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Food security measures the availability of safe, healthy food and an individual’s ability to access it.

Conversely, food insecurity is when safe, healthy food isn’t available or when individuals aren’t able to access it.

Food security isn’t just about having enough food to eat — it extends to the nutritional quality of the food and its effect in promoting a healthy life.

According to the United Nations' Committee on World Food Security, a person is food secure only when he or she has regular access to enough safe and nutritious food to remain healthy and lead an active life.

There are many definitions of food security. The World Food Programme defines it in four components: availability, access, utilization and stability.

1. Food availability is whether or not food is actually present for people to access. It includes elements of food systems and production, reserves, markets and transportation.
2. Then, if food is available, do families and households have the ability to take advantage of it? That is food access.
3. Utilization addresses whether or not people have adequate food consumption to meet their nutritional needs and sustain their energy. Good utilization is the result of good care and feeding practices, food safety and preparation, dietary diversity and healthy distribution of food within families.
4. Finally, stability is when the first three elements are consistently met. Environmental, economic, social and political factors can all be a sources of instability that contribute to food insecurity.

Food security is important because, when people lack access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food, they suffer deficiency-related malnutrition that harms their well-being and development.

If a child's food intake doesn’t give them the nutrition needed for healthy early childhood development, acute and long-term consequences, such as wasting and stunting, can result.

• Low weight-for-height is known as wasting. It is an acute condition primarily associated with recent and severe weight loss.
• Low height-for-age is known as stunting. It is the result of chronic or recurrent undernutrition.

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