Food security means having enough safe and nutritious food to eat in order to meet the dietary needs for an active and healthy life. It is possible to live in a developed country and suffer from food insecurity or vulnerability because there are many causes of food insecurity and vulnerability.

What causes food insecurity and vulnerability?

What is the world doing?

What can I do?

Causes of food insecurity and vulnerability

There are various causes of food insecurity or vulnerability. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization uses the following classifications to group the causes:

• socio-economic and political environment
• the performance of the food economy
• care practices
• health and sanitation

To read more about food insecurity and vulnerability from the Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Information and Mapping Systems of the Food and Agriculture Organization, and to view chart depicting the causes of food insecurity and vulnerability click here.

View an animated food and hunger map from the Food and Agriculture organization.

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A global response

Organizations around the world are addressing food insecurity by collaborating with various levels of government and community groups. In 1996, representatives from 180 countries gathered in Rome for the World Food Summit and pledged to halve by 2015 the number of undernourished people in the world from the 1990 level.

For a detailed assessment of food insecurity around the world and success made following the 1996 World Food Summit in Rome, read the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's The State of the Food Insecurity in the World 2006.

Play the World Food Programme's interactive game Food Force to help better understand the task of achieving food security. This site also provides resources for teachers.

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Make your voice heard

By volunteering or fundraising for an organization that addresses all or some of the causes of food insecurity, you'll be helping to improve the quality of life for people around the world.

For a list of organizations that accept volunteers, click here.

For fundraising ideas and contacts, click here.

Visit the links section to continue your research.

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