食料難

shokuryōnan

food shortage

世界中で食料難が深刻化している。

Food shortages are becoming severe worldwide.

formal

A situation where there is a lack of sufficient food supply to meet the population's needs.

干ばつにより、その地域では食料難が続いている。

Due to the drought, the region has been facing a food shortage.

政府は食料難に対する支援策を発表した。

The government announced measures to address the food shortage.

Often used in economic, agricultural, or humanitarian contexts.

Collocations

食料難に陥るto fall into a food shortage食料難に直面するto face a food shortage

Synonyms

食糧難飢饉食糧不足

Antonyms

食料余剰豊作

Pro Tip

Distinguish from 飢饉 (ききん, 'famine')

食料難 refers to a broader, often less severe shortage, while 飢饉 implies extreme scarcity leading to starvation.

Word Origin

食料 (shokuryō, 'food supply') + 難 (nan, 'difficulty/shortage'). The compound emerged in the 20th century to describe systemic food scarcity.

Usage Notes

Prefer 食糧難 (shokuryōnan) in formal or agricultural contexts, as it emphasizes staple food (糧). 食料難 is more general but widely understood.

Word Breakdown

食料

food supply

noun

難

difficulty/shortage

suffix

和英辞典

食料難