with it new demands for resources—including land, water and energy—already stretched in urban areas. As cities expand, arable lands will disappear as they are covered by human settlements created to absorb population growth.

Gender inequalities still abound in many countries facing food insecurity today. Though women play an important role in food production, formidable cultural barriers in many countries prevent their full contribution in the quest to achieve food security. In developing countries, as many as 40% of women are engaged in agriculture—yet they are often denied access to credit, basic information and knowledge of modern production technologies. Even at the household level, women are frequently excluded from decision-making issues affecting food security, such as what to grow and how best to utilize the harvests.

Our Response

NIGERIA: Food Assistance

In response to the humanitarian crisis in northeastern Nigeria, we have partnered with the World Food Programme since October 2016 to provide lifesaving food assistance to approximately 200,000 people living in displacement camps and host communities. Our support includes general food distributions, targeted assistance for children under 2 to prevent malnutrition, and cash-based transfers through mobile money and e-vouchers. To help families rebuild their livelihoods and strengthen self-reliance, we also conduct livestock distribution, along with kitchen gardening, high-value crop production and income-generating activities, including village savings-and-loan associations.

YEMEN: Cash Assistance

Our Yemen mission supports vulnerable households through cash-based food assistance, enabling them to access nutritious food of their choice while supporting local markets. In 2024, this approach reached 600 households (approximately 4,300 people), providing more than $500,000 in lifesaving assistance to reduce the risk of acute malnutrition and protect livelihoods.

ETHIOPIA: Nurturing Nutrition Sensitive Food Security and Livelihoods Interventions

We provide integrated nutrition and food security services to reduce mortality and morbidity associated with severe acute malnutrition across four drought-affected regions of Ethiopia: Gambella, Oromia, Somali and Southern Ethiopia. To address the compounded impacts of conflict and drought, we offer activities that strengthen local agriculture and livestock systems, while building the resilience of vulnerable families. Our interventions include multipurpose cash transfers, blanket supplementary feeding, vegetable and poultry production, fresh-food vouchers, distribution of farming tools and entrepreneurship programs for youth affected by conflict and instability. In 2024, these efforts reached more than 33,000 households—benefiting nearly 200,000 people in need.

PAKISTAN: Vocational-Skills Training
International Medical Corps provides vocational-skills training to women from Afghan refugee villages, as well as services related to violence prevention and response. We also provide business skills training and basic vocational tools and equipment to help women establish businesses and gain economic independence.