Page 6 - Food Inflation in Southeast Asia 2

Definition of food

security

According to the World Food Summit, 1996, “food security exists 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
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and healthy life.” (FAO, 2006) . Based on the World Bank and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) , following
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are the various dimensions of food security:
1. Physical availability of food
Food availability pertains to the supply aspect of food security and is influenced by factors such as domestic food
production, stock levels, net trade, and food aid. The present paper will not discuss this aspect of food security in
relation to Southeast Asia.

2. Economic and physical access to food
Household food security cannot be ensured simply by having a sufficient food supply at the national or international level.
To improve food access, policy efforts have increasingly focused on household incomes, spending patterns, markets,
and prices to achieve food security at both the household and individual levels. This policy paper will explore the trends
in consumer food prices across various Southeast Asian countries with a focus on Brunei.

3. Food utilization
Individuals' nutritional status is influenced by non-food factors such as feeding practices, food preparation, dietary
diversity, intrahousehold food distribution (affected by factors like gender, etc.), clean water, sanitation, healthcare, and
the effective biological use of consumed food. This aspect of food security will not be addressed in relation to Southeast
Asia for the present paper.
4. Stability

To ensure food security at all times, food availability, access, and utilization must remain stable. External factors such
as weather conditions, seasonal crop shortages, political instability, or economic issues (like unemployment and rising
food prices) can impact an individual's food security. Since this paper will focus on consumer food price trends across
Southeast Asian countries, it will address some aspects of the stability dimension of food security.

1. FAO, 2006: Food Security, Policy Brief, Issue 2, URL: https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/faoitaly/documents/pdf/pdf_Food_Security_Cocept_Note.
pdf (Accessed on 6 October, 2024)
2. World Bank, Unknown date of publication: What is Food Security? URL: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/agriculture/brief/food-security-update/what-
is-food-security (Accessed on 6 October, 2024)
3. FAO, 2006: Food Security, Policy Brief, Issue 2, URL: https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/faoitaly/documents/pdf/pdf_Food_Security_Cocept_Note.
pdf (Accessed on 6 October, 2024)

6 THE CHALLENGE OF FOOD INFLATION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA