May 1, 2024
Updated May 9, 2025
18 minute read
Food security is a multifaceted concept that, at its core, means all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. This comprehensive state is often understood through its four main pillars: availability, access, utilization, and stability. Some frameworks also include the dimensions of agency (the capacity of individuals or groups to make their own decisions about what food they eat and how that food is produced, processed, and distributed) and sustainability (ensuring food security for future generations). Understanding food security is not just about addressing hunger; it's about ensuring nourishment, promoting health, and fostering the conditions for individuals and communities to thrive.
xefmky|
Find a path to becoming a Food Security. Learn more at:
OpenCourser.com/topic/xefmky/food
Reading list
We've selected nine books
that we think will supplement your
learning. Use these to
develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a
deeper understanding of the topics covered in
Food Security.
Provides an annual assessment of the state of food security and nutrition around the world, focusing on progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets related to food security and nutrition.
This text provides a comprehensive overview of the latest research and policy recommendations for achieving food security.
Written by Jeffrey Sachs who world renowned expert in sustainable development, this book focuses on policies that developing countries can utilize to end hunger.
This research-based text emphasizes addressing the root causes of food insecurity in communities around the world.
Addresses ethical perspectives on a variety of food issues including world hunger, food safety, sustainability, animal welfare, and food justice.
Written by Philip McMichael, who is considered by many to be the leading scholar on the political economy of the global food system, this text addresses how agribusiness has negatively impacted food security.
This text provides a comprehensive legal analysis of the right to food and delves into practical issues related to food security and food policy.
This text addresses the challenges of food security and population growth in a rapidly changing global climate.
This collection of studies explores food insecurity in Latin America and the Caribbean, especially the urban poor.
For more information about how these books relate to this course, visit:
OpenCourser.com/topic/xefmky/food
Save
