Three Basic Elements to Prevent Food Insecurity
This article will address the causes of food insecurity. Lack of policy flexibility, infrastructure, and diversification are just a few of the causes. Some other causes are conflict, climate change and surging inflation. However, no single factor can guarantee a complete solution. However, there are some basic elements that should be addressed to prevent food insecurity. These are three of them:
Lack
Although it is true that food insecurity is caused by a lack of access, policies can make the situation much more manageable. Governments should make it easier for small-scale farmers to sell their produce in the market. Poor infrastructure can prevent farmers from bringing their produce to market, leading to rotting food and wasted food. Governments should implement programs that help farmers know when they have enough food to feed the entire population.
Lack of policy flexibility
The biggest problem with the food security index is the difficulty in calculating the total number households with low food security. This problem is largely a result of the lack of information and rules on identifying food insecure households. CPS is often used by researchers to calculate food insecurity. In addition to its ability to measure food insecurity, it also provides information on poverty and unemployment. While food security is not a public health issue, it is a pressing issue, particularly since many households experience high levels of food insecurity.
Lack of infrastructure
Many factors contribute to household food insecurity. These include lack of cash income, access to medical care, and inadequate infrastructure. In addition to the lack of infrastructure, other factors contribute to food insecurity, including the head of the household’s gender, chronic illness, and informality of the dwelling. This paper describes the major issues that contribute to household food insecurity. Poor roads and infrastructure are two of the main reasons food is not reaching the people who really need it.
Lack of diversified diets
Recent research found that household food insecurity was negatively associated with dietary diversity. The study found that children in households that were food insecure were three times more likely to have low-nutrition-diversity diets than their peers in households that were not food insecure. This was true for both low- and high-income families. Children who attended school were less likely to have low-nutrition-diversity diets than children who did not attend school.
Reduced calorie intake
According to a new study, only 15% were food insecure prior to the recent COVID-19 epidemic. Today, this number is as high as 25%. This study also found an association between food insecurity and obesity, with one-in-four women in the United States reporting food insecurity at some point. This increased prevalence is not only concerning, but studies also show that food insecurity can lead to poor cognitive performance, behavior problems, and anemia. It is also associated to higher risks of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and depression.
Compromise of nutrition
The majority of the world’s population is at risk of hunger and insecurity due to a shortage of nutritious foods. The effects of hunger are often hidden and do not manifest in the form of malnutrition. Food insecurity isn’t just about hunger. It’s also a leading cause for premature death.
Land grabbing
Land grabbing is one of the main causes of food insecurity. Land grabbing threatens the food security of hundreds of millions of people. It involves large-scale infrastructure projects as well as speculation and carbon credit mechanisms. In addition to imperiling small-scale producers, land grabbing aggravates food insecurity. But what is the real reason for land grabbing?