Module 6
Food security means reliable access to sufficient, nutritious food
- Food security: consistent access to enough safe, nutritious food for a healthy life
- Built on four pillars: availability, access, utilization, stability
- Availability: enough food is produced and supplied at regional/global scales
- Access: people have economic and physical ability to obtain food
- Utilization: food provides adequate nutrition (diet quality, health, sanitation)
- Stability: access and supply are reliable over time (no seasonal or crisis disruption)
Food security is not just about producing enough food
- Global food production is currently sufficient to feed the population
- Food insecurity persists due to uneven distribution of food across regions
- Affordability: low-income households cannot purchase sufficient or nutritious food
- Infrastructure and markets influence who gets food and when
- Political instability and conflict disrupt food systems
Poverty is the primary driver of food insecurity
- Poverty limits purchasing power and access to diverse diets
- Low-income households prioritize calories over nutrition
- Occurs in both developing and developed countries
- Food deserts: areas lacking access to fresh, healthy foods
- Economic inequality drives differences in diet quality and health
Food insecurity includes multiple forms of malnutrition
- Undernutrition: insufficient calories to meet energy needs
- Malnutrition: imbalance or lack of essential nutrients
- Micronutrient deficiency: lack of vitamins/minerals despite adequate calories
- Overnutrition: excess calorie intake leading to obesity
- These conditions can coexist within the same population
Obesity reflects a global shift in food systems
- Increased availability of processed, energy-dense foods
- High intake of sugar, fat, and refined carbohydrates
- Linked to noncommunicable diseases (diabetes, heart disease)
- Occurs alongside hunger in many countries (nutrition transition)
- Indicates systemic imbalance in global food systems
Modern food systems rely on a few major production systems
- Croplands: grains like rice, wheat, and corn dominate diets
- Livestock systems: meat, dairy, and eggs from animals
- Fisheries and aquaculture: capture and farming of aquatic species
- Global diets rely heavily on a few staple crops
- Low diversity reduces resilience to pests and environmental change
Industrial agriculture maximizes yield through intensive inputs
- Industrial agriculture: high-input, large-scale farming systems
- Uses monoculture: growing a single crop over large areas
- Relies on synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation
- Mechanization increases efficiency but requires fossil fuels
- Produces most global food but creates dependencies
Industrial agriculture increases efficiency but reduces resilience
- Monocultures are vulnerable to pests and disease outbreaks
- High reliance on external inputs (fertilizer, water, energy)
- Loss of genetic and species diversity
- Economies of scale favor large agribusinesses
- Tradeoff: high yield vs ecological stability
The Green Revolution transformed global agriculture
- Green Revolution: mid-20th century increase in agricultural productivity
- Introduction of high-yield varieties of major crops
- Expansion of irrigation infrastructure
- Increased use of fertilizers and pesticides
- Mechanization of planting, harvesting, and processing
The Green Revolution dramatically increased food production
- Global grain production increased substantially
- Supported rapid human population growth
- Reduced famine in many regions
- Increased efficiency per unit land
- Helped stabilize food supplies globally
The Green Revolution created new environmental and social challenges
- Increased dependence on water, fertilizers, and pesticides
- Environmental degradation (soil, water, biodiversity)
- Benefits unevenly distributed across regions
- Yield growth is slowing in many areas
- Raises questions about long-term sustainability
Agriculture has a large environmental footprint
- Uses ~70% of global freshwater withdrawals
- Occupies a large proportion of ice-free land
- Requires significant energy inputs for production and transport
- Contributes to greenhouse gas emissions
- Major driver of environmental change globally
Soil erosion removes critical resources for agriculture
- Topsoil: nutrient-rich upper layer essential for plant growth
- Erosion removes nutrients and organic matter
- Caused by plowing, deforestation, overgrazing
- Reduces crop productivity over time
- Soil formation is much slower than soil loss
Desertification degrades productive land into arid systems
- Desertification: transformation of fertile land into desert-like conditions
- Driven by overgrazing, deforestation, and climate change
- Reduces soil productivity and water retention
- Common in dryland regions
- Leads to displacement of human populations
Irrigation boosts yields but can degrade soil and water systems
- Irrigation: artificial addition of water to crops
- Enables agriculture in dry regions
- Leads to salinization: salt buildup in soils
- Depletes groundwater resources
- Alters natural water cycles and availability
Agriculture contributes to water pollution
- Fertilizer runoff introduces excess nitrogen and phosphorus
- Causes eutrophication: nutrient enrichment of water bodies
- Leads to algal blooms and oxygen depletion (dead zones)
- Pesticides contaminate surface and groundwater
- Pollution affects ecosystems and drinking water supplies
