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2016-12-15 | permalink
Fight against hunger in Asia-Pacific is losing momentum, FAO warns
Diets are changing in Asia (Photo: CC0, akshayapatra)
Progress towards ending hunger in Asia and the Pacific has slowed down in recent years, according to a new study published by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). If the fight against hunger and malnutrition is not picking up momentum, most countries of the region will not meet the UN’s second Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of zero hunger by 2030. With some 490 million people, the Asia-Pacific region is home to more than 60% of the world’s hungry people. 12% of the region’s population is undernourished with most of them living in South Asia. Although the prevalence of undernourishment in the Asia Pacific region dropped by half from 24.3% in 1990, progress has slowed down in the last five years compared to the two decades before, the report said. With recent reduction rate, only two countries would reach the target of eliminating hunger by 2030 and even with their best historical rates only nine countries would meet the zero hunger goal. “The analysis in this report is an eye-opener and a wake-up call to all of us here in Asia and the Pacific,” said Kundhavi Kadiresan, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative. “To some, the year 2030 may still seem far away, but it’s only 14 years from now and we still have nearly half-a-billion hungry people in this region.”
The report also notes that nearly one in three children in the region are suffering from stunting. “Many countries in the region face the challenge of a triple burden of malnutrition whereby an inadequate intake of calories, micronutrient deficiencies and obesity prevail simultaneously.” Obesity has been increasing rapidly in parts of the region. While figures differ country to country, the regional rate of obesity has been increasing by more than 4% annually. The study highlights that diets in Asia and the Pacific are undergoing rapid transition as countries and their inhabitants are growing richer. According to FAO, per capita rice consumption has declined and consumption of livestock products, fish, fruits and vegetables has grown rapidly. “The most striking example of this is the rapid take up of dairy products across the region,” said Kadiresan. This presents a tremendous opportunity to improve nutrition, she said, but policy-makers also need to ensure that the region’s small-holder dairy farmers benefit from this trend. They need fair access to markets and support that enables them to compete in the marketplace. The report says that changes in diets also require that foods other than rice receive more investments in agricultural research and more policy attention. “Most countries in this region are spending too little on agricultural research,” said Kadiresan. “So in order to meet both the zero hunger goal and ensure everyone is well nourished in Asia-Pacific by 2030, we will, collectively, need to put our money where our mouths are to ensure we can meet these twin challenges,” she added. (ab)
