Food Security Concepts

The aim of this chapter is to present an analysis of the concept of food security, through the examination of its fundamental definitions and principles. Food security endangered during the COVID-19 pandemic originating from the dysfunction of the food supply chain. The chapter begins with an exploration of the various definitions of food security, as defined by international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). We will then focus on the five pillars on which food security is based: availability, accessibility, acceptability, sufficiency and responsibility. The impact of the covid-19 pandemic on the food supply chain is then discussed, highlighting the disturbances in the different stages of the production chain to the impact on the consumption of the final consumer. It would seem that the main challenges include the shortage of labor, transport restrictions, and the increase in food prices. The chapter highlights the negative effects of these disturbances on global food security, in particular in developing countries such as Turkey, where dependence on agricultural imports, especially in cereals, has accentuated during the pandemic. It is clear that the drop in purchasing power, combined up the prices of foodstuffs, exacerbated food insecurity, particularly affecting the most vulnerable populations.