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The previous chapters clearly outlined the potential impact of
environmental considerations on projected food demand and
supply. These environmental considerations are not well ad-
dressed in global food assessments to date. Whether the Mil-
lennium Development Goals (MDGs) like hunger eradication
will be met in the (near) future and whether the food crisis as
evolved until 2008 will impact these MDGs on the longer term,
depends on how markets will respond, how price impacts will
cascade through the food production system and how interna-
tional governments will respond to these new circumstances.
In short, the impact on food availability and food security can
only be assessed through the different dimensions that play a
role in the state of food security. The FAO defines food security
as follows: “Food security exists when all people, at all times,
have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nu-
tritious food for a healthy and active life” (FAO, 2003). This
involves four dimensions:
Adequacy of food supply or
availability
;
Stability
of supply, without seasonal fluctuations or shortages;
Accessibility
to food or affordability; and
Utilization
: quality and safety of food.
Before conclusions can be drawn on food security, these di-
mensions need to be examined. The first three dimensions are
elaborated upon in this chapter. The fourth dimension of food
utilization is beyond the scope of this report, of which the focus
is the environmental aspects of food security.