The Feeding of Nations

Mark Gibson has always taken an interest in the way food has been approached, not just locally but also in the global context. There has been an elemental desire to understand more of the social, political and economic tectonics of food culture, particularly in relation to issues of food security. After training in the culinary arts, Mark remained in the industry for two decades before finally stepping into the academic world. He now lectures on many aspects related to food culture from governance to sustainability issues as well as keeping his hand in the kitchen. After completing his PhD on food security, Mark undertook to share his knowledge in the present book.

Food Security: What Is It, How and Who Does It Affect? Food Security: What Is It? Good Nutrition: A Basic Introduction. Bad ‘Mal’-nutrition: The Physiology of Hunger. Food Security: The Global Picture. History: A Fledgling Construct. Sociocultural Evolution. Governance, Philosophy, Politics and Economics. Science, Technology and Philosophy. History: Twentieth Century. Twentieth Century: The Feeding of Nations—A New Global Enthusiasm. The Inter-War Years 1919–1939. World War Two: 1939–1945. The Post-War Years. The Development Decade: 1960s. Famine, Oil and the Food Crisis: 1970s. The Lost Development Decade: 1980s. The Era of the Conference: 1990s. The Twenty-First Century: Ideological Convergence? A Sectoral Analysis: Food Security and… Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Science and Technology. Socio-Cultural. Health and Nutrition. Environment and Natural Resources. Governance, Politics and Economics. The Final Analysis—Food Security. Origins: Aetiology and Etymology—Dispelling the Myths. Causality and Future Research. Redefining Food Security. Food for Thought: Discussion and Considerations. Closing Remarks. Appendices. Appendix A: Country Classifications. Appendix B: Mortality Categories. Appendix C: The Gibson Framework of Food Security. Appendix D: Metabolism. Appendix E: Micronutrients. Appendix F: Malnutrition—Its Assessment and Measurement. Appendix G: Biological Systematics. Appendix H: Millennium Development Goals. Appendix I: Global Warming—The Basics. Appendix J: Energy Sources. Appendix K: Stakeholders. Appendix L: Conversion Rates. Appendix M: Glossary.