Food security refers to sufficient and easy access to safe and nutritious food that meets the dietary requirement of an individual to maintain a healthy life. A household is considered food in-secured when its occupants live in hunger or in fear of starvation. Undernourishment is a direct consequence of food insecurity, when caloric intake is below the minimum dietary requirement (FAO, 2009). Unfortunately, due to rising population of the world, current economic crisis, scarcity of resources and the recent food price crises, the absolute number of undernourished population in the world is on the rise. According to recent FAO estimates, the number of undernourished people in the world may exceed one billion. Malnutrition is a condition that results from unbalanced diet and is one of the direct consequences of sustained periods of hunger and undernourishment. According to the World Health Organization, malnutrition is one of the gravest threats to the world’s public health. In particular, malnutrition is one of the major causes of high child mortality rates, underweight births, low life expectancy and a major risk factor of tuberculosis. It has also been known and well documented in the literature that malnutrition has a direct bearing in slowing down economic growth and in aggravating poverty.

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Global Food Price Crisis: Impact on Food Security and Malnutrition in The OIC Member States (English)