FOOD SECURITY CONCEPTS: AN ENLIGHTENMENT OF FOOD, SECURITY AND FOOD SECURITY.

Hello NOKVIEWERS

Welcome back to my blog, so I noticed that a lot of people need conceptual clarification as to what food security and food, security entails. A general conception of food is what we eat, but it goes beyond just eating  which you will see below.

Food: Food is any substance, solid or liquid, which, after consumption, digestion and absorption by the body nourishes the body.¹ Food scientists conceive food to be that which is eaten to supply necessary nutritional elements. This means that what is eaten will be nutritious, healthy and nourishing.² To biologists, food is seen as an essential source of nutrient ingested or assimilated by the organism to sustain life.³

---

In the field of medicine, food is referred to as a form of nourishing substance that is consumed to provide nourishment, a source of nutrients, especially a solid substance that is fed upon to be metabolized to gain energy and molecules energy or molecules essential for the organism’s continued existence⁴. What is evidence in all the above explanation of food is the word consumption and nutrient/nourishment.  

Security: In sociology, Michael Drakes discusses a range of theoretical development in sociology ,he sees security as securitization which involves the “the framing issues as security” that is if something can be defined as threat to security then it can be used to provide justification for emergency measures which gives authorities more power than they would otherwise have.⁵ Stephens E. Sachs sees security as a situation whereby the need of individuals for safety in arenas of basic need such as access to clean water, food, environmental and energy security, freedom from economic exploitation protection from arbitrary violence by the police etc.⁶ Lawrence Freedman argues that a new understanding of security has emerged because of the changing nature of war over the 250 years and to him security means defence of a nation against conflicts and infectious diseases.⁷

 Also J Ann Tickner described security as a situation whereby a society promotes a viable eco system by working towards the elimination of both physical and structural violence by dismantling hierarchical boundaries between women and men, poor and rich.⁸ Defining security is vast and has deferent views, there are the traditional understanding of security and in recent time has been expected to change.  ⁹ It is evident that for security take place there is a need for balance, safety, absence of threat. Hus, when food and security is merged it gives a connotation which is explained below.    

Food Security: In the field of International Studies, food security, as defined by Maxwell S. (1990) in the Journal of Food Security is access to food rather than the supply of food. It deals with the availability of food and the ease at which people have access to it. To him, food security is closely related to the concept of food entitlement. Food entitlement is a situation where the food that is available in a country could be accessed by the whole society without some people laying exclusive claim to it. When this happens, then food security could be said to have taken root in a country.¹⁰

 Life Sciences Research Office (LSRO) defines the concept of food security as access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life. It entails, at a minimum, the availability of nutritionally adequate and safe food, and the assured ability to acquire acceptable food in socially acceptable ways without resorting to emergency food supply, scavenging, stealing and the coping strategies.¹¹ However, one of the most recognized views of food security was defined in Rome during the Declaration of World Food Summit (2006) which has also been adopted by the UN, Government of Canada, WHO and the 183 participating nations. Food security is viewed as a condition where all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary need and food preferences for an active healthy life.¹²

Reference

1. Sebiotimo Mercy, Cooking made Easy, Akure, AlabiEyo&Co.ltd 2012. p. 1

3. http:// www. Biology- online.org/dictionary/food.com

4.Julie K. Stegman, Mary Ellen Camire etal, Stedmans Medical dictionary for health Professional, Nursing and Food science,6^th edition, (USA, Wolters Kluwer /LippincottWilliams&wiks publishers)2008. p. 600

5.Micheal Haralambus, Martin Holbin etal: Sociology Themes and perspective, 8^th Edition (London, Harper Collins Publisher) 2013. p.450

6.Stephens E. Sachs, International Relation: The Changing Definition of Security, (Oxford, Metron college)2003. p.1

7. Lawrence Freedman, “International Security: Changing targets” in The Journal of Foreign Policy, No110, Special edition; frontage of knowledge, 1998 p.53

8. J Ann Tickner, Re-visioning Security in International Relation Theory Today, (Ken Booth and Steve smiths publication) 1994. p. 194

9. Richard Ullman, Redefining Security, in The Journal of international security, Vol 8, No1. 1983 p.153

10. Maxwell S, Food Security in developing countries: issues and options for the 1990s, in The IDS Bulletin. Vol.21 (3) 1990pp. 2-13

11.Anderson, The Life Sciences Research Office (L.S.R.O) based in Bethseda, 1990 p.1

12. Declaration of World Food Summit (2006)