7
can quickly become dysfunctional, even disorderly, when there are disruptions in
modern energy supplies. Disruptions of water supplies have proven critical in
war- torn areas of Syria and Iraq (see Sect. 20.3.5), and disruptions in energy supplies are disrupting Venezuela in 2018–2019.
The criticality of these “three great consumables” is reflected in the commonly
used terms “food security,” “energy security” and “water security” referring to
individuals and communities having affordable access to sufficient food, energy,
and water to meet their basic needs for healthy and productive lives (see Sect. 3.2).
While these terms may seem abstract to some in affluent societies like the USA and
other economically prosperous communities, these terms are very immediate and
personal for billions of people who do not have reliable access to an adequate supply of nutritious food, clean water, or modern energy sources. For these people,
gaining access to these three great consumables occupies a central part of their daily
lives and labor.
Even within affluent societies like the USA, food, energy, and water are recognized by emergency planners as “community lifelines” which provide indispensable
services that enable “the continuous operation of critical business and government
functions, and is critical to human health and safety, or economic security”
(FEMA 2008).
FEW commodities are bought and sold in large quantities in markets at many
economic levels. Many FEW products are also produced for direct consumption and
are never traded.
Food
In the global North, the majority of households get most of their food from retail
stores and commercial food service establishments and institutions (e.g., hospitals,
dormitories, prisons). These facilities are situated at the endpoints of long complex
supply chains. As noted in Chap. 18, approximately 5% of the urban population of
the USA live in a “food desert” where they do not have access to a full-line grocery
store; the same is true in rural areas of the USA. Both in urban and rural areas of
the USA, according to the National Gardening Association (NGA) 36% of households grow food either at home or in a community garden.
The major cities in the global South also have retail stores and commercial food
service establishments and institutions supplied by long complex supply chains,
although the performance may be somewhat less complete and less timely than in
the global North. In addition, urban food production is much more prevalent in
neighborhoods and in peri-urban areas, small-scale farmers’ markets are more
prevalent in local neighborhoods, and many households receive a significant amount
of food from relatives in rural areas.
In the rural areas of the global South, the vast majority of households produce
most of their own food. As with water and energy, much of the burden of food production is borne by women and children, especially girls. These rural farmers may
also produce some crops for local sale and some commodities for sale to regional or
1 Introduction
can quickly become dysfunctional, even disorderly, when there are disruptions in
modern energy supplies. Disruptions of water supplies have proven critical in
war- torn areas of Syria and Iraq (see Sect. 20.3.5), and disruptions in energy supplies are disrupting Venezuela in 2018–2019.
The criticality of these “three great consumables” is reflected in the commonly
used terms “food security,” “energy security” and “water security” referring to
individuals and communities having affordable access to sufficient food, energy,
and water to meet their basic needs for healthy and productive lives (see Sect. 3.2).
While these terms may seem abstract to some in affluent societies like the USA and
other economically prosperous communities, these terms are very immediate and
personal for billions of people who do not have reliable access to an adequate supply of nutritious food, clean water, or modern energy sources. For these people,
gaining access to these three great consumables occupies a central part of their daily
lives and labor.
Even within affluent societies like the USA, food, energy, and water are recognized by emergency planners as “community lifelines” which provide indispensable
services that enable “the continuous operation of critical business and government
functions, and is critical to human health and safety, or economic security”
(FEMA 2008).
FEW commodities are bought and sold in large quantities in markets at many
economic levels. Many FEW products are also produced for direct consumption and
are never traded.
Food
In the global North, the majority of households get most of their food from retail
stores and commercial food service establishments and institutions (e.g., hospitals,
dormitories, prisons). These facilities are situated at the endpoints of long complex
supply chains. As noted in Chap. 18, approximately 5% of the urban population of
the USA live in a “food desert” where they do not have access to a full-line grocery
store; the same is true in rural areas of the USA. Both in urban and rural areas of
the USA, according to the National Gardening Association (NGA) 36% of households grow food either at home or in a community garden.
The major cities in the global South also have retail stores and commercial food
service establishments and institutions supplied by long complex supply chains,
although the performance may be somewhat less complete and less timely than in
the global North. In addition, urban food production is much more prevalent in
neighborhoods and in peri-urban areas, small-scale farmers’ markets are more
prevalent in local neighborhoods, and many households receive a significant amount
of food from relatives in rural areas.
In the rural areas of the global South, the vast majority of households produce
most of their own food. As with water and energy, much of the burden of food production is borne by women and children, especially girls. These rural farmers may
also produce some crops for local sale and some commodities for sale to regional or
1 Introduction