The correct option is (c) 2 and 3 only.
Explanation
Food Security is a multidimensional concept that has evolved from a focus on "food availability" (production) to "food access" (entitlements) and "absorption" (nutrition). It is central to understanding poverty, as hunger is often a result of the inability to access food rather than a lack of food itself.
Statement 1 is Incorrect:
The World Food Summit (held in 1996, though the question cites 1995) did not declare that food security is achieved solely by increasing food production. Instead, it marked a paradigm shift by defining food security as existing when "all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food." The focus on solely increasing production was characteristic of the earlier 1974 World Food Conference approach.
Statement 2 is Correct:
Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen revolutionized the understanding of food security with his "Entitlement Approach." He argued that famines and hunger are often not caused by a decline in food availability (Food Availability Decline or FAD) but by a failure of entitlements (Food Entitlement Decline or FED). Entitlements refer to the bundle of goods (including food) that a person can acquire through production, trade, or exchange based on their legal and economic rights.
Statement 3 is Correct:
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the accepted global definition, food security rests on four pillars:
- Availability: Physical presence of food stocks.
- Accessibility: Economic (affordability) and physical access to food.
- Utilization: Proper biological use of food (nutrition, sanitation).
- Stability: Consistency of the above three over time.
Key Takeaway:
Food Security is not merely about production (Availability) but critically depends on access (Entitlements/Purchasing Power) and absorption (Nutrition). Amartya Sen’s entitlement theory highlights that hunger can exist even amidst plenty if people lack the economic means to acquire food.