overview
Worldwide, some 1 billion people in 70 lower income countries are hungry, and the situation could grow worse in the poorest countries. Ironically, most of these people live in rural areas where food is produced. But food availability does not guarantee food security, which depends also on the ability to buy food and to utilize it effectively. Individual health and education levels, as well as local conditions such as safety of the water supply, affect the ability to utilize food effectively.

At the "World Food Summit: Five Years Later" in June 2002, 186 countries reaffirmed the global commitment of halving the number of undernourished people by 2015. They called for allocating additional resources to battle hunger and food insecurity. Donors pledged support, particularly for technology transfers aimed at increasing food production. Donor countries pledged to continue providing food aid. Some regions and countries—due in part to policy changes, stronger economic growth, and food aid—have significantly improved their food security situation since the 1996 Summit. This includes several lower income countries in Asia and Latin America. Sub-Saharan Africa, however, has seen little progress, and prospects for improvement are not strong. More overview...

features
Food Security Assessment, 2004 projects food gaps in 70 low-income developing countries and presents findings for North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Food aid's past performance and future role are discussed in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the U.S. food aid program. Special articles focus on food security and food assistance programs in Brazil and food security developments in Russia.

Fifty Years of U.S. Food Aid and Its Role in Reducing World Hunger states that most poor countries do not have the financial resources to support national food safety net programs. As a result, they depend on international food aid. Differing objectives in food aid programs, lack of consistency among donors' approaches to food aid, and types of food donated—the share of higher priced, noncereal foods, which are unlikely to reach the poorest segment of the population, is growing—are just a few factors that limit the effectiveness of food aid.

recommended readings
Food Security Assessment, 2002-03 projects food gaps in 70 low-income developing countries and presents findings for North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the New Independent States of the former Soviet Union. Special articles focus on methods used to measure food security in the United States and consumer and producer price policies in India.

Issues in Food Security, a series of concise papers, summarizes ERS research on food security assessment, natural resource implications, trade and external support, and food security in the United States.

Linking Land Quality, Agricultural Productivity, and Food Security explores the extent to which land quality and land degradation affect agricultural productivity, how farmers respond to land degradation, and whether land degradation poses a threat to productivity growth and food security in developing regions and around the world. Results suggest that land degradation does not threaten food security at the global scale, but does pose problems in areas where soils are fragile, property rights are insecure, and farmers have limited access to information and markets.

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recent research developments
ERS research addresses key factors affecting food security: food production, food imports, internal distribution, and policies that could affect the food security of 67 lower income countries. Researchers at ERS are conducting analyses in three priority areas: food access; food aid; and global trade liberalization.

related briefing rooms
U.S. agricultural trade
Food security in the United States
Global resources and productivity

questions and answers
Important questions and answers on issues of food security.

related links
Additional data and information on food security and related issues in developing countries are available from USDA, other U.S. Government sources, international organizations, and others.

See all related links...

for more information, contact: Birgit Meade and Stacey Rosen
web administration: webadmin@ers.usda.gov
page updated: September 16, 2004