by Priya Bapat, Humanitas Global
Each year, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations releases a report on the State of Food and Agriculture, covering important issues related to global food systems. Previous reports have covered topics such as agricultural investments and the importance of women in agriculture. This week, the FAO released its 2013 report which addresses the issue of food systems and malnutrition.
While agricultural development and nutrition have been treated as separate spheres in the past, there is increased dialogue and recognition of the importance of addressing them as interrelated and intertwined themes. How did agriculture and nutrition become distinct topics in the first place? It would seem obvious that food production and food delivery systems are inextricably connected with nutrition and diet composition. Within the global development agenda, however, agriculture and nutrition have been categorized under two separate development goals. Agricultural development is treated as primarily an issue within economic development, while nutrition falls under the domain of global health.
The conversations around creating more explicit linkages between agricultural development and nutrition policy have demonstrated how important both are for improving global health and developing economies. As the FAO 2013 report explains, malnutrition results in higher healthcare costs and loss of global productivity. Agricultural systems can be strengthened to support better nutrition through fortified crops/products and improved rural incomes. With 12.5% of the world's population suffering from undernutrition and 1.4 billion people who are overweight, the FAO estimates that the financial cost of global malnutrition as a result of productivity loss and direct health care costs could be as much as 5% of the current global GDP or $3.5 trillion per year.
How do we bring global food systems and nutrition into better alignment? The FAO calls for a multisectoral approach to addressing malnutrition and better integration with other development priorities, such as gender equality and environment. Improved consumer education on nutrition, better food system governance and expanded access to nutrient-dense foods are also cited as ways to integrate agriculture and nutrition and combat global malnutrition.
The full report and executive summary for The State of Food and Agriculture 2013 report is available on the FAO website.