The Environmental Food Crisis

The previous chapters clearly outlined the potential impact of environmental considerations on projected food demand and supply. These environmental considerations are not well ad- dressed in global food assessments to date. Whether the Mil- lennium Development Goals (MDGs) like hunger eradication will be met in the (near) future and whether the food crisis as evolved until 2008 will impact these MDGs on the longer term, depends on how markets will respond, how price impacts will cascade through the food production system and how interna- tional governments will respond to these new circumstances. In short, the impact on food availability and food security can only be assessed through the different dimensions that play a role in the state of food security. The FAO defines food security as follows: “Food security exists when all people, at all times,

have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nu- tritious food for a healthy and active life” (FAO, 2003). This involves four dimensions:

Adequacy of food supply or availability ; Stability of supply, without seasonal fluctuations or shortages;

Accessibility to food or affordability; and Utilization : quality and safety of food.

Before conclusions can be drawn on food security, these di- mensions need to be examined. The first three dimensions are elaborated upon in this chapter. The fourth dimension of food utilization is beyond the scope of this report, of which the focus is the environmental aspects of food security.

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