Global Food Insecurity and Its Association with Malnutrition

Abstract

The challenges faced globally after COVID-19 pandemic and other emergencies such as the war in Ukraine threaten progress towards ending all forms of malnutrition. These crises are among the major drivers that has put this world off track in eradicating the hunger and malnutrition by 2030. Malnutrition and multiple forms of food insecurity affect millions of people worldwide. Conflicts, climate change, economic slowdown, and instability with high and enduring levels of inequality are factors that worsen the former situation. According to FAO report, in year 2021 total of 2.3 billion world population suffered from food insecurity. Among these affected people greatest portion almost half (1.15 billion) belonged from Asia; more than one-third (795 million) were from Africa; about 12 percent (268 million) from Latin America and the Caribbean; and nearly 4 percent (89 million) are in Northern America and Europe.

The depth of food deficit is a new indicator that shows the average per capita additional amount of energy in (Kcal) needed for undernourished individuals to meet their average energy requirement globally. The report revealed that more than half of the people in the world affected by hunger in 2021 were in Asia and more than one third in Africa. Globally the rates of malnutrition in children under five years of age decreased. However, an estimated 149 million (22 percent) were stunted, 45 million (6.7 percent) were wasted, and 39 million (5.7 percent) were overweight. Progress was made towards 2030 targets on stunting, while childhood overweight was worsening. On the other hand micronutrient deficiencies among women of reproductive age are also increasing due to inability to afford nutritious food.

To resolve these issues its necessary to comprehend the severity of hunger and malnutrition at a deeper level. Instead of looking for a single solution, cost effective multi-sectoral approach including subsidizing healthy foods, taxing calorie dense refined beverages. incentivized agricultural production, advocating nutrition education using nutrition labeling as well as electronic and social media, initiating healthy lunch programs at workplaces and in academia can be potential solutions in this regard. Moreover, fighting food insecurity and malnutrition requires removing obstacles to the delivery of wholesome foods and recognizing the importance of a supply chain that takes nutrition into account. The primary policy objective in this regard should be governmental stability, sustainable and inclusive economic growth, with an emphasis on eliminating income, educational, and gender pay inequities.