Food security and nutrition
IN the past 25 years, the world achieved great strides towards reducing hunger and undernourishment. The Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) 2015 State of Food Insecurity in the World (SOFI) showed that there are 200 million fewer hungry people in the world today than in 1990.
And the Philippines was among the 79 out of 129 nations who were able to halve the proportion of their undernourished populations, effectively reaching one hunger target under the Millennium Development Goals.
The Social Weather Stations (SWS) reported that hunger incidence for the first quarter of 2015 had dropped to 13.5 percent of the population—or roughly three million Filipino families. Falling from the 17.2 percent (3.8 million families) registered in December 2014, this is the lowest hunger incidence we have seen in the last ten years.
Amid these statistical achievements, we remain food insecure however. The 2015 Global Food Security Index (GFSI) of the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) ranks us 72nd out of 109 as food insecure, which puts us 5th out of 8 ASEAN countries surveyed, 13th among 25 lowermiddle income countries, and 15th out of 22 in Asia-Pacific.
The FAO said that between 2005 and 2012, the Philippines had the highest prevalence of food inadequacy among Asia’s fast-rising economies. This is due to the interplay of several factors, including low productivity of farms, inadequate infrastructure, and lack of clean water sources and sanitation facilities.
The most stark statistic though affects our children — the future citizens. The latest National Nutrition Survey (NNS) — covering 2008 to 2013 — shows nearly 8 percent of Filipino children aged 0 to 5 years were considered wasted or too thin for their height, while nearly a third (33.6 percent) in the same age group were severely stunted.
That hidden public health hazard moved a group of business and civic leaders to launch the first scientifically formulated school-meal menu under the K and K (Kalusugan ng Bata, Karunungan ng Bayan) program. It was followed by the OMG (“Oh My Gulay!”) school feeding program for Grades 1 to 3 in partnership with the Department of Education. I was convenor of both initiatives.
The FAO’s 2015 State of Food Insecurity in the World report said that most of the countries that reached their hunger and undernourishment MDGs enjoyed stable political conditions and steady economic growth.
In sum, political leadership and governance play a determinative role in reducing the prevalence of food and nutrition insecurity among the population. That is but another powerful reason our choice for the next President is vital for our people.