What does it mean today to address food insecurity in an advanced country such as Italy? Drawing on contributions from academic institutions, FAO and ISTAT, this volume analyses the economic, social and territorial dimensions of food insecurity, focusing on Italy and on the Metropolitan City of Rome. In advanced economies such as Italy, food insecurity – defined as the difficulty of securing economic, physical and social access to a healthy and balanced diet that meets nutritional, cultural and social needs – concerns a significant share of the population. Food insecurity cannot be reduced to an economic issue alone. It is a multidimensional phenomenon, which can be better understood through the lens of capabilities: the real freedoms that individuals enjoy in accessing adequate nutrition, shaped by the social and institutional contexts in which they live. Within this perspective, the food environment – the set of factors that determine the availability, affordability and quality of food – plays a crucial role in shaping people’s real opportunities to access food. The volume devotes particular attention to the territorial and social inequalities that characterise food access in Italy, with a focus on the food assistance system. The book widens the lens on food security, analysing the connections between food, health and the capacity of territories to sustain domestic demand. In doing so, it provides a framework for rethinking economic and social policies to address food insecurity. It concludes by placing the Right to Food at the centre of efforts to build fairer and more resilient food systems.

This book is included in DOAB.