This primacy of market economics over the last 20-30 years, often imposed on developing countries by international financial institutions, is arguably the major cause of current food insecurity. The micro-profile of agriculture - there are 450 million farms of less than 2 hectares in developing countries – has been deemed unsuitable for investment. The proportion of foreign aid allocated to agriculture has fallen from 18% in 1979 to less than 3%. African governments have therefore struggled to meet their 2003 Maputo Declaration commitment which called for 10% of national budgets to be dedicated to agriculture by 2008.

The 21st century search for food © ActionAid UK

The consequence of this prolonged lack of investment is an inaequate infrastructure to support local distribution and market knowledge. Poor roads, irrigation and storage facilities impede efficiencies. Insecure tenure and exclusion from affordable credit limit the aspirations of small farmers. Despite the generally poor soil quality of the continent, only 5% of cultivable land in Africa is supported by irrigation. In such an environment, planting for a mix of household subsistence and surplus for market is a model chronically vulnerable to fluctuating prices or unfavourable weather.

Whilst overall population growth creates pressure on food security, it is secondary to the failure of equitable distribution and consumption. Since 1961 world production of food has outpaced population growth. Feeding over a third of the world’s grain production to animals is the more significant indicator. As 7kg of grain is required to produce 1kg of beef, there is an argument that meat production on this scale impedes the goal of global food security. Projections that demand for food will double by 2050 far outpace estimated population growth of about 40% in that period.

Another human weakness - for violent conflict - invariably leads to extreme food insecurity. The 2007 Global Hunger Index reports that “almost all” of its worst ranking countries have been involved in violent conflict in the last decade. Collapsed economies such as North Korea and Zimbabwe also generate food crises.

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