Food Security means that all people at all times have physical & economic access to adequate amounts of nutritious, safe, and appropriate foods, which are produced in an environmentally sustainable and socially just manner.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that by 2050, a 70 percent increase in current food production will be necessary to meet the expanding demand for food. The global food sector is still highly dependent on fossil fuels. The type of energy we use in the agrifood chain and how we use it will determine whether our food systems will be able to meet future food security goals and support broader development objectives in an environmentally sustainable manner. Our ability to reach food productivity targets may be limited in the future by a lack of inexpensive fossil fuels. Higher fuel prices raise food prices, which in turn affect food security.
We need to rethink the role of energy when considering our options for improving food systems. Currently the food sector contributes over 20 percent of total greenhouse gases emissions. The challenges facing the world regarding food production are how to develop food systems that are not reliant on fossil fuel and that produce fewer greenhouse gases emissions. This will provide a reliable energy supply that can at the same time support food security and sustainable development.
Renewable energy systems have many advantages, but for our purposes, we will mention two: they reduce the food sector's dependence on fossil fuels and they reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The combination of renewable energy with food production has the potential to increase food security by enabling more production at lower prices.
Renewable energy sources include hot water sources, wind energy, solar energy, hydroelectric power, bioenergy and geothermal energy.