There is consensus that the food system should be able to feed a growing population and the 795 million people who go hungry every day.
But food quality is just as important.
More than 165 million children under the age of five suffer from stunted growth due to chronic malnutrition. Contaminated food affects one in ten people worldwide: around 420,000 people die each year from contaminated food. It is estimated that more than two billion people do not get all the vitamins and minerals they need. Meanwhile, two billion more people are overweight or obese, many of them in developing countries.
A new document from the World Bank explores why the global food system must prioritize improving nutrition and health and providing nutritious, safe and sustainable food. The paper also explores the types of food system interventions that can improve nutrition and health, as well as effective ways to implement this agenda.
Main messages:
• Malnutrition and foodborne diseases impose significant current and future human, economic, fiscal and social costs on countries. Chief among these problems is child stunting, which reduces a person’s cognitive development and lifetime earnings.
• Shaping food systems to improve nutrition and health requires a combination of improved knowledge, policies, regulations and wise investments across the continuum from production to consumption. The goal is to drive behavioral change among food producers, post-harvest handlers, food processors, food distributors and consumers. Women will also play a key role as they are often the link between food systems and household nutrition.
• Interventions include: reducing food loss through better storage, fortifying foods with nutrients, expanding nutrition education, improving food labeling, and modernizing food regulations. Food Safety.
• When it comes to implementing these interventions, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Countries should tailor the mix of interventions to their specific needs. Furthermore, different combinations of actions are needed in low-, middle-, and high-income countries.
Last updated: April 12, 2016
