The relationship between food supply and food security is described. The role of food trade in alleviating food insecurity is discussed. The slow-down in the growth of world agricultural production in the 1990s is noted. The widely-held view that the persistence of food insecurity and undernutrition is not a problem of production but one of distribution (or access or entitlements) is assessed and agreed with. The prospects for progress in food and agricultural product availability over the next 15-30 years are reviewed against trends in demography, incomes and poverty.