Achieving food security in its totality continues to be a challenge not only to the developing nations, but also to the developed world. The difference lies in the magnitude of the problem in terms of its severity and proportion of the population affected. In developed nations, the problem is alleviated by providing targeted food security interventions, including food aid in the form of direct food relief, food stamps, or indirectly through subsidized food production. This is because food availability, stability, access, and utilization are essential for the wellbeing and productivity of all people. The current state of global food security raises serious concern as the number of hungry has surpassed human imagination and emerging trends are further threatening global food supply. The forces challenging food security include population growth and demographic changes, high and volatile food prices, land and water constraints, and climate change. In Sub-Saharan Africa, these global stress factors put pressures on the already fragile food security and agro-ecosystems. Other factors, which worsen the situation for the hungry and vulnerable groups include weather – related shocks, poor infrastructure, undeveloped markets as well as weak governance and institutions. This paper thus reviewed the foods security situation in Nigeria and suggested that a comprehensive policy and investment agenda for achieving sustainable food security is needed to: improve small-holder productivity and market access; keep trade open; promote productive social safety nets; integrate climate change into strategies at all levels; and harmonize food security and sustainability policy.
Atoma et al. (Mon,) studied this question.