Journal profile · FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Food Security
ISSN 1876-4517 · eISSN 1876-4525 · Springer Netherlands · NETHERLANDS · 6 issues per year · Founded 2009
Food Security: CAS Zone 2 · Economics (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 4.37; hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,790; median 266 days to acceptance (94 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 113 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Food Security is published by Springer Netherlands and is in Zone 2 of Economics in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations, Child Nutrition and Water Access and Agricultural Innovations and Practices, together about 37.7% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Aims and Scope Food is a common good. Food security is a universal human right. The current status of food security and its future are important questions, which is addressed by Food Security— The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food. This journal wants to do so through the best available science, to be published and read globally. Food Security is a wide-audience, interdisciplinary, international journal dedicated to the production, to the access (economic and physical), and to the nutritional quality of food. The scales considered in Food Security include: the individual, the household, the community, the country, and the world. We strive to publish high-quality scientific articles, where quality includes, but is not limited to, the quality and clarity of text, and the validity of methods and approaches. Food Security is the initiative of a distinguished international group of scientists with deep concerns about food security globally, who consider that the power of shared knowledge is a means of meeting the challenges that food security faces. The journal therefore addresses all the constraints - physical, biological, socio-economic, and policy or political – to achieve food security. Our vision is that food must be nutritious: no society could possibly exist without nutritious food. Food security, therefore, implies proper nutrition. Food Security publishes three types of peer-reviewed articles: Research, Reviews, and Opinions, together with Book Reviews and Editorials. Book Reviews and Editorials are prepared by the Editorial Board of the Journal. All the dimensions of food security, and therefore all disciplinary scientific fields, are covered by the Food Security: food production and stability; access (physical and economic) to food; stocks, markets and trade (local to global); the nutritional value of food; and the spatial constraints to the functioning of food systems. Submissions taking a synthetic view of food security are the essence of Food Security: Food Security does not seek to duplicate the coverage ensured by many journals that are focused on component disciplines. From this perspective, the journal covers the following areas: • Global food needs: the mismatch between population and the ability to provide adequate nutrition.• Food production potential vs. actual production of food.• Constraints to ensure global food needs as a result of (1) climate, climate variability, and climate change; (2) desertifica
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Editor-in-chief Serge SavaryPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 3 in mainland China (about 4%); most named United States 20, United Kingdom 12, India 5, Germany 4, Italy 4 (71 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Food Security and Health in Diverse PopulationsHealth Professions14.8%
- Child Nutrition and Water AccessNursing12.7%
- Agricultural Innovations and PracticesAgricultural and Biological Sciences10.1%
- Agricultural risk and resilienceAgricultural and Biological Sciences9.5%
- Agriculture, Land Use, Rural DevelopmentAgricultural and Biological Sciences6.7%
- Climate change impacts on agricultureAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.8%
- Urban Agriculture and SustainabilityAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.8%
- Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental ImpactEnvironmental Science4.5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Economics Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Food Science & Technology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Economics Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Food Science & Technology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Agricultural & Forestry Sciences Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Agricultural & Forestry Sciences | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Food Science & Technology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
INSPECCAB AbstractsCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, AGRICOLA, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS, RePEc
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 4.37LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 4.5Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 7.7Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 12.4LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.5LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 2.35LetPub ·
- h-index
- 34LetPub ·
- h-index
- 120OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,025OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.69OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 4.4%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 57.84%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 106LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 2,025Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 1,200,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,742 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 92 | 57 | 46 |
| 2025 | 113 | 64 | 295 |
| 2024 | 88 | 56 | 741 |
| 2023 | 108 | 72 | 1,426 |
| 2022 | 100 | 84 | 4,260 |
| 2021 | 109 | 72 | 4,715 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
266 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 199 days – 363 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 33 days (94 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 321 days
- Sample
- 94 articles with submission and acceptance dates (231 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- over 12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 36 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 2,790 / EUR 4,190 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 8,000 words
- Reference style
- APA
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted9, with length limits
- book reviewsBook reviews are prepared by the Editorial Board.Length not stated
- letter to the editorThe following types of papers are accepted by the journal: Research Articles Research Articles should be have the following format: Title, Abstract, Keywords, I…Length not stated
- opinionThe following types of papers are accepted by the journal: Research Articles Research Articles should be have the following format: Title, Abstract, Keywords, I…main text ≤ 1,500 words · figures and tables ≤ 2
- opinionsOpinions Opinion pieces are equivalent to the Letter to the Editor of other journals.Length not stated
- perspectiveThe following types of papers are accepted by the journal: Research Articles Research Articles should be have the following format: Title, Abstract, Keywords, I…Length not stated
- research articleThe following types of papers are accepted by the journal: Research Articles Research Articles should be have the following format: Title, Abstract, Keywords, I…main text ≤ 8,000 words
- research articlesThe following types of papers are accepted by the journal: Research ArticlesLength not stated
- reviewThe following types of papers are accepted by the journal: Research Articles Research Articles should be have the following format: Title, Abstract, Keywords, I…Length not stated
- reviewsReviews Reviews in Food Security are typically commissioned by the Senior Editors and the Editor-in-Chief to internationally recognised experts.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Permissions required for previously published material Model summary
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Food Security, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Clinical Trial Registration
The World Health Organization (WHO) definition of a clinical trial is "any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes". The WHO defines health interventions as “A health intervention is an act performed for, with or on behalf of a person or population whose purpose is to ass…
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Springer Netherlands
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- 6 issues per year
- Founded
- 2009
- ISSN
- 1876-4517
- Electronic ISSN
- 1876-4525
- Society / sponsor
- International Society for Plant Pathology
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 18, Issue 4 (August 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Food Security
What CAS zone is Food Security in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Food Security is in Zone 2 of Economics, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Food Science & Technology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Economics. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Food Security?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.37; CiteScore 12.4, h-index 120.
How long does peer review take at Food Security?
Based on the dates recorded on 94 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 266 days (interquartile range 199–363 days); authors report an average review time of over 12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Food Security?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Manuscript length: ≤ 8,000 words; Reference style: APA; Suggested reviewers: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Food Security based?
Of the 71 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 3 (about 4%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (20), United Kingdom (12) and India (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Food Security?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Food Security is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists INSPEC, CAB Abstracts and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Food Security open access, and what is the APC?
Food Security is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,790.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .