Food security and food safety in the Czech Republic

Abstract

This chapter focuses on strategic concepts related to food safety issues. As part of previously established food security factors (availability, access, utilization, stability) there will be a brief discussion on the level of food security. In addition, the security, the security strategy and the security interests of our state, its security environment and the need to ensure food security will be defined. In addition, food safety strategy will be presented, with the issue of food selfsufficiency. The following subchapters will assess the different pillars of food security in the Czech Republic on the basis of available relevant resources. However, as part of the introduction to this chapter, the Global Food Security Index (GFSI), which was developed by the Economist Intelligence Unit, is presented below. The Global Food Security Index monitors and evaluates the development of the main pillars of food security in 113 countries around the world. It is a quantitative and qualitative model that tracks 28 unique indicators and provides an objective framework for food security assessments across a range of countries. The model therefore assesses the affordability of food, the physical availability and food safety from the point of view of its health, and also includes a new category of natural resources and resilience. The natural resource category measures the country's exposure to the impacts of the changing climate, its susceptibility to natural resource risks, and the country's ability of adaptation to the risks (GFSI 2017). GSFI for the Czech Republic in the period 2012 - 2017 was 72.6 - 75.8 (the best score is 100), and in 113 countries the Czech Republic ranged from 23rd to 28th place. In 2017, it was ranked on 23rd place in the framework of food security, with its 26th place at affordable price pillar, with 25th place in the evaluated countries in terms of food availability, health and safety. From 2017, the level of natural resources and resistance has been newly assessed, when the total score is 80.3 and in the ranking of countries the Czech Republic occupies the third place (GSFI 2017).