Beyond Macroeconomics of Food and Nutrition Security

Abstract

This article aims to highlight what macroeconomics hides beyond the statistical data in respect to food and nutrition security in Romania, in the attempt to answer the question whether both food security and nutrition security have been achieved. The need of pursuing such an issue has emerged from the fact that we know too little about nutrition security, although there is a strong evidence base providing reliable information on food security. The main findings reveal that hardly all the people have economic access to safe, sufficient, nutritious food, that 15.3 percent live on less than $2.9 a day, while the average food consumption fits into a budget of $3.28 a day. People earning $2.9 a day have limited dietary choices; consequently, special scenarios for their diets have been worked out. The relevance of this article lies in its capacity to bring a clearer understanding of the links between food security and nutrition and to emphasize, in the end, that nutrition is a significant driver of food security.