food security

noun

: the fact or an instance of being able to consistently access or afford adequate food

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines "food security" as access at all times by all people within a household to enough food for an active, healthy life. "Food insecurity," on the other hand, occurs when a household's consistent access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources at times during the year.

—Elyse Miller

… the percentage of households with very low food security jumped to 5.7 percent last year …

—Tony Pugh

Examples of food security in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Democrats and food security advocates worry the changes are leaving people hungry. — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 19 June 2026

Dubai’s largest free zone is pursuing an expansion plan focused around food security, at a time when global supply chain vulnerabilities have been starkly exposed by the Iran war. — Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 17 June 2026

From coral reefs and mangrove forests to the deep sea, marine ecosystems sustain countless species, support coastal communities, regulate the climate and underpin global food security. — Ana K. Spalding, The Conversation, 16 June 2026

Californian Foundations Recognized at James Beard Awards The James Beard Foundation presented Humanitarian of the Year award to Othón Nolasko and Damián Diaz of No Us Without You, an organization providing food security to undocumented and underserved members of the restaurant industry. — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 16 June 2026

Supply disruptions have also hit hard in Europe and Africa, where countries are responding to rising fuel costs and a considerable threat to food security. — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 5 June 2026

Biodiversity is becoming a food security issue Many heritage grains and livestock breeds are being preserved precisely because experts worry about overreliance on a narrow set of crops and animals. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2026

As traditional development assistance becomes less certain, governments of the region must look beyond aid and towards new financing mechanisms capable of supporting agriculture, strengthening food security, and building resilience in a more unpredictable world. — Daphne Ewing-Chow, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026

So while food theft has always occurred, as the world gets more fragmented, global food security is becoming increasingly vulnerable. — Olivia Potts, Longreads, 28 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for food security

• immaturity
• insecurity
• prematurity
• biosecurity
• cybersecurity
• impurity
• maturity
• obscurity
• purity
• surety