Final answer:
The demographic groups most at risk for food insecurity are female-headed households and children. Factors contributing to this include poverty, education, disrupted supply chains, and global crises. To mitigate this risk, targeted actions to ensure food security for these vulnerable populations are required.
Step-by-step explanation:
The demographic groups most at risk for food insecurity are female heads of household and children. This issue is complex and is affected by a range of factors, including income, education, and global crises like pandemics. Food insecurity also affects rural poor populations and the urban poor, but the evidence suggests that female-headed households, often with lower incomes and greater caregiving responsibilities, as well as children who rely on programs like school feeding, face significant challenges in maintaining consistent access to nutritious food.
Factors such as poverty, disrupted food supply chains, and lack of access to nutritious food play a critical role in contributing to food insecurity. Additionally, when considering the rural and urban dichotomy, it's clear that both rural communities with limited access to markets and the growing impoverished urban population can suffer from this issue. However, certain groups like single mothers, who tend to have lower income, are more vulnerable to food insecurity, which can lead to a range of adverse health outcomes, including malnutrition and increased susceptibility to diseases.
Moreover, the closure of borders and restrictions on movement due to pandemics have aggravated the situation, leading to food supply chain disruptions and a rise in the number of people facing acute food insecurity. Therefore, governments and organizations need to prioritize measures to ensure food security and access to nourishing food for all, particularly the at-risk groups like children, pregnant women, the elderly, and female-headed households.
Answer: c. Female head of household and children