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Food Security

This guide highlights core print and electronic Library resources in the area of Food Security. Use this guide as your starting point. For more resources and further help, come to the Science & Agriculture Library or Ask a Librarian.

Welcome to the Food Security Research Guide

This guide is intended to help you find resources for food security research and information from

  • Reference works such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, etc.
  • Print and electronic books
  • Articles from journals, magazines and newspapers
  • Theses and Dissertations
  • Trustworthy Internet sites and web resources

Use the tabs on the side to navigate through the pages of the guide. 

Definition of food security:

FAO - Food security is “a situation that exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.” - 2015, The State of Food Insecurity in the World

USDA - "Access by all people at all times to enough nutritious food for an active, healthy life."

Featured Interview

Economic and coronavirus crises threaten Lebanon’s already fragile food security 

FAFS Dean Mohtar's interview with Executive Magazine discussing the threat of the economy and COVID-19 crisis on Lebanon's food security.

Featured Articles

Daher, B., Bachour, R., Yanni, S., Koo-Oshima, S., & Mohtar, R. H. (2022). Food security under compound shocks. Can Lebanon produce its own Mediterranean food basket? Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 6, 969248. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2022.969248

Hoteit, M., Al-Atat, Y., Joumaa, H., El Ghali, S., Mansour, R., Mhanna, R., Sayyed-Ahmad, F., Salameh, P., & Al-Jawaldeh, A. (2021). Exploring the impact of crises on food security in Lebanon: Results from a national cross-sectional study. Sustainability (Switzerland), 13(16), 8753. www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/16/8753

Makoukji, M., Amhez, N. E. H., Yehya, A. A. K., Ghattas, H., Abunnasr, Y., & Zurayk, R. (2024). Food systems under shock: The evolution of food security status of Karantina residents after the Beirut explosion. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems8, 1351541. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1351541

Mouloudj, K., Bouarar, A. C., & Fechit, H. (2020). The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on food security. Les cahiers du CREAD, 36(3), 159-184. www.ajol.info/index.php/cread/article/view/202191/190642

Zurayk, R. (2020). Pandemic and food security. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 9(3), 1-5. foodsystemsjournal.org/index.php/fsj/article/download/803/789/

Featured Sites

Lebanon Food Security Portal 

All you need to know about Food security in Lebanon: Briefs; Reports; Media; Policy updates; Q&A.

Lebanon Spatial

Lebanon Spatial is a data atlas launched by the Food Security Program at the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). This mapping project seeks to make data on development and food security more available, user-friendly, and intuitive for users. Lebanon Spatial supports the dissemination of information and data on food security, for easier use by the general public, policymakers, and researchers. News of the launch may be found here.