Introduction to Food Security and Waste

Food Security

In this course, Dr Megan Blake (University of Sheffield) covers the issues we face around food security on a global, national and household scale. We begin in the first module by defining food security, addressing how it requires cover many of Earth's planetary boundaries, and discuss where food is wasted on its journey from crop to supermarket. In the second module we discuss the influence of two political thinkers Thomas Malthus and Ester Boserup and how their theories on the relationship between population size and food production influenced food security strategies in the present day. In the third module we discuss the green revolution, what were the aims, which countries did it impact the most and then what were the potential positive and negative consequences of such a global attempt in achieving food security. In the fourth module we focus on national food security, covering some of the ways we measure national food security, and emphasise the point that food insecurity can still occur in wealthy countries. In the fifth and final module, we focus on household food security, how this level of food security can be forgotten when talking about food security in general, the concept of foodscapes, and the four pillars of food security.

Introduction to Food Security and Waste

In this first module we introduce food security and food waste. We cover: (i) the definition of food security according to the United Nations and highlights the varying scales at which it can be addressed; (ii) the global concerns regarding food production's impact on climate change and soil degradation; (iii) the significant food loss and waste occurring throughout the supply chain, detailing its causes and distribution patterns between lower-income and wealthier countries.