Human food is food which is fit for human consumption, and which humans willingly eat . Food is a basic necessity of life, and humans typically seek food out as an instinctual response to hunger ; however, not all things that are edible constitute as human food.
118-552: Food security is the state of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food . The availability of food for people of any class and state, gender or religion is another element of food security. Similarly, household food security is considered to exist when all the members of a family, at all times, have access to enough food for an active, healthy life. Individuals who are food-secure do not live in hunger or fear of starvation . Food security includes resilience to future disruptions of food supply. Such
236-409: A selfservice approach to shopping using shopping carts and were able to offer quality food at a lower cost through economies of scale and reduced staffing costs. In the latter part of the 20th century, this has been further revolutionized by the development of vast warehouse-sized, out-of-town supermarkets, selling a wide range of food from around the world. Unlike food processors, food retailing
354-539: A consequence of the conflicts. With the majority of them being hosted in developing nations, the number of displaced individuals between 2010 and 2018 increased by 70% between 2010 and 2018 to reach 70.8 million. Recent editions of the SOFI report ( The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World) present evidence that the decades-long decline in hunger in the world, as measured by the number of undernourished (NoU), has ended. In
472-443: A cosmopolitan exchange of different food traditions and practices. Today, the majority of the food energy required by the ever- increasing population of the world is supplied by the industrial food industry , which produces food with intensive agriculture and distributes it through complex food processing and food distribution systems. This system of conventional agriculture relies heavily on fossil fuels , which means that
590-407: A different degree of saltiness, including sea salt , fleur de sel , kosher salt , mined salt, and grey salt. Other than enhancing flavour, salty foods are significant for body needs and maintaining a delicate electrolyte balance, which is the kidney 's function. Salt may be iodized , meaning iodine has been added to it. Iodine is a necessary nutrient for maintenance of thyroid function, and
708-622: A disruption could occur due to various risk factors such as droughts and floods , shipping disruptions, fuel shortages, economic instability, and wars. Food insecurity is the opposite of food security: a state where there is only limited or uncertain availability of suitable food. The concept of food security has evolved over time. The four pillars of food security include availability, access, utilization, and stability. In addition, there are two more dimensions that are important: agency and sustainability . These six dimensions of food security are reinforced in conceptual and legal understandings of
826-592: A dramatic increase in trade liberalization . This included an agreement to reduce subsidies paid to farmers, underpinned by the WTO enforcement of agricultural subsidy , tariffs , import quotas , and settlement of trade disputes that cannot be bilaterally resolved. Where trade barriers are raised on the disputed grounds of public health and safety, the WTO refer the dispute to the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which
944-657: A fishmonger. However, fish butchery may be done on board a fishing vessel and quick-frozen for the preservation of the quality. Certain cultures highlight animal and vegetable foods in a raw state . Salads consisting of raw vegetables or fruits are common in many cuisines. Sashimi in Japanese cuisine consists of raw sliced fish or other meat, and sushi often incorporates raw fish or seafood. Steak tartare and salmon tartare are dishes made from diced or ground raw beef or salmon, mixed with various ingredients and served with baguettes , brioche , or frites . In Italy, carpaccio
1062-516: A grants to include the identification, treatment, and prevention of eating disorders and obesity. Nutrition education programs within schools try to create behaviors that prevent students from potentially becoming obese, developing diabetes and cardiovascular issues, and forming negative emotional issues by educating students on the aspects of a healthy diet, emphasizing the consumption of lower fat dairy options and both fruits and vegetables. Studies support that good nutrition significant contributes to
1180-478: A high degree of vulnerability to hunger and famine. Chronic hunger and malnutrition in childhood can lead to stunted growth of children. Once stunting has occurred, improved nutritional intake after the age of about two years is unable to reverse the damage. Severe malnutrition in early childhood often leads to defects in cognitive development . Food security, as defined by the World Food Summit in 1996,
1298-661: A holistic nutrition education approach. The four core content areas within the EFNEP are Diet Quality and Physical Activity, Food Resource Management, Food Safety , and Food Security . The Improving Child Nutrition and Education Act of 2016 was a bill introduced in the United States Congress aimed at enhancing child nutrition programs and education. The key provisions of the bill included expanding access to school meal programs, promoting nutrition education, streamlining administrative processes, and addressing food waste. Overall,
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#17328768218271416-434: A household purchases food produced elsewhere. Location can affect access to food and which type of access a family will rely on. The assets of a household, including income, land, products of labor, inheritances, and gifts can determine a household's access to food. However, the ability to access sufficient food may not lead to the purchase of food over other materials and services. Demographics and education levels of members of
1534-666: A lack of visible desired behavior changes. The National Center for Health Statistics October 2017 data brief, found that the prevalence of obesity among youth ages 2–19 has increased from 13.9 to 18.5 percent from 1999 to 2016. With eating behaviors, such as missing meals throughout the day and engaging in potentially dangerous self-prescribed weight loss methods, combined with a diet consisting of foods high in sodium, cholesterol and saturated fats, college students' dietary habits can potentially negatively affect their current and future health. A typical college student's diet does not contain enough vitamins, minerals or fiber. Limited in both
1652-612: A level of around 9.9 percent. This is the mid-point of an estimate of 720 to 811 million people facing hunger in 2020 – as many as 161 million more than in 2019. The number had jumped by some 446 million in Africa , 57 million in Asia , and about 14 million in Latin America and the Caribbean . At the global level, the prevalence of food insecurity at a moderate or severe level, and severe level only,
1770-1009: A lineage of wheat stem rust , which can cause up to 100% crop losses, is present in wheat fields in several countries in Africa and the Middle East and is predicted to spread rapidly through these regions and possibly further afield, potentially causing a wheat production disaster that would affect food security worldwide. Human food Humans eat various substances for energy, enjoyment and nutritional support. These are usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contain essential nutrients , such as carbohydrates , fats , proteins , vitamins , and minerals . Humans are highly adaptable omnivores , and have adapted to obtain food in many different ecosystems. Historically, humans secured food through two main methods: hunting and gathering and agriculture . As agricultural technologies improved, humans settled into agriculture lifestyles with diets shaped by
1888-580: A marked change from the usual basic eateries such as inns and taverns, and some had developed from early Parisian cafés , such as Café Procope , by first serving bouillon, then adding other cooked food to their menus. Commercial eateries existed during the Roman period , with evidence of 150 "thermopolia", a form of fast food restaurant, found in Pompeii , and urban sales of prepared foods may have existed in China during
2006-563: A radiant heat source from below, usually covered with a metal grid and sometimes a cover. An open-pit barbecue in the American south is one example along with the American-style outdoor grill fueled by wood, liquid propane, or charcoal along with soaked wood chips for smoking. A Mexican style of barbecue is called barbacoa , which involves the cooking of meats such as whole sheep over an open fire. In Argentina, an asado (Spanish for "grilled")
2124-424: A single high temperature. Western kitchens use variable temperature convection ovens , conventional ovens, toaster ovens , or non-radiant heat ovens like the microwave oven . Classic Italian cuisine includes the use of a brick oven containing burning wood. Ovens may be wood-fired, coal-fired, gas , electric, or oil-fired. Various types of cooktops are used as well. They carry the same variations of fuel types as
2242-412: A smooth topping, such as jam or butter. Another universal phenomenon regarding food is the appeal of contrast in taste and presentation. For example, such opposite flavours as sweetness and saltiness tend to go well together, as in kettle corn and nuts . While many foods can be eaten raw, many also undergo some form of preparation for reasons of safety, palatability , texture , or flavour . At
2360-585: A third. The 2021 edition of the SOFI report estimated the hunger excess linked to the COVID-19 pandemic at 30 million people by the end of the decade – FAO had earlier warned that even without the pandemic, the world was off track to achieve Zero Hunger or Goal 2 of the Sustainable Development Goals – it further found that already in the first year of the pandemic, the prevalence of undernourishment (PoU) had increased 1.5 percentage points, reaching
2478-648: A type of simple sugar such as glucose or fructose , or disaccharides such as sucrose , a molecule combining glucose and fructose. Complex carbohydrates are long chains and do not have a sweet taste. In the natural settings that human primate ancestors evolved in, sweetness intensity should indicate energy density , while bitterness tends to indicate toxicity . The high sweetness detection threshold and low bitterness detection threshold would have predisposed our primate ancestors to seek out sweet-tasting (and energy-dense) foods and avoid bitter-tasting foods. Artificial sweeteners such as sucralose are used to mimic
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#17328768218272596-422: A wide range of well-known food brands. There also exists a wide array of small local or national food processing companies. Advanced technologies have also come to change food manufacturing. Computer-based control systems, sophisticated processing and packaging methods, and logistics and distribution advances can enhance product quality, improve food safety , and reduce costs. The World Bank reported that
2714-475: Is ceviche , a Latin American dish made with raw meat that is "cooked" from the highly acidic citric juice from lemons and limes along with other aromatics such as garlic. The term " cooking " encompasses a vast range of methods, tools, and combinations of ingredients to improve the flavour or digestibility of food. Cooking technique, known as culinary art , generally requires the selection, measurement, and combining of ingredients in an ordered procedure to achieve
2832-556: Is "when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life". Food insecurity , on the other hand, as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is a situation of "limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways." At
2950-488: Is a " human right " derived from the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), recognizing the "right to an adequate standard of living , including adequate food", as well as the " fundamental right to be free from hunger ". Because of these fundamental rights, food security is often a priority international policy activity; for example Sustainable Development Goal 2 "Zero hunger"
3068-410: Is a dish of very thinly sliced raw beef , drizzled with a vinaigrette made with olive oil. The health food movement known as raw foodism promotes a mostly vegan diet of raw fruits, vegetables, and grains prepared in various ways, including juicing, food dehydration, sprouting, and other methods of preparation that do not heat the food above 118 °F (47.8 °C). An example of a raw meat dish
3186-480: Is a greater barrier to achieving food security. Food access refers to the affordability and allocation of food, as well as the preferences of individuals and households. The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights noted that the causes of hunger and malnutrition are often not a scarcity of food but an inability to access available food, usually due to poverty . Poverty can limit access to food, and can also increase how vulnerable an individual or household
3304-561: Is a major feedstock for the production of ammonia , via the Haber process , for use in fertilizer production. The development of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer has significantly supported global population growth — it has been estimated that almost half the people on Earth are currently fed as a result of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer use. Diseases affecting livestock or crops can have devastating effects on food availability especially if there are no contingency plans in place. For example, Ug99 ,
3422-514: Is a result of food insecurity. According to estimates, girls and women make up 60% of the world's chronically hungry and little progress has been made in ensuring the equal right to food for women enshrined in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women . At the global level, the gender gap in the prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity grew even larger in
3540-595: Is a sensation often considered unpleasant and characterized by having a sharp, pungent taste. Unsweetened dark chocolate , caffeine , lemon rind, and some types of fruit are known to be bitter. Umami has been described as savoury and is characteristic of broths and cooked meats. Foods that have a strong umami flavor include meats, shellfish , fish (including fish sauce and preserved fish such as Maldives fish , sardines, and anchovies), tomatoes, mushrooms, hydrolyzed vegetable protein , meat extract , yeast extract , cheeses, and soy sauce . Many scholars claim that
3658-421: Is a two-tier market in which a small number of very large companies control a large proportion of supermarkets. The supermarket giants wield great purchasing power over farmers and processors, and strong influence over consumers. Nevertheless, less than 10% of consumer spending on food goes to farmers, with larger percentages going to advertising , transportation, and intermediate corporations. Access to food
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3776-438: Is an economical and a sociological issue. Disadvantaged people typically live further away from providers of healthy food than the middle class . A study of 94 million visits to food retailers showed that Americans travel a median distance of 5.95 km (3.7 miles) each time they buy food. Nutrition education Nutrition education is a combination of learning experiences designed to teach individuals or groups about
3894-474: Is delivered through multiple venues and involves activities at the individual, community, and policy levels. Nutrition Education also critically looks at issues such as food security , food literacy, and food sustainability . Nutrition education promotes healthy-eating and exercise behaviors. The work of nutrition educators takes place in colleges, universities and schools, government agencies, cooperative extension , communications and public relations firms,
4012-482: Is evolutionarily significant as it is a sign of food that may have gone rancid due to bacteria. Many foods, however, are slightly acidic and help stimulate the taste buds and enhance flavour. Saltiness is the taste of alkali metal ions such as sodium and potassium . It is found in almost every food in low to moderate proportions to enhance flavour, although eating pure salt is regarded as highly unpleasant. There are many different types of salt, with each having
4130-415: Is food utilization, which refers to the metabolism of food by individuals. Once the food is obtained by a household, a variety of factors affect the quantity and quality of food that reaches members of the household. To achieve food security, the food ingested must be safe and must be enough to meet the physiological requirements of each individual. Food safety affects food utilization, and can be affected by
4248-648: Is government action or inaction that determines its severity, and often even whether or not a famine will occur. The 20th century has examples of governments, such as Collectivization in the Soviet Union or the Great Leap Forward in the People's Republic of China undermining the food security of their nations. Mass starvation is frequently a weapon of war, as in the blockade of Germany in World War I and World War II ,
4366-512: Is higher among women than men, magnified in rural areas. In 2023, the Global Report on Food Crises revealed that acute hunger affected approximately 282 million people across 59 countries, an increase of 24 million from the previous year. This rise in food insecurity was primarily driven by conflicts, economic shocks, and extreme weather . Regions like the Gaza Strip and South Sudan were among
4484-528: Is meant to eliminate hunger by 2030. Food safety and food security are monitored by international agencies like the International Association for Food Protection , World Resources Institute , World Food Programme , Food and Agriculture Organization , and International Food Information Council , and are often subject to national regulation by institutions, such as the Food and Drug Administration in
4602-546: Is no longer restricted by the diversity of locally grown food or the limitations of the local growing season. Between 1961 and 1999, there was a 400% increase in worldwide food exports. Some countries are now economically dependent on food exports, which in some cases account for over 80% of all exports. In 1994, over 100 countries became signatories to the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in
4720-503: Is not required for a country to achieve food security. Nations do not have to have the natural resources required to produce crops to achieve food security, as seen in the examples of Japan and Singapore. Because food consumers outnumber producers in every country, food must be distributed to different regions or nations. Food distribution involves the storage, processing, transport, packaging, and marketing of food. Food-chain infrastructure and storage technologies on farms can also affect
4838-477: Is prepared on a grill held over an open pit or fire made upon the ground, on which a whole animal or smaller cuts are grilled. Restaurants employ chefs to prepare the food, and waiters to serve customers at the table. The term restaurant comes from an old term for a restorative meat broth ; this broth (or bouillon) was served in elegant outlets in Paris from the mid 18th century. These refined "restaurants" were
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4956-469: Is that people "eat with their eyes". Food presented in a clean and appetizing way will encourage a good flavour, even if unsatisfactory. Texture plays a crucial role in the enjoyment of eating foods. Contrasts in textures, such as something crunchy in an otherwise smooth dish, may increase the appeal of eating it. Common examples include adding granola to yoghurt , adding croutons to a salad or soup , and toasting bread to enhance its crunchiness for
5074-514: Is to capture some or all of the main components of food security in terms of food availability, accessibility, and utilization/adequacy. While availability (production and supply) and utilization/adequacy (nutritional status/ anthropometric measurement) are easier to estimate and therefore more popular, accessibility (the ability to acquire a sufficient quantity and quality of food) remains largely elusive. The factors influencing household food accessibility are often context-specific. FAO has developed
5192-473: Is to food price spikes. Access depends on whether the household has enough income to purchase food at prevailing prices or has sufficient land and other resources to grow its food. Households with enough resources can overcome unstable harvests and local food shortages and maintain their access to food. There are two distinct types of access to food: direct access, in which a household produces food using human and material resources, and economic access, in which
5310-636: The Battle of the Atlantic , and the blockade of Japan during World War I and World War II and in the Hunger Plan enacted by Nazi Germany . The WHO states that three pillars that determine food security: food availability, food access, and food use and misuse. The FAO added a fourth pillar: the stability of the first three dimensions of food security over time. In 2009, the World Summit on Food Security stated that
5428-711: The Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP). The main objectives of the Food and Nutrition Service are to help reduce the risk of obesity and ensure that hunger is no longer a concern for US citizens through a variety of assistance programs. Some of the programs of the FNS include WIC , Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and school meals. The CNPP is responsible for developing dietary guidelines based on scientific evidence and promoting them to consumers through nutrition programs such as MyPlate . Nutrition education complements
5546-602: The Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) as a universally applicable experience-based food security measurement scale derived from the scale used in the United States. Thanks to the establishment of a global reference scale and the procedure needed to calibrate measures obtained in different countries, it is possible to use the FIES to produce cross-country comparable estimates of the prevalence of food insecurity in
5664-567: The Song dynasty . In 2005, the population of the United States spent $ 496 billion on out-of-home dining. Expenditures by type of out-of-home dining were as follows: 40% in full-service restaurants, 37.2% in limited-service restaurants ( fast food ), 6.6% in schools or colleges, 5.4% in bars and vending machines , 4.7% in hotels and motels, 4.0% in recreational places, and 2.2% in others, which includes military bases. Food systems have complex economic and social value chains that effect many parts of
5782-617: The U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2009. A 2012 study in the Journal of Applied Research on Children found that rates of food security varied significantly by race, class and education. In both kindergarten and third grade, 8% of the children were classified as food insecure, but only 5% of white children were food insecure, while 12% and 15% of black and Hispanic children were food insecure, respectively. In third grade, 13% of black and 11% of Hispanic children were food insecure compared to 5% of white children. Gender inequality both leads to and
5900-846: The World Trade Organization and Common Agricultural Policy ), national government policy (or law), and war. Several organisations have begun calling for a new kind of agriculture in which agroecosystems provide food but also support vital ecosystem services so that soil fertility and biodiversity are maintained rather than compromised. According to the International Water Management Institute and UNEP , well-managed agroecosystems not only provide food, fibre and animal products, they also provide services such as flood mitigation , groundwater recharge , erosion control and habitats for plants, birds, fish and other animals. Packaged foods are manufactured outside
6018-559: The amino acids essential for the human body. Some cultures and people do not consume meat or animal food products for cultural, dietary, health, ethical, or ideological reasons. Vegetarians choose to forgo food from animal sources to varying degrees. Vegans do not consume any foods that contain ingredients from an animal source. Fish and other marine animals are harvested from lakes, rivers, wetlands, inland waters, coasts, estuaries, mangroves, near-shore areas, and marine and ocean waters. Although aquatic foods contribute significantly to
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#17328768218276136-629: The greatest famines in history were caused by economic policy . One economic policy example of famine was the Holodomor (Great Famine) induced by the Soviet Union 's communist economic policy resulting in 7–10 million deaths. In the late 20th century the Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen observed that "there is no such thing as an apolitical food problem." While drought and other naturally occurring events may trigger famine conditions, it
6254-580: The right to food . The World Food Summit in 1996 declared that "food should not be used as an instrument for political and economic pressure." There are many causes of food insecurity. The most important ones are high food prices and disruptions in global food supplies for example due to war. There is also climate change , water scarcity , land degradation , agricultural diseases, pandemics and disease outbreaks that can all lead to food insecurity. The effects of food insecurity can include hunger and even famines . Chronic food insecurity translates into
6372-1038: The "four pillars of food security are availability, access, utilization, and stability." Two additional pillars of food security were recommended in 2020 by the High-Level Panel of Experts for the Committee on World Food Security: agency and sustainability. Food availability relates to the supply of food through production, distribution, and exchange. Food production is determined by a variety of factors including land ownership and use; soil management ; crop selection, breeding , and management; livestock breeding and management; and harvesting . Crop production can be affected by changes in rainfall and temperatures. The use of land, water, and energy to grow food often compete with other uses, which can affect food production. Land used for agriculture can be used for urbanization or lost to desertification, salinization or soil erosion due to unsustainable agricultural practices. Crop production
6490-440: The 10th millennium BC with the introduction of pottery . There are many different types of equipment used for cooking. Ovens are mostly hollow devices that get very hot, up to 500 °F (260 °C), and are used for baking or roasting and offer a dry-heat cooking method. Different cuisines will use different types of ovens. For example, Indian culture uses a tandoor oven, which is a cylindrical clay oven which operates at
6608-403: The 1974 World Food Conference , the term food security was defined with an emphasis on supply; it was defined as the "availability at all times of adequate, nourishing, diverse, balanced and moderate world food supplies of basic foodstuffs to sustain a steady expansion of food consumption and to offset the fluctuations in production and prices." Later definitions added demand and access issues to
6726-436: The 19th century. This development took advantage of new mass markets and emerging technology, such as milling , preservation, packaging and labeling , and transportation. It brought the advantages of pre-prepared time-saving food to the bulk of ordinary people who did not employ domestic servants. At the start of the 21st century, a two-tier structure has arisen, with a few international food processing giants controlling
6844-506: The 2020 report, FAO used newly accessible data from China to revise the global NoU downwards to nearly 690 million, or 8.9 percent of the world population – but having recalculated the historic hunger series accordingly, it confirmed that the number of hungry people in the world, albeit lower than previously thought, had been slowly increasing since 2014. On broader measures, the SOFI report found that far more people suffered some form of food insecurity, with 3 billion or more unable to afford even
6962-445: The COVID-19 pandemic risk undermining the efforts of humanitarian and food security organizations to maintain food security. The International Food Policy Research Institute expressed concerns that the increased connections between markets and the complexity of food and economic systems could cause disruptions to food systems during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically affecting the poor. The Ebola outbreak in 2014 led to increases in
7080-583: The European Union was the top food importer in 2005, followed at a distance by the US and Japan. Britain 's need for food was especially well-illustrated in World War II . Despite the implementation of food rationing , Britain remained dependent on food imports and the result was a long-term engagement in the Battle of the Atlantic . Food is traded and marketed on a global basis. The variety and availability of food
7198-700: The U.S. Besides nutrition education, environmental factors such as a decrease in physical activity and increase in energy intake have led to more sedentary children. This increase in body mass index has led to hypertension , metabolic syndrome , and type 2 diabetes among other chronic diseases. Poor nutrition habits and lack of physical activity have led to this increase of obesity that leads from childhood to adulthood. A lack of funding and insufficient resources have led to poor nutrition education. Lack of funding has led to schools developing contracts with private companies such as soda and candy companies that allow vending machines and other products as well and has created
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#17328768218277316-831: The USDA's assistance programs and is administered by the FNS. This federally funded nutrition education is based on the guidelines developed by the CNPP. In addition, the USDA also administers the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture . This program focuses on reaching those in low-income households to address health disparities associated with prevalent societal challenges such as hunger , malnutrition , poverty , and obesity . EFNEP aims to help low-income families improve their nutritional well-being through interactive lessons in
7434-679: The United States established the Humane Slaughter Act of 1958, which requires that an animal be stunned before killing. This act, like those in many countries, exempts slaughter following religious law, such as kosher , shechita , and dhabīḥah halal. Strict interpretations of kashrut require the animal to be fully aware when its carotid artery is cut. On the local level, a butcher may commonly break down larger animal meat into smaller manageable cuts, and pre-wrap them for commercial sale or wrap them to order in butcher paper. In addition, fish and seafood may be fabricated into smaller cuts by
7552-505: The United States. Humans are omnivores finding sustenance in vegetables, fruits, cooked meat, milk, eggs, mushrooms and seaweed. Cereal grain is a staple food that provides more food energy worldwide than any other type of crop. Corn (maize) , wheat , and rice account for 87% of all grain production worldwide. Just over half of the world's crops are used to feed humans (55 percent), with 36 percent grown as animal feed and 9 percent for biofuels . Fungi and bacteria are also used in
7670-587: The World , or SOFI report (known as The State of Food Insecurity in the World until 2015). The SOFI report measures chronic hunger (or undernourishment) using two main indicators, the Number of undernourished (NoU) and the Prevalence of undernourishment (PoU). Beginning in the early 2010s, FAO incorporated more complex metrics into its calculations, including estimates of food losses in retail distribution for each country and
7788-608: The absence or scarcity of welfare provisions in the poorest of countries, is further undermining access to food. Nearly a tenth of the world population still lives on US$ 1.90 or less a day, with sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia the regions most affected. High import and export dependence ratios are meanwhile making many countries more vulnerable to external shocks. In many low-income economies, debt has swollen to levels far exceeding GDP, eroding growth prospects. Finally, there are increasing risks to institutional stability, persistent violence, and large-scale population relocation as
7906-449: The addition of iodine to salt became a public-health practice in the mid 20th century to prevent iodine deficiency and related diseases such as endemic goitre . Some canned foods, notably soups or packaged broths , tend to be high in salt as a means of preserving the food longer. Historically salt has long been used as a meat preservative as salt promotes water excretion. Similarly, dried foods also promote food safety. Bitterness
8024-439: The agriculture opportunities in their region of the world. Geographic and cultural differences have led to the creation of numerous cuisines and culinary arts , including a wide array of ingredients , herbs , spices , techniques , and dishes . As cultures have mixed through forces like international trade and globalization , ingredients have become more widely available beyond their geographic and cultural origins, creating
8142-606: The amount of food wasted in the distribution process. Poor transport infrastructure can increase the price of supplying water and fertilizer as well as the price of moving food to national and global markets. Around the world, few individuals or households are continuously self-reliant on food. This creates the need for a bartering, exchange, or cash economy to acquire food. The exchange of food requires efficient trading systems and market institutions, which can affect food security. Per capita world food supplies are more than adequate to provide food security to all, and thus food accessibility
8260-617: The amount of sugar, sodium, and calories from saturated fat that specific foods may contain per item. The Public Health Service Act was enacted in 1944 and broadened the scope of the Public Health Service functions. IMPACT (The Improved Nutrition and Physical Activity Act) was a piece of legislation introduced in the Senate in 2005 aimed to amend the Public Health Service Act in reducing obesity among children. It called for
8378-480: The bill sought to improve the health and well-being of children by ensuring they have access to nutritious meals and education about healthy eating habits. [1] The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 passed by the Obama administration in 2010 included provisions that led to reforms that established minimum requirements that all food and beverages sold on schools' campuses must meet. The new standards include limits on
8496-469: The body and decrease food utilization. Sanitation can also decrease the occurrence and spread of diseases that can affect food utilization. Education about nutrition and food preparation can affect food utilization and improve this pillar of food security. Food stability refers to the ability to obtain food over time. Food insecurity can be transitory, seasonal, or chronic. In transitory food insecurity, food may be unavailable during certain periods of time. At
8614-413: The cheapest healthy diet. Nearly 2.37 billion people did not have access to adequate food in 2020 – an increase of 320 million people compared to 2019. FAO's 2021 edition of The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) further estimates that an additional 1 billion people (mostly in lower- and upper-middle-income countries) are at risk of not affording a healthy diet if a shock were to reduce their income by
8732-474: The community, regional, and national levels. The goal of this environmental change is to make healthier foods more accessible to a wider population in order to increase the opportunities and likelihood for individuals to make healthy choices. In 1969, a recommendation from the White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health stated that nutrition education should be part of school curriculums. It
8850-457: The companies that transport the ingredients and those that print labels and manufacture cans. The food marketing system is the largest direct and indirect non-government employer in the United States. In the pre-modern era, the sale of surplus food took place once a week when farmers took their wares on market day into the local village marketplace. Here food was sold to grocers for sale in their local shops for purchase by local consumers. With
8968-569: The consumption of fruit and vegetables, research has shown that enrollment in a university nutrition class, emphasizing the consumption of fruits and vegetables and certain dietary habits that prevent chronic disease, significantly increased the students consumption of fruits and vegetables compared to their baseline consumption levels. Childhood obesity is a public health concern. In a recent study done by medical researchers, from 2011-2012, 8.4% of young children ages 2–5, 17.7% of kids ages 6–11, and 20.5% of teens ages 12–19 are categorized as obese in
9086-471: The definition. The first World Food Summit, held in 1996, stated that food security "exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life." Chronic (or permanent) food insecurity is defined as the long-term, persistent lack of adequate food. In this case, households are constantly at risk of being unable to acquire food to meet
9204-415: The desired result. Constraints on success include the variability of ingredients, ambient conditions, tools , and the skill of the individual cook. The diversity of cooking worldwide is a reflection of the myriad nutritional, aesthetic, agricultural, economic, cultural, and religious considerations that affect it. Cooking requires applying heat to a food which usually, though not always, chemically changes
9322-551: The food and agricultural system is one of the major contributors to climate change , accountable for as much as 37% of the total greenhouse gas emissions . Addressing the carbon intensity of the food system and food waste are important mitigation measures in the global response to climate change. The food system has significant impacts on a wide range of other social and political issues, including: sustainability , biological diversity , economics , population growth , water supply , and access to food . The right to food
9440-451: The food and nutritional security of their households and communities and as "managers" of the stability of food supplies in times of economic hardship. The gender gap in accessing food increased from 2018 to 2019, particularly at moderate or severe levels. Famines have been frequent in world history. Some have killed millions and substantially diminished the population of a large area. The most common causes have been drought and war, but
9558-410: The food industry, voluntary and service organizations and with other reliable places of nutrition and health education information. Nutrition education is a mechanism to enhance awareness, as a means to self-efficacy , surrounding the trigger of healthy behaviors. There are generally three main phases of nutrition education: a motivational phase, an action phase, and an environmental component. In
9676-428: The food production level, natural disasters and drought result in crop failure and decreased food availability. Civil conflicts can also decrease access to food. Instability in markets resulting in food-price spikes can cause transitory food insecurity. Other factors that can temporarily cause food insecurity are loss of employment or productivity, which can be caused by illness. Seasonal food insecurity can result from
9794-481: The food; others may be involved in cultural identity. A meal is made up of food which is prepared to be eaten at a specific time and place. The preparation of animal-based food usually involves slaughter , evisceration , hanging, portioning, and rendering . In developed countries, this is usually done outside the home in slaughterhouses , which are used to process animals en masse for meat production. Many countries regulate their slaughterhouses by law. For example,
9912-454: The global economy. Most food has always been obtained through agriculture. With increasing concern over both the methods and products of modern industrial agriculture , there has been a growing trend toward sustainable agricultural practices. This approach, partly fueled by consumer demand, encourages biodiversity , local self-reliance and organic farming methods. Major influences on food production include international organizations (e.g.
10030-490: The hardest hit, highlighting the urgent need for targeted interventions to address and mitigate global hunger effectively. Food insecurity in children can lead to developmental impairments and long term consequences such as weakened physical, intellectual and emotional development. By way of comparison, in one of the largest food producing countries in the world, the United States, approximately one out of six people are "food insecure," including 17 million children, according to
10148-650: The health of billions of people around the world, they tend to be undervalued nutritionally, primarily because their diversity is framed in a monolithic way as "seafood or fish." Worldwide, aquatic foods are available every season and are produced in a wide variety. Over 2,370 species are harvested from wild fisheries, and about 624 are farmed in aquaculture. Fish powder for infants, fish wafers for snacks, and fish chutneys have all been developed because marine foods are nutrient-dense. Some animals, specifically humans, have five different types of tastes: sweet , sour , salty , bitter , and umami . As such animals have evolved ,
10266-470: The home for purchase. This can be as simple as a butcher preparing meat or as complex as a modern international food industry . Early food processing techniques were limited by available food preservation, packaging, and transportation. This mainly involved salting , curing , curdling, drying , pickling , fermenting , and smoking . Food manufacturing arose during the Industrial Revolution in
10384-763: The household as well as the gender of the household head determine the preferences of the household, which influences the type of food that is purchased. A household's access to adequate nutritious food may not assure adequate food intake for all household members, as intrahousehold food allocation may not sufficiently meet the requirements of each member of the household. The USDA adds that access to food must be available in socially acceptable ways, without, for example, resorting to emergency food supplies, scavenging, stealing, or other coping strategies. The monetary value of global food exports multiplied by 4.4 in nominal terms between 2000 and 2021, from US$ 380 billion in 2000 to US$ 1.66 trillion in 2021. The next pillar of food security
10502-673: The long-term ability of food systems to provide food security and nutrition in a way that does not compromise the economic, social, and environmental bases that generate food security and nutrition for future generations. During 2022 and 2023 there were food crises in several regions as indicated by rising food prices . In 2022, the world experienced significant food price inflation along with major food shortages in several regions. Sub-Saharan Africa , Iran , Sri Lanka , Sudan and Iraq were most affected. Prices of wheat , maize , oil seeds , bread, pasta, flour, cooking oil, sugar, egg, chickpea and meat increased. Many factors have contributed to
10620-413: The molecules, thus changing its flavour, texture , appearance, and nutritional properties. Cooking certain proteins, such as egg whites, meats, and fish, denatures the protein, causing it to become firm. There is archaeological evidence of roasted foodstuffs at Homo erectus campsites dating from 420,000 years ago. Boiling as a means of cooking requires a container, and has been practised at least since
10738-402: The motivational stage, the goal is to increase awareness and improve the motivation of the audience to choose good nutrition habits. Individuals focus on why they should make changes to their diets. This stage aims to help the audience recognize the benefits of making healthier choices and the potential risks of not taking action. In the action phase, the goal is to promote the ability to act on
10856-410: The motivations to make healthier choices. Individuals focus on how to make changes. This component consists of helping individuals bridge the gap between an intention and action. Here people make goals and specific action plants in order to foster this change. Finally, in the environmental component, nutrition educators and policymakers work together to create and promote better environmental support on
10974-424: The needs of all members. Chronic and transitory food insecurity are linked since the reoccurrence of transitory food security can make households more vulnerable to chronic food insecurity. As of 2015, the concept of food security has mostly focused on food calories rather than the quality and nutrition of food. The concept of nutrition security or nutritional security evolved as a broader concept. In 1995, it
11092-563: The ongoing world food crisis. These include supply chain disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the 2021–2023 global energy crisis , the Russian invasion of Ukraine , and floods and heatwaves during 2021 (which destroyed key American and European crops). Droughts were also a factor; in early 2022, some areas of Spain and Portugal lost 60–80% of their crops due to widespread drought. The World Food Programme has stated that pandemics such as
11210-402: The onset of industrialization and the development of the food processing industry, a wider range of food could be sold and distributed in distant locations. Typically early grocery shops would be counter-based shops, in which purchasers told the shopkeeper what they wanted so that the shopkeeper could get it for them. In the 20th century, supermarkets were born. Supermarkets brought with them
11328-487: The ovens mentioned above. Cook-tops are used to heat vessels placed on top of the heat source, such as a sauté pan , sauce pot, frying pan , or pressure cooker . These pieces of equipment can use either a moist or dry cooking method and include methods such as steaming , simmering , boiling , and poaching for moist methods, while the dry methods include sautéing , pan frying , and deep-frying . In addition, many cultures use grills for cooking. A grill operates with
11446-568: The pandemic's lasting effects persist, including shifts in consumer behavior and the ongoing necessity for health and safety measures. Between 1950 and 1984, as the Green Revolution transformed agriculture around the globe, world grain production increased by 250%. The energy for the Green Revolution was provided by fossil fuels in the form of fertilizers (natural gas), pesticides (oil), and hydrocarbon -fueled irrigation . Natural gas
11564-895: The population. Since 2015, the FIES has been adopted as the basis to compile one of the indicators included in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) monitoring framework. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ( FAO ), the World Food Programme ( WFP ), the International Fund for Agricultural Development ( IFAD ), the World Health Organization ( WHO ), and the United Nations Children's Fund ( UNICEF ) collaborate every year to produce The State of Food Security and Nutrition in
11682-853: The preparation of fermented foods like bread, wine, cheese and yogurt . Humans eat thousands of plant species; there may be as many as 75,000 edible species of angiosperms , of which perhaps 7,000 are often eaten. Most human plant-based food calories come from maize, rice, and wheat. Plants can be processed into bread, pasta, cereals, juices and jams, or raw ingredients such as sugar, herbs, spices and oils can be extracted. Oilseeds are often pressed to produce rich oils: sunflower , flaxseed , rapeseed (including canola oil ) and sesame . Animals may be used as food either directly or indirectly. This includes meat, eggs, shellfish and dairy products like milk and cheese. They are an important source of protein and are considered complete proteins for human consumption, as (unlike plant proteins) they contain all
11800-458: The preparation, processing, and cooking of food in the community and household. Nutritional values of the household determine food choice , and whether food meets cultural preferences is important to utilization in terms of psychological and social well-being . Access to healthcare is another determinant of food utilization since the health of individuals controls how the food is metabolized. For example, intestinal parasites can take nutrients from
11918-455: The prices of staple foods in West Africa. Stringent lockdowns, travel restrictions, and disruptions to labor forces resulted in bottlenecks affecting the production and distribution of goods. Notably, the food supply chain experienced significant disruptions as the pandemic strained logistics, labor availability, and demand patterns. While progress in combating COVID-19 has provided some relief,
12036-416: The principles of a balanced diet, the importance of various nutrients , how to make healthy food choices, and how both dietary and exercise habits can affect overall well-being . It includes a combination of educational strategies, accompanied by environmental supports, designed to facilitate voluntary adoption of food choices and other nutrition-related behaviors conducive to well-being. Nutrition education
12154-483: The regular pattern of growing seasons in food production. Agency refers to the capacity of individuals or groups to make their own decisions about what foods they eat, what foods they produce, how that food is produced, processed, and distributed within food systems , and their ability to engage in processes that shape food system policies and governance. This term shares similar values to those of another important concept, Food sovereignty . Sustainability refers to
12272-479: The rhetorical function of food is to represent the culture of a country and that it can be used as a form of communication. According to Goode, Curtis and Theophano, food "is the last aspect of an ethnic culture to be lost". Many cultures have a recognizable cuisine, a specific set of cooking traditions using various spices or a combination of flavours unique to that culture, which evolves. Other differences include preferences (hot or cold, spicy, etc.) and practices,
12390-402: The simplest level, this may involve washing, cutting, trimming, or adding other foods or ingredients, such as spices. It may also involve mixing, heating or cooling, pressure cooking , fermentation, or combination with other food. In a home, most food preparation takes place in a kitchen . Some preparation is done to enhance the taste or aesthetic appeal; other preparation may help to preserve
12508-412: The spread of pests and diseases, such as the COVID-19 pandemic , triggering stubborn cycles of poverty and hunger. In 2019, the high cost of healthy diets together with persistently high levels of income inequality put healthy diets out of reach for around 3 billion people, especially the poor, in every region of the world. Inequality in the distributions of assets, resources and income, compounded by
12626-463: The study of which is known as gastronomy . Many cultures have diversified their foods by utilizing preparation, cooking methods, and manufacturing. This also includes a complex food trade which helps the cultures to economically survive by way of food, not just by consumption. Some popular types of ethnic foods include Italian , French , Japanese , Chinese , American , Cajun , Thai , African , Indian and Nepalese . Various cultures throughout
12744-429: The sugar molecule, creating the sensation of sweetness, without the energy. The stevia plant contains a compound known as steviol which, when extracted, has 300 times the sweetness of sugar while having minimal impact on blood sugar. Sourness is caused by the taste of acids , such as vinegar in alcoholic beverages. Sour foods include citrus , specifically lemons , limes , and to a lesser degree oranges . Sour
12862-405: The tastes that provide the most energy ( sugar and fats ) are the most pleasant to eat while others, such as bitter , are not enjoyable. Water, while important for survival, has no taste. Fats, on the other hand, especially saturated fats , are thicker and rich and are thus considered more enjoyable to eat. Generally regarded as the most pleasant taste, sweetness is almost always provided by
12980-471: The volatility in agri-food systems. Since 2014, it has also reported the prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity based on the FIES. Several measurements have been developed to capture the access component of food security, with some notable examples developed by the USAID-funded Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance (FANTA) project. These include: Close to 12 percent of the global population
13098-409: The well-being of children and their learning ability, thus leading to better school performance. As most children eat between one and two of their meals at school, school-based nutrition education programs offer opportunities for students to practice making healthy eating decisions. However, due to influences outside of the school environment such as home, cultural, and social environments, there may be
13216-579: The world study the dietary analysis of food habits . While evolutionarily speaking, as opposed to culturally, humans are omnivores , religion and social constructs such as morality , activism , or environmentalism will often affect which foods they will consume. Food is eaten and typically enjoyed through the sense of taste , the perception of flavour from eating and drinking. Certain tastes are more enjoyable than others, for evolutionary purposes. Aesthetically pleasing and eye-appealing food presentations can encourage people to consume food. A common saying
13334-452: The year of COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 SOFI report finds that in 2019 an estimated 29.9 percent of women aged between 15 and 49 years around the world were affected by anemia . The gap in food insecurity between men and women widened from 1.7 percentage points in 2019 to 4.3 percentage points in 2021. Women play key roles in maintaining all four pillars of food security: as food producers and agricultural entrepreneurs; as decision-makers for
13452-643: Was authorized under the Children Nutrition Act. In 1978, the Nutrition Education and Training (NET) program was created by the USDA , with the purpose of giving grants to help fund nutrition education programs under state educational systems. Funding for the program was targeted towards school children, teachers, parents, and service workers. In its inaugural year, the program was funded with $ 26 million gradually decreasing to $ 5 million in 1990. In 1996, NET
13570-418: Was defined as "adequate nutritional status in terms of protein, energy, vitamins, and minerals for all household members at all times." It is also related to the concepts of nutrition education and nutritional deficiency . Food security can be measured by the number of calories to digest per person per day, available on a household budget. In general, the objective of food security indicators and measurements
13688-571: Was founded in 1962 by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization. Trade liberalization has greatly affected world food trade. Food marketing brings together the producer and the consumer. The marketing of even a single food product can be a complicated process involving many producers and companies. For example, 56 companies are involved in making one can of chicken noodle soup. These businesses include not only chicken and vegetable processors but also
13806-441: Was restored to temporary status. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is tasked with providing nutrition education and establishing dietary guidelines based on current scientific literature. Through many of their programs, children and low-income citizens can access food that otherwise would be unavailable. Two agencies within the USDA that deal with nutrition education are the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) and
13924-458: Was severely food insecure in 2020, representing 928 million people -148 million more than in 2019. A variety of reasons lie behind the increase in hunger over the past few years. Slowdowns and downturns since the 2008–9 financial crisis have conspired to degrade social conditions, making undernourishment more prevalent. Structural imbalances and a lack of inclusive policies have combined with extreme weather events, altered environmental conditions, and
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