An international report published on Thursday highlighted the urgent need for transformative action to ensure sustainable and healthy nutrition for all.
The 2024 Global Food Policy Report: Food Systems for Healthy Diets and Nutrition, jointly prepared by 41 researchers from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and partner organizations, was launched at a South Asia regional event held in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.
The event was organised in collaboration with the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), the South Asian Organisation for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the Institute of Integrated Development Studies (IIDS) in Nepal, focusing on improving food security and transforming food systems in the region.
The report highlights that progress in reducing malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies in low- and middle-income countries has slowed, while rates of overweight and obesity are increasing rapidly.
The coexistence of malnutrition with diet-related noncommunicable diseases poses significant problems for global health.
The report also highlights that food systems contribute greatly to greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation and must be transformed to reduce environmental impacts while ensuring food security.
The report estimates that more than 2 billion people worldwide, including those living in South Asia, cannot afford a healthy diet, so addressing affordability and accessibility is crucial to improving nutritional outcomes.
In South Asia, malnutrition continues to be a critical problem with high rates of stunting and wasting in children. Assessing Nepal’s progress, Mr. Pradip Poudel, Minister of Health and Population, said, “According to the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2022, there has been a remarkable decline in child mortality rate and stunting has come down from 57% in 2001 to 25% in 2022.”
But, she added, “Despite progress, the majority of the female and child population still consumes unhealthy foods. Food systems have an important role to play in providing high-quality nutrition to people, and we need to review our food systems strategies and programming linkages within the health system.”
The report states that poor diet quality is the main cause of malnutrition in the region.
“It is now up to all of us to take this knowledge forward and work to invest and implement what we have learned in the most effective way,” said Dr. Johan Swinnen, Director General of IFPRI and Director General of Systems Transformation at CGIAR, highlighting IFPRI’s extensive work on health and nutrition in the region. “This requires addressing four entry points: accessibility, availability, affordability and desirability. We need to address all of these entry points to ensure sustainable healthy diets for all.”
“Inclusive economic growth can only happen when the population is fed,” said Dr. Shahidur Rashid, IFPRI Regional Director for South Asia, while assessing the region’s transformation from food scarcity to food surplus.
The report calls for a comprehensive approach to transforming food systems and improving diet quality around the world.
Key recommendations include implementing product-neutral policies that encourage the production and consumption of diverse and nutrient-rich foods, adjusting agricultural subsidies, and strengthening social safety net programs.
“While the determinants of malnutrition are diverse, without improvements in diet quality and increased equity in food distribution (with particular attention to gender), reducing malnutrition will not be fast enough to meet SDG targets,” said Dr. Geertrui Louwagie, Deputy Head of Cooperation of the European Union Delegation to Nepal.
The report also highlights the importance of strengthening governance and promoting collaboration between public institutions, the private sector and civil society to create an environment conducive to sustainable healthy nutrition.
Niels Balzer, Deputy Country Director of the World Food Programme for Nepal, emphasised the need to increase and improve the availability of fortified varieties to address micronutrient deficiencies.
“Apart from government involvement, we also need to involve the private sector to lead the retrofitting efforts so that we can find these products not just in rural areas or fair price shops but in our supermarkets and urban retail complexes,” he added.
Appreciating the report research team, Dr. Hari Bahadur KC, Under Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Government of Nepal, said, “This report has provided in-depth insights into the status of food and nutrition security and the way forward for the necessary policy infrastructure for the future.”
“The 2024 Global Food Policy Report serves as a call for urgent, coordinated efforts to transform global food systems to improve nutrition and health outcomes. It provides insights to make sustainable healthy diets desirable, affordable and accessible to all, and addresses both demand- and supply-side challenges,” added IIDS Executive Director Dr. Biswash Gauchan.
The preparation of the report was spearheaded by Dr. Purnima Menon, Senior Director, Food and Nutrition Policy, CGIAR and IFPRI, and the author of the South Asia chapter of the report, Dr. Avinash Kishore, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI, also attended the launch event and presented the key findings and recommendations of the report (PFA).
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