This bibliography represents a sample of the assessment resources that are available at Food Aid Management’s (FAM) Food Security Resource Center (FSRC). The bibliography includes publications that focus on food security assessment, participatory rural appraisal (PRA), and sampling techniques.

This paper starts by exploring what is understood by the concept of food security, and describes how food security encompasses two main elements; access or entitlements to food; and availability of food. In times of food insecurity and famine, even in complex emergencies, it is vital to understand how people respond or adapt to food insecurity. The second part of the paper describes how food security is assessed, and begins by looking at the objectives of assessing food security in emergencies. In very broad terms, objectives may be related to ‘minimising nutritional risk and saving lives’ (a ‘food first’ approach in acute emergencies) and or ‘supporting livelihoods’ in less severe emergencies. The paper finishes by describing methods or tools for assessing food security in a rapid assessment.

Wendy S. Wolfe and Edward A. Frongillo, Jr., Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University; the FANTA Project, April 2000

U.N. University Press