Unifem

Food Security

In 2005 there were approximately 848 million undernourished people globally. FAO estimates that by the end of 2009 there will be 1.02 billion (one sixth of the world’s population) hungry people in the world. This severe climb is mainly due to the recent food and financial crises. The vast majority of undernourished people live in developing countries, with only an estimated 15 million of the 1.02 billion living in the developed world.

Within developing countries women and children are the most vulnerable to food insecurity. Agricultural production requires land, technology and tools, most of which women have very little or no access to. Those with long term land rights and access are more likely to develop ways of sustaining and regenerating the land as well as developing production infrastructure and methods to generate long-term economic benefits from the land. While women are responsible for several agricultural tasks and produce a significant portion of the world’s food, proportionately very few women own land. Those who lack basic education are also vulnerable to food insecurity, as they have little knowledge about hygienic practises. Women’s education has also been linked to child malnutrition, with an increase in women’s education accounting for 43% of the total reduction in child malnutrition in a recent study.

Women and children are also most vulnerable to the effects of food insecurity, namely malnutrition and micronutrient diseases (anaemia and vitamin A deficiency). These diseases affect maternal health and child development, thus linking food security to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). An improvement in the food security of the developing world would lead to fewer maternal deaths, fewer child deaths under five and generally better living conditions.
For more information on Food Security, please see the resources below

Food Security Factsheet

Read more about food security and its impact on women.(11877 KB)