In rural areas, household food security may depend on access to land and other agricultural resources to guar antee sufficient domestic production. In urban areas, where food is largely bought on the market, a range of foods must be available at accessible prices to ensure food security. Other potential sources of food are by exchange, gifts from friends or family and in extreme circumstances food aid provided by humanitarian agencies. For instance, there may be abundant food available on the market, but poor families that cannot afford it are not food secure. For the poor, therefore, household food security is often extremely precarious.
Agricultural production varies with the season and longer-term environmental conditions.
Families selling crops may find themselves paid fluctuating prices depending on a variety of factors beyond their control, while those who need to buy food may encounter exorbitant prices. Families living on the edge of survival have few opportunities to build up sufficient stocks of food, or to develop alternatives that would cushion them in times of hardship. So while poor families may have adequate access to food for one month, what is essential is access that is consistent and sustainable. Women have a special role to play in maintaining household food security. For house hold food security to translate into good nutrition, this often overwhelming burden of work must be redistributed or reduced so that other needs of children, also related to nutrition, can be met.