Global food crisis: magnitude, causes and policy measures

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the magnitude and various causes of the global food crisis. Further, the paper aims to suggest policy measures towards the solution of global food crisis problem.

Design/methodology/approach

To verify the problem of global food crisis, the paper mainly utilizes food price index of UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and qualititative information to highlight the international reaction/initiative/scenario in food crisis regime.

Findings

Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food for a healthy and active life. Unlike nutrition, where treatment is guided by standard protocols based on human nutritional requirements, food security must take into account a wide range of factors such as climate, geography, socio‐economic systems, and political structures. The challenges in achieving food security are to reduce poverty, increase food security without further degrading natural resources, and to cope with population growth, rising incomes and inflation, changing food habits, conversion of food crops into biofuels, increasing speculation in the commodity market and urbanization. To solve the problem of global food crisis, a coordinated multi‐stranded approach is needed.

Practical implications

Improving food security will help governments to achieve the millennium development goals (MDGs). Food security will not only help to eradicate hunger, it will also help to reduce child mortality and improve maternal health. Most importantly, it will help to break the cycle of poverty.

Originality/value

The paper presents comprehensive research work in the field of global food crisis and highlights the various dimensions of the global food crisis problem. The paper also provides innovative policy measures to solve the global food crisis.

Citation

Singh, S. (2009), "Global food crisis: magnitude, causes and policy measures", International Journal of Social Economics, Vol. 36 No. 1/2, pp. 23-36. https://doi.org/10.1108/03068290910921163