Editor: Draco Copper | Tactical Investor
Sustainable agriculture and Food Security
The number of undernourished people has doubled from 16 million in 1990-92 to 33 million presently. Inadequate access to nutritious foods has resulted in about one-third of children below five years having long-term health and developmental challenges. Additionally, there is an unexpected burden of malnutrition resulting from the high rates of overweight and obesity in the region, affecting over 50% of the adult population and leading to an increase in non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. This has put a significant strain on healthcare systems.
Therefore, it is crucial to prioritize enhancing nutrition and reducing the environmental impact of food production by ensuring that the food supplies are sustainable, diverse, and nutritious. This will require collaboration among various sectors, including governments, NGOs, and the private sector, to promote healthy diets, improve food storage and distribution, and educate communities on healthy eating habits.
The second critical step involves taking immediate measures to combat the escalating burden of obesity and non-communicable diseases in the region. To achieve this, addressing the obesogenic environment should be prioritized, and equitable access to healthy and affordable food should be ensured.
The third crucial step is investing in research and development to discover cost-effective and sustainable interventions that can enhance nutrition. One such approach is enriching staple foods and condiments with essential nutrients, which is not only effective but also inexpensive, costing a few cents per person annually.
Lastly, private sector involvement is crucial to find sustainable and nutritious solutions to the food system. The food industry plays a pivotal role in shaping the food environment, and its participation in finding solutions is crucial for success. Therefore, it is imperative to engage businesses meaningfully. Full Story
Agriculture needs massive investment to avoid hunger
A group of leading scientists has emphasized the need for billions of dollars of additional investment in agriculture and food distribution systems around the world in the coming years to avoid widespread hunger. They added that sustainable agriculture could be used as a weapon in the fight against dangerous global warming, as environmentally friendly farming methods can result in soils absorbing carbon dioxide instead of releasing it.
The report, “Achieving food security in the face of climate change,” published by the Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change, convened by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, highlights that agriculture has been neglected in international climate change negotiations. Governments need to take urgent action to address the problem, or millions of people are at risk of going hungry.
Sir John Beddington, the UK’s chief scientist and one of the authors of the report, explained that if agriculture is intensified to produce more food while producing fewer greenhouse gas emissions, it can lead to a reduction in emissions and an increase in food security in vulnerable regions. Full Story
Sustainable agriculture and Food Security and nutrition
The Zero Hunger Challenge has received widespread support from member states and other entities. It aims to achieve the following goals:
1. Zero stunted children under the age of two
2. 100% access to adequate food throughout the year
3. All food systems are sustainable
4. 100% increase in smallholder productivity and income
5. Zero loss or waste of food
Sustainable Development Goal 2, “End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture,” recognizes the interlinkages among supporting sustainable agriculture, empowering small farmers, promoting gender equality, ending rural poverty, ensuring healthy lifestyles, tackling climate change, and other issues addressed within the set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals in the Post-2015 Development Agenda.
In addition to adequate calorie intake, proper nutrition has other dimensions that require attention, such as the availability of micronutrients and healthy diets. Inadequate intake of micronutrients by mothers and infants can have long-term developmental effects. Unhealthy diets and lifestyles are strongly associated with the growing incidence of non-communicable diseases in both developed and developing countries. Full Story
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