Prof.Dr Mishal Abid Khalaf

Department of agricultural economic

 Food Security  is defined as (the ability of all individuals to obtain sufficient from food to healthy life at all times) according to this definition , food security  have four basic, the first pillar is availability ,the food available in markets food must be insured, the ability to obtain represent the second pillar that mean enabling all members of society to have the ability to access food from the market, the third pillar is that the food available in the market must be safety and all individuals can buy their needs must be nutritious and sound, the stability is the fourth pillar that is  meaning the food markets is stabile in terms of what is available and terms of individuals ability and in terms of food safely. food security can be absolute when a society is able to produce its own food and their food market is not linked to external influences and then it is affected by shocks. Food security is considered relative when its linked with external influences and the ability of individuals or society requirement is co imports contribute to it an importation proportion, which make food security in that country vulnerable to political and economic crises. The food security of any country has several determinants it,s following:        First: the resources determinants related to its production capacity of food , which are related  to what is available in the country of agricultural resources represented by arable lands, water resources ,capital, abundance  of labor and technical development that enables it to optimal uses in food production at competitive prices and it have an advantage relative in the production of an important and essential parts of its food.

Second: the demographic determinants in that country its population is proportional to its agricultural resources , and the population growth in it is less or equal to the growth rate of its food product so that the gap does not addition to the necessity of acceptable proportionality  widen, and ensuring that the resources uses in manner commensurate with the condition of development sustainable of it.

Third: the determinants of the national income. the country must be achieves an adequate national income to meet the requirement of a decent life of its society for members. Enabling it to import the gap in food requirement. And national income must be stable and not effected by the political and economic shocks in the outside word.

Fourth: political stability as the availability of appropriate security condition for investment in the field of agricultural, and ensuring the ability production and circulation of food in local markets at all times and to obtain their individuals to access those market at all times and proper food needs.                                                                                                         

Fifth: health and security control , there must be control on food markets that protect consumers and  prevents the circulation of unhealthy foods and protect the markets from unjustified exploitation resulting from monopoly forces in the food markets.                        

    Sixth:-Distributive determinants related to the personal distribution of national income in a way that ensures that the society  does not turn into very rich and very poor classes that enable the riches to waste and prevent the poor from obtaining the requirement for the healthy life.                                                                                                                                   

    Despite the importance of all the determinant that we mentioned earlier on the food security. In Iraq there are  another threat to food security is represented by the excessive consumption of food by the affluent classes, which exposes the poor classes to hanger.in addition to we part of the Islamic society that prevent the wastefulness in the food in our manifestations. The rich classes are  expanded almost promoted in some cases, there are not laws and account to prevent the waste of food. you can see that the remnants of food take up space from landfills and become a basic of hotbeds of pollution .so the food turning from a blessing enjoyed by members of society into the tone that threatens their healthy environment.                                                                                                                                  

    Food security is responsibility  that rests with both individuals groups and the government at the same time. They are necessary to cooperate at all these levels to ensure food security in the community, each according to the role assigned to it. As we need to reconsider our consumption patterns and the formation of tables families and restaurants to ensure the, fight against extravagances at the level of all these economics unit and must they know  that the food is the property of society because part of its costs unforeseen social costs and the extravagance is expense on the poor classes in society. the society also has to fight the phenomena of extravagance and ostentation in feasts that considered occasions, and consider exaggeration in that  harms the poor strata of the society . and the government should enact the necessary laws to compact extravagance in food in private and puplic places , and hold accountable those who do not avoid and show in their extravagance. Food security is achieved when food is pursued in all aspects of economic life ( production, distribution and consumption), in production by taken all measures that would rise country,s ability to produce food and fill the gap between consumption and production by import. As well as the role of the government from redistribution the income to the personal to reduce the gap between the ability of the rich and poor to the provide their nutritional requirement , in the consumption stage by forbidding any type of extravagance in the food