Food Insecurity and Safety Net

This chapter aims to examine food security and the use of food safety nets to address its impact. To do this, we conducted a deep dive into previously published literature utilizing the systematic review process to assess the prevalence of food insecurity and how it impacts behavior, diet quality, and health. We searched for relevant studies through PubMed and Scopus. Food insecurity has always been a persistent problem in many countries. It is a global concern that requires keen attention. Food security is primarily and generally defined as access to enough food by all people at all times for an active and healthy life and is one of the necessary conditions for a population to be healthy and well-nourished. Food insecurity is also present where food intake is interrupted and perpetuated by food deserts (e.g. low access to nutritious and affordable food); therefore, many food safety nets are developed to mitigate its grave impact. This chapter will explore many aspects of food insecurity and the measures to address its persistent and problematic effects.