Sustainable food supply Geraldine McNeill

‘Double burden’ of nutrition Obesity is rising rapidly in lower and middle income countries, particularly among urban populations, leading to increases in chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes BUT Undernutrition remains common in rural areas, particularly among the poor, notably in women and children, and other disadvantaged groups

Food security The World Food Summit of 1996 defined food security as existing “when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life”. Requires – Food availability – Food access – Appropriate food use (water, sanitation…)

Undernutrition Chronic undernutrition defined by FAO/WHO as having <2250 kcal/d Total numbers approx. 1 Billion Over 60% of these are in S Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa Decreasing proportions in S and SE Asia and Latin America, but increasing overall numbers Micronutrient deficiences e.g. iron are also common – 1 in 4 children under 5 are stunted or wasted – 1 in 3 Africans are chronically malnourished – 2 in 5 pregnant women are anaemic

Future challenges Preventing switch from plant-based to meat and processed food based diets Preventing rising food prices due to speculation Ensuring that fair prices are paid for food imports from LMICs Ensuring that rural populations, particularly women and children, have a more varied diet Improving nutrition for those with chronic disease esp. HIV-AIDS

Sustainable food supply -Optimise land use in all regions of the world, taking into account climate and water issues -Ensure equity in international food trade -Make meeting all nutritional needs a priority, not just providing calories -Improve nutritional surveillance -Increase capacity in emergency nutrition programmes