Introduction – Gender, agriculture, and food security: where are we?

The 1996 World Food Summit Plan of Action defined food security as existing “when all people, at all times, have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life” (World Food Summit 1996). Food security is built on three pillars:

1Food availability: sufficient quantities of food available on a consistent basis;

2 Food access: sufficient resources to obtain appropriate foods for a nutritious diet; and

3 Food use: appropriate use based on knowledge of basic nutrition and care, as well as adequate water and sanitation.