HOW COMMUNITY-LED SOLUTIONS CAN HELP ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY: EVIDENCE, STRATEGIES, AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS

Food insecurity remains a persistent global challenge, affecting millions of households across both developed and developing regions, with disproportionate impacts on low-income and marginalized communities.Despite decades of governmentand donor-led interventions, many food security initiatives have struggled to achieve long-term sustainability at the local level.This has prompted increasing attention toward community-led solutions that emphasize local participation, ownership, and context-specific responses.This study examines how community-driven approaches can contribute to more sustainable and resilient food systems.Using a qualitative research design, the study draws on a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature, analysis of documented community-based case studies, and relevant food security policy frameworks.The findings indicate that community-led initiatives such as cooperative farming, local food banks, savings groups, and indigenous agricultural practices significantly improve food availability, access, and dietary diversity while strengthening social capital and local livelihoods.Furthermore, these approaches enhance community resilience to economic and environmental shocks.However, their effectiveness is often influenced by supportive policy environments and institutional collaboration.The study concludes that integrating community-led models into national food security strategies can improve policy outcomes, provided that governments and Erica Elikplim Dumashie