Food supply variability

Definition

This indicator uses the data on dietary energy supply from the Food Balance Sheet to measure annual fluctuations in the per capita food supply (kcal), represented as the standard deviation over the previous five years per capita food supply. Food supply variability results from a combination of instability and responses in production, trade, consumption, and storage, in addition to changes in government policies such as trade restrictions, taxes and subsidies, stockholding, and public distribution.

Relevance

Along with food price volatility, the ability of the system to maintain a low variability in the supply of food products in the face of shocks is a direct way to assess the system long-term resilience. A resilient food system would be able to keep the variability of food supply low despite being hit by shocks. Therefore, the lower the food supply variability, the better.