In 2008, a food crisis caused riots and unrest in a large number of countries. The situation remains critical, with food prices maintaining historically high levels. Both the price hikes and volatility adversely affect poverty reduction efforts and sustainable development strategies. Furthermore, the uncertainty in the global economic environment also confronts the prospect of food security for many of the poorest and small vulnerable economies (SVEs). This issue of Commonwealth Trade Hot Topics looks at the multiple dimensions of food insecurity and highlights the complexity in trying to design suitable trade policy to improve the food security needs of these countries.