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Food System Characterization. P. Ericksen Delhi IGP 3. Objectives of characterization. Distinguish both commonalities across regional sites, as well as unique differences
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Food System Characterization P. Ericksen Delhi IGP 3
Objectives of characterization • Distinguish both commonalities across regional sites, as well as unique differences • Identify those determinants which are sensitive to GEC, those which make the system vulnerable, and those which could be reinforced to buffer the system against stress.
Components of Food Systems & Key Elements FOOD UTILISATION FOOD ACCESS • Affordability • Allocation • Preference • Nutritional Value • Social Value • Food Safety FOOD AVAILABILITY • Production • Distribution • Exchange
Food Availability Amount, type, and quality of food a unit (household, village, region) has at its disposal to consume
Availability - Production • How much and what kind of food is produced. • Determinants include: • Soil fertility, crop varieties, • land holding sizes, tenancy arrangements • irrigation availability, • etc.
Availability - Distribution • How food is made available, in what form, when and to whom. • Determinants may include: • Transportation and infrstructure • Gender and age • Public safety nets • Post harvest processing, storage
Availability- Exchange • A given unit’s ability to obtain food via exchange mechanisms such as barter, trade, loans, purchase. • Determinants include: • Income levels, remittances • Purchasing power • Local customs • Social networks
Access to Food The strategies households, communities, regions employ to obtain the type, quality, and quantity of food they require.
Access - Affordability • The purchasing power of households or communities relative to the price of food. • Determinants: • Pricing policies • Season and geographic variability in price • Form in which households are paid
Access – Allocation • The mechanisms governing when, where and how food can be accessed. • Determinants: • Markets! • Government policies
Access - preference • Social or cultural norms and values that influence demand for certain types of food. • Determinants: • Religion • Season • Advertising • Preparation requirements
Food Utilization Household or community capacity (incl. Strategies) to consume food. Has traditionally been the entry point for analysis of food security from a nutritional standpoint
Utilization – Nutritional value • How much of daily requirements of calories, vitamins, protein and micronutrients are provided by food consumed? • Determinants: • Diversity of diet • Type of primary protein • Disease incidence
Utilization – Social Value • All social and cultural aspects of consumption. • Understanding the determinants requires insight into community and household relations • Kinship customs • Holidays
Utilization – food safety • Can households process and prepare food without risk of contamination or decrease in nutritional value • Determinants • Facilities for cooking • Access and availability of safe drinking water • Hygiene practices
Exercise • Fill in the matrix for sites 2 and 4, choosing the key determiants. • Observation is a description of the value of the determinant. • How relevant is it at your site? How would you characterize it. • List data sources if you can. • Any information on trends or ranking?