---
title: "Livelihoods and food security"
description: "Every person has the right to a standard of living adequate for his or her health and wellbeing. This includes the right to food and livelihood protection."
url: "https://www.nrc.no/what-we-do/activities-in-the-field/food-security"
language: "en"
published: "2016-05-22T12:12:23Z"
modified: "2026-04-28T13:24:55Z"
---

![Norwegian Refugee Council areas of expertise: Livelihoods and food security.](https://www.nrc.no/globalassets/images/core-comp/food-security/food-security-and-livelihoods_nrc-orange.jpg)

# Livelihoods and food security

Many refugees in Kenya's Kakuma camp complain that the firewood provided for cooking is not enough. Many collect firewood from outside the camp, often resulting in conflicts with the host community. Photo: Christian Jepsen/NRC

Every person has the right to a standard of living adequate for his or her health and wellbeing. This includes the right to food and livelihood protection.

Updated 28. Apr 2026

[Global](https://www.nrc.no/themes?categoryId=23)

**Food security rests on four key pillars:**

- Availability of diverse and nutritious foods.
- Physical, economic and social access to nutritious foods.
- Adequate utilisation of food items consumed to maintain a healthy nutritional wellbeing.
- Strengthening stability of the pillars and systems people rely on over time.

During conflicts, disasters and displacement, food production and market systems face potential collapse. People lose their assets and their ability to earn a living is disrupted.

## Our expertise in livelihoods and food security

We provide food assistance to prevent loss of life and to contribute to the rehabilitation of local food and market systems. We promote livelihood strategies that protect, recover and strengthen individuals' and households' abilities to earn a living. To prevent repeated displacement, we support engagement in social and economic opportunities that reinforce the adaptive capacity of systems, individuals, families and communities affected by displacement.

We follow the UN Food and Agricultural Organization’s (FAO) definition of food security:

*"Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life."*

In both emergencies and protracted crises, we analyse the livelihood vulnerability context and situation. This analysis enables us to better understand vulnerability, needs and preferences, and is key to the development of holistic integrated responses that contribute to durable solutions.

Livelihood interventions must be undertaken in combination with other sectors.

#### A total of **1,692,544** people benefited from our livelihoods and food security work in 2025.

### Our livelihoods and food security work focuses on the following thematic areas:

- Household and livelihood vulnerability analysis
- Emergency food assistance
- Asset creation (creating local assets that reduce food insecurity and build livelihood opportunities)
- School meals and gardening
- Nutritious food production systems
- Integrated natural resource management
- Food infrastructure systems
- Employment and income generation and/or diversification
- Credit and finance facilitation
- Initial business and value chain development
- Integrated risk reduction

### We work in three areas to enable livelihoods that are in support of durable solutions:

- **Meeting basic needs/livelihoods provisioning**  
  Protect and stabilise affected households against further effects of risks and crisis by ensuring access to adequate and appropriate nutritious food. Provide other essential livelihood needs required for survival.
- **Livelihoods protection**  
  Support affected households and communities in protecting household and livelihood systems, avert erosion of productive assets, and support households and communities in restoring productive assets.
- **Livelihoods promotion**  
  Enhance household and community capacity to manage risks and shocks and to leverage their adaptive, financial and human capabilities. Invest in lasting solutions for improved economic and social wellbeing and dignity.

NRC Global Livelihoods and Food Security Strategy 2020-2025

The Global Livelihoods and Food Security (LFS) strategy aims to improve NRC’s ability to reach and provide sufficient, appropriate and holistic food and livelihood assistance to people affected by displacement. We prioritise the most vulnerable in the rural, urban and camp-based contexts that NRC operates in.

This strategy provides an overview of how NRC can ensure a greater likelihood of success in securing people’s ability to access sufficient, safe and nutritious food, achieve self-sufficiency and participate in economic activities.

**[Download the livelihoods and food security strategy here.](https://www.nrc.no/globalassets/pdf/strategies/global-livelihoods-and-food-security-strategy-2020-2025/nrc-lfs-global-development-strategy-2022-2025.pdf)**

### Latest news

## [Moyiré is rebuilding her life far from home](https://www.nrc.no/perspectives/2026/moyire-is-rebuilding-her-life-far-from-home)

15. Oct 2026 | Mali

## [From emergency needs to long-term livelihoods for Abdramane](https://www.nrc.no/perspectives/2026/from-emergency-needs-to-long-term-livelihoods-for-abdramane)

15. Oct 2026 | Mali

## [Kalkidan once looked for work. Now she creates it](https://www.nrc.no/perspectives/2026/kalkidan-once-looked-for-work-now-she-creates-it)

07. Oct 2026 | Ethiopia

[More news](https://www.nrc.no/search?searchCategories=123,125,172,335,149&searchMethod=1)

### Latest publications

## [Activity update on NRC’s support to entrepreneurs and small businesses](https://www.nrc.no/resources/reports/activity-update-on-nrcs-support-to-entrepreneurs-and-small-businesses)

21. May 2026 | Moldova

## [NRC assisted 9.1 million people in 2024](https://www.nrc.no/feature/2025/nrc-assisted-9.1-million-people-in-2024)

07. May 2025 | Report

## [Gatekeeping in Somalia](https://www.nrc.no/resources/reports/gatekeeping-in-somalia)

24. Apr 2025 | Somalia

[More reports](https://www.nrc.no/search?searchCategories=124,131,132,175,178,314,329,149&searchMethod=1)

### NRC's areas of expertise

- [Education](https://www.nrc.no/what-we-do/activities-in-the-field/education)

  Displacement has a devastating impact on learning, and often leads to education being interrupted or denied. NRC works to ensure that children and youth forced to flee can access high-quality, safe, inclusive and relevant learning opportunities.
- [Information, counselling and legal assistance (ICLA)](https://www.nrc.no/what-we-do/activities-in-the-field/icla)

  People forced to flee frequently lose access to rights and services. Legal frameworks can either perpetuate displacement and discrimination or serve as instruments of protection and durable solutions. NRC assists people to navigate these frameworks, so they can exercise their rights.
- [Livelihoods and food security](https://www.nrc.no/what-we-do/activities-in-the-field/food-security)

  During conflicts and disasters, food production and market systems face collapse. People can lose their assets and even their ability to earn a living. NRC works to ensure that people forced to flee can exercise their right to an adequate standard of living.
- [Protection from violence](https://www.nrc.no/what-we-do/activities-in-the-field/protection-from-violence)

  When people are forced to flee their homes, they often experience ongoing threats to their safety. NRC help to ensure displaced people are protected, by preventing and responding to violence, coercion, and actions taken by others to deny them their rights.
- [Shelter and settlements](https://www.nrc.no/what-we-do/activities-in-the-field/shelter)

  Losing one’s home is devastating. Many people forced to flee are struggling to find a safe place to stay, leaving them exposed to risks like weather, illnesses and violence. NRC supports people with housing within safe and healthy settlements.
- [Water, sanitation and hygiene](https://www.nrc.no/what-we-do/activities-in-the-field/water-sanitation-and-hygiene-wash)

  Access to clean water and sanitation facilities is among the most urgent of all needs. Without proper sanitation, water supplies can become contaminated and disease can spread rapidly. NRC works to ensure that people forced to flee have access to safe water.

![Livelihoods and food security icon](https://www.nrc.no/globalassets/graphics/icons/_new-nrc-icons-2020/food_rgb-orange-circle.png)