Introduction to the Manual


 Food security, assuring to all human beings the physical and economic access to the basic
 foods they need, is a broad, cross-cutting issue which has implications for a number of
Different sectors in the economy. Food security is often associated with food self-sufficiency-)
and the need to grow more food. However, in reality it has much stronger links with issues of'
poverty, employment and income generation. For low income economies, where a large
 percentage of the population live in rural areas and depend on agriculture for their income,
 increasing food production may be an important element in increasing food security, but only
 because it increases small farmer income. In this manual, we set out a framework for
 assessing food security in an economy, and develop a model for evaluating the impact of
 economic policy measures, and in particular the package of policy measures often referred to
 as adjustment policy, on food security in a country.

 This manual has been produced as part of FAO's overall commitment to providing training
 materials in food and agricultural policy analysis. In particular, FAO sees the need to improve
 the capabilities of agencies dealing in both food and agricultural policy and macroeconomic
 policy in understanding and allowing for the cross relationships of macro and sectoral policies
 and to assess their impact on the rural population.

 This manual differs from other approaches to agricultural policy analysis, in so far as it does
 not primarily address such issues as policy impact on the functioning of agricultural markets,
 or the trade-off between different policy goals. Here, we are interested in how policy
 measures, undertaken for macro-economic objectives, affect the availability and access to
 food at the individual and household level. We also examine options for improving food
 security in the short-term which are consistent with longer-term macro-economic stability.

 The manual is being published shortly after the World Food Summit, held in Rome at FAO
 headquarters, in November 1996. It is hoped that the World Food Summit will give renewed
 impetus to tackling issues of food security and that this manual will prove a useful tool in
 improving understanding of a complex, multi-sectoral issue.

 The manual is not addressed directly to policy makers. The material contained within it is of a
 fairly technical nature and is aimed rather at policy analysts, those who have to prepare policy
 briefs and background papers to inform decision makers, particularly those working in
 agencies, whether governmental or non-governmental, which deal with food issues. The
 manual could also be useful in sensitising economists, in finance ministries or central banks,
 dealing with macro-policy issues having implications on food security. To get most benefit
 from the use of the manual, some prior knowledge of economics and policy analysis is
 desirable.

 The manual falls into two main sections. The first, containing Chapters 1 through 3, sets out
 the basic framework within which food security is addressed. Chapter I discusses the major
 concepts used when analysing food security, examines recent trends in the world food
 economy, links food security with other major policy objectives such as poverty alleviation
 and environmental protection, and discusses the connection between food security and self-