Toidujulgeoleku

Toidujulgeoleku, literally “food security” in Estonian, denotes the state in which all people have reliable access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to maintain an active life. It is the Estonian term for the widely used concept of food security and is employed in policy discussions in Europe and beyond.

The concept rests on four interrelated dimensions: availability, access, utilization, and stability. Availability refers to adequate food quantities produced domestically or imported. Access concerns the resources—income, markets, and social support—that allow households to obtain food. Utilization covers the proper use of food for nutrition, including safe water, sanitation, and health care. Stability involves resilience to shocks such as droughts, price swings, or conflicts, ensuring that food security persists over time.

Measurement of toidujulgeoleku uses indicators like the prevalence of undernourishment, average calorie intake, poverty and income distribution, and experience-based measures of food insecurity. International bodies such as FAO, the World Food Programme, and regional agencies collect data to monitor progress and inform policy. Data challenges and differing national contexts can complicate comparisons.

Drivers of food insecurity include climate change, extreme weather, pests, conflict, economic downturns, and volatile food prices. Policy responses are multidimensional and may include increasing agricultural productivity, improving nutrition-sensitive programs, building rural livelihoods, maintaining strategic reserves, and strengthening social protection and trade policies. The framework commonly guides national strategies and international cooperation aimed at reducing hunger and improving resilience, aligned with global goals such as SDG 2: Zero Hunger.