Context: Recently, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released a report titled “Asia and the Pacific – Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2023: Statistics and Trend”.
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- Unaffordability: According to the report, 74.1% of Indians could not afford a balanced diet in 2021. This percentage was 76.2% in 2020.
- Regional Comparison: 82.2% of people in Pakistan and 66.1% of people in Bangladesh reported having trouble obtaining healthy food.
- Mismatch between the Food prices and Income: The report cautioned that if the rising food prices are not accompanied by increased income, more individuals will find it impossible to afford a nutritious diet.
About Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)
- It is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to fight hunger.
- Headquarters: Rome, Italy.
- Foundation: 16th October, 1945
- Aim: to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives.
- Members: With 195 members – 194 countries and the European Union, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide. India is the founding member of FAO.
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Key Findings of the FAO Report
- Impact of the “5Fs” Crisis: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the region was impacted by the “5Fs” crisis – Food, Feed, Fuel, Fertilizers, and Finance. The protracted effects of these crises are still evident.
- Stunting: 31.7% of the nation’s under-five children experienced stunted growth( low height-for-age).
Finding With Respect to Asia-Pacific:
- Higher prevalence post-COVID-19: In 2022, 55 million more people in Asia were malnourished than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of these people lived in Southern Asia.
- Gender Disparity: In every subregion except Eastern Asia, women fared worse than men. About 10% of women faced severe food insecurity, while 25% faced moderate insecurity.
- Cost of a Healthy Diet: The average cost of a healthy diet in the Asia-Pacific was estimated at 4.15 purchasing power parity dollars per person per day.
Reasons for Increase in Unaffordability:
- A combination of higher food, feed and fuel prices and a slow recovery from the global pandemic have been the most important reasons for the rise in unaffordability.
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- Reasons for Stunting: Stunted growth and development can be caused by inadequate feeding practices for infants and young kids, poor maternal health and nutrition, and recurrent infections
- Wasting: India has the highest rate of wasting (low weight for height) in the area, with 18.7% of children under five years old dealing with this severe health issue.Another health risk – 2.8% of children under five were overweight.
- Anaemia: The highest prevalence rate in the region for anaemia in 2019 was 53% among women in the country between the ages of 15 and 49. Anaemia “impairs health and well-being in women and increases the risk for adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes.”
- Obesity: 1.6% of adult citizens in the nation are obese.
- Breastfeeding: India has improved the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0–5 months old; at 63.7%, it is higher than the global rate of 47.7%.
- Low- Birth Weight: With a prevalence of low birth weight of 27.4%, India leads the region, followed by Bangladesh and Nepal.
- Cost of a Healthy Diet: The cost of a healthy diet rose on average by 5.3% in purchasing power parity (PPP). An estimated 232.8 million people in the region could not afford a healthy diet.
Must Read: World Food India 2023
What is a Healthy Diet?
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a healthy diet is one that meets the nutritional needs of individuals at different stages of life and promotes overall health. It must be:
What Constitutes a healthy diet according to WHO?
- Exclusively breastfeed babies for the first 6 months and continue breastfeeding until 2 years and beyond.
- Energy intake should balance energy expenditure.
- Keep total fat intake to less than 30% of total energy intake, with a shift in fat consumption away from saturated fats to unsaturated fats, and towards the elimination of industrial trans fats.
- Limit intake of free sugars to less than 10 percent (or even less than 5 per cent) of total energy intake.
- Keep salt intake to less than 5 g/day.
- Eat at least 400g of fruits and vegetables a day.
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- Diverse and Balanced: A healthy diet should include a variety of foods. This diversity ensures an adequate intake of essential nutrients.
- It typically includes fruits, vegetables, legumes (like lentils and beans), nuts, whole grains (such as unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat, brown rice), and animal-sourced foods (like meat, fish, eggs, and milk).
For Further Information: GHI 2023
Source: The Hindu
December 13, 2023
