Addressing local level food insecurity amongst small-holder communities in transition

Whilst most interpret food insecurity to mean an insufficient quantity of food (as measured by the number of calories consumed), the widely accepted FAO definition considers four dimensions of food security, namely quantity, quality or diversity, access and use. Provision of enough calories on a daily basis is not sufficient if the diet lacks diversity and appropriate balance to provide the full range of minerals and vitamins necessary for proper health,or if the food available is culturally unacceptable. Thus,there is a pressing need for more nuanced analyses of food security against all four of the dimensions embedded in the concept.