Making sure that food is safe to consume is a critical component of feeding populations domestically and internationally. Food safety is just one dimension of food security which encompasses practices, policies, and provisions to assure that people have access to a safe, secure, nutritious, and sustainable food supply. The two topics are related because many of the food safety issues that confront modern Americans are the result of agricultural practices designed to feed an ever-larger number of people, both at home and abroad.

Both meat production and agriculture in this country are largely industrialized processes, operating on economies of scale. If people were still growing their own food on small farms, for instance, we wouldn’t have the potential for mass outbreaks of foodborne illness that threaten the public’s health. Some modern agricultural practices actually increase the risk that dangerous bacteria may emerge to threaten human health. The common use of antibiotics to treat livestock fed a diet of grain, for example, is a likely cause of the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Conversely, food insecurity exists when people lack secure access to sufficient amounts of safe and nutritious food. According to the USDA, in 2013 14.3% of American households were uncertain of having, or were unable to acquire, enough food to meet the needs of all their members because they had insufficient money or other resources for food. (INFOGRAPHIC 20.13) For 49 million or more Americans, poverty causes compromised access to sufficient, varied, and nutritious foods.

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In addition to economic status, where people live influences their food security. In Chapter 2 we examined the concept of food deserts in the United States where large, mostly poor areas had little or no access to grocery stores that sell a variety of nutrient-dense foods, including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, dairy products, and lean protein sources. And somewhat surprisingly, a recent study indicated that more than half of college students at public universities experienced food insecurity at some point during the previous year–potentially due to the cost of nutritious foods, limited income, and less access to and eligibility for food or social support systems than are available to other groups.

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Food insecurity is complex and, as food deserts demonstrate, can also contribute to overnutrition—or excess intake of energy-dense foods at the expense of nutrient-dense foods—which can lead to obesity and other chronic diseases. Global health authorities warn that chronic diseases associated with overnutrition will overtake undernutrition (inadequate intake of essential nutrients and often overall energy) as the leading causes of death in low-income communities. Therefore, healthcare providers, educators, and policy makers must consider both under- and overnutrition in addressing poverty and food insecurity.

In the United States, several nutrition assistance programs provide supplemental food to enhance access, availability, and affordability of nutritious foods. These include the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); the National School Lunch Program (NSLP); and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly referred to as Food Stamps. SNAP is the largest program in the domestic hunger safety net. And community initiatives are being developed that strive to enhance food security and bring more diverse, healthful foods to underserved populations.

These measures help ensure access to food, but they don’t address the problem of food abundance. To help increase yields, and improve crop resistance to pests, many food companies have turned to genetic engineering— the process of inserting genes into, or modifying the genes of, an organism. Such genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are increasingly common on the shelves of U.S. supermarkets (they are more restricted in Europe).

Examples of genetically modified (GM) foods include corn, soybeans, rice, and tomatoes. In the United States, although current federal law does not mandate the labeling of GM foods, the FDA is responsible for regulating the safety of GM crops consumed by humans or animals. (INFOGRAPHIC 20.14)

Food supply can vary globally based on many factors. For example, droughts, floods, and political instability can all affect food supply, as can climate change, dependence on fossil fuels, and loss of biodiversity. Climate change is a particularly worrisome factor, potentially affecting not only food supply but also food safety; some evidence suggests that the prevalence of several types of foodborne illness increases proportionally with average weekly temperatures.

A 2014 report published by the nonprofit Center for Food Safety argues that food security may be jeopardized by climate change and recommends the following: eating fresh, unprocessed foods; buying local, in-season produce; choosing organic foods; eliminating industrial meat and dairy consumption; and reducing food waste. These efforts, the report argues, may help ensure sustainability of the food supply.

Strictly speaking, sustainability means the use of resources at rates that do not exceed the capacity of Earth to replace them. For food, a sustainable system implies safety and security of the food supply, a strong food industry in terms of jobs and growth, and, at the same time, environmental sustainability in terms of biodiversity, water, and soil quality.

According to the 2014 Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations Report on Food Insecurity in the World, a total of 805 million people, or around one in nine people in the world, were estimated to be suffering from chronic hunger, regularly not getting enough food to conduct an active life. Sub-Saharan Africa remains the region with the highest prevalence of undernourishment, with more than one in five people estimated to be undernourished. (INFOGRAPHIC 20.15) Undernourishment as a consequence of food insecurity in these areas is of particular concern in children with increased susceptibility to infections and often fatal consequences of illness (like chronic diarrhea), as well as risk of impaired growth and development.

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Feeding the world and advancing food security with an expanding population will require commitment, cooperation, and innovation among citizens and scientists. Given population growth and rising incomes that provide opportunity for greater consumption of resources and consumer goods, it is estimated that the demand for food will rise by 70% to 100% by 2050. Many programs and initiatives at the national and international levels are geared toward reducing hunger and boosting food security.

If history is any guide, there will likely be more food crises, involving both safety and security, before a sustainable food culture prevails.

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