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Nicolas Bricas

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Food Security

“Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.” (Definition from the 1996 World Food Conference)

Food security has long been regarded as a matter of balancing supply with demand. In the past, policies were limited to increasing agricultural production and/or slowing population growth. This perspective has fundamentally changed, as the definition above indicates.

Food security is based on four pillars:

  • Access – refers to the ability to produce one’s own food or buy it, which implies having the purchasing power to do so.
  • Availability – still a problem in areas where food production does not meet population needs, thus raising the question—does our planet have the capacity to feed the growing millions whose consumption habits are on the rise?
  • Food quality – from a nutritional, sanitary, sensory and socio-cultural point of view. Food security integrates the notion of food safety.
  • Stability – in terms of availability, accessibility and quality. This fourth pillar incorporates issues of price stability and securing incomes for vulnerable populations.

Nearly all the research conducted at CIRAD contributes directly or indirectly to food security by:

  • Increasing agricultural production (genetic improvement, disease control, improved cropping systems, minimization of losses, etc.);
  • Improving competitiveness of farm production and incomes of farmers and other agri-food sector actors (quality improvement, cost reduction);
  • Improving food safety as well as food quality, and by adding value to traditional local products.

Research Questions

CIRAD’s overall approach to food security focuses on:

Households and individuals. How do they behave when faced with food safety risks? What linkages exist between socio-economic criteria (income, education, etc.), behavior and food security? Which indicators are relevant? How can we account for well-being, and not just insecurity? What are the effects of policies like poverty reduction, social protection or price control on food security of individuals?

Governance of food security. How do global, regional, national and local policies articulate with each other? What role can the collective actions of producers or consumers play? What features and conditions are conducive to inter-sectoral governance? How consistently do sectoral policies manage to reach food security objectives? In what way can environmental and social concerns be integrated into food security policies, to ensure a sustainable food supply?

Managing price volatility. Does it require government intervention? Under what institutional and political conditions does it make sense to regulate markets or mitigate the effects of price volatility?

Agricultural production and food security. If it is not an enough condition, food available is necessary to ensure it. What are the growth factors for food production? How does demand, especially urban demand, encourage or discourage production? What are the consequences of large-scale land grabbing on food security?

Outlook for worldwide food supply and demand. What are the perspectives for land use, yields and use of agricultural products in a context marked by climate change, growing environmental concerns, rapid urbanization, economic growth and increased demand for animal products and renewable energy?

Research Units

Many CIRAD research units are working to increase available food and farmers’ incomes, thereby contributing to food security. Some units work directly on food safety and food security:

Update date: 05/09/2011