Global Food Security Index

Food security differs around the world, with some regions being much more prone to food insecurity due to both lack of fertile land, as well as capital that could procure sufficient food through the purchasing of imports. [2] This demand for food is steadily growing, especially in developing countries, with studies showing it's likely to grow between 70%-100% over the next four decades.[3] Much research is underway to increase the productivity of crops, and therefore cultivate a greater volume of food.[3] But, unless that research extends to countries characterized by poor, high-density populations, Global Food Security Index scores are likely to decrease in the coming years.[2] Some journals, such as Science, suggest that it is imported that play the biggest role in producing these index scores, as in developing countries, a much greater percentage of the working force is dedicated to agriculture, yet they remain the countries with the lowest Global Food Security Index Scores.[2] This is further illustrated by the fact that the United States and Singapore consistently have the two highest Global Food Security Index scores, even though the portion of their respective economies dealing with agriculture is comparatively negligible. [4]

The following parameters are considered for giving ranking to the countries. [5]

1. Nutritional standards
2. Urban absorption capacity
3. Food consumption as a share of household expenditure
4. Food loss
5. Protein quality
6. Agricultural import tariffs
7. Diet diversification
8. Agricultural infrastructure
9. Volatility of agricultural production
10. Proportion of population under the global poverty line
11. Gross domestic product per capita (US$ PPP)
12. Presence of food safety net programs
13. Access to financing for farmers
14. Public expenditure on agricultural R&D
15. Corruption
16. Political stability risk
17. Sufficiency of supply
18. Food safety

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