Food Security, Vulnerability and Social Sustainability

International audienceSeveral countries in Southern Africa are presently facing acute food security issues. Nearly 13 million people in Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe are involved in a food crisis which requires about 3 millions tons of cereals to ensure food security for everyone. Food security is considered differently when the focus is on the macro or the micro level. On the macroeconomic level, food security means that enough food has to be available to cover the population's whole nutritional requirements. On the micro level, i.e. for the households and the individuals, three conditions need to be respected: sufficient food at the macro level, stability in the supply, and a regular access to the corresponding availabilities for all households and their members