Food security is defined as the condition when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life
. It encompasses four main dimensions or pillars:
- Availability: The physical presence of adequate food supply through production, stock levels, and trade.
- Access: The economic and physical ability of individuals or households to obtain sufficient food.
- Utilization: The proper use of food, including nutritional quality, food safety, and the body's ability to absorb nutrients.
- Stability: The consistent availability and access to food over time, without risk of losing access due to shocks like economic crises or natural disasters
Food security is crucial for normal growth, development, and maintaining an active and healthy life. Its absence is termed food insecurity, which can be chronic (long-term) or acute (short-term and severe), with significant consequences such as hunger, malnutrition, and social instability
. In summary, food security means reliable access to enough safe and nutritious food at all times to live a healthy life, supported by stable food systems and economic means
