Malnutrition Risk: United Nations highlights food security challenges in Caribbean
Santiago de Chile – Changing patterns of climate variability and extreme weather events are negatively affecting all dimensions of food security and exacerbating other underlying causes of malnutrition in all its forms in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to the 2024 Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition. The report, published today, states that Latin America and the Caribbean is the second-most exposed region in the world to extreme weather events, following Asia.
According to the report, between 2019 and 2023, the
prevalence of undernourishment increased by 1.5 percentage points in countries
affected by climate variability and extremes. The situation is worse in
countries experiencing economic recessions. The most vulnerable populations are
disproportionately affected, as they have fewer resources to adapt.
The report underscores the urgent need to accelerate action
to build resilience within agrifood systems, which are critical for the
region's progress toward eradicating hunger and malnutrition in all its forms.
The report emphasizes that ensuring the long-term sustainability of agrifood
systems is essential.
Hunger and Food Insecurity Declined for the Second
Consecutive Year
According to the report, hunger affected 41 million people
in the region in 2023. This represents a decrease of 2.9 million people
compared to 2022 and 4.3 million compared to 2021. However, despite regional
progress, disparities persist among subregions. Hunger prevalence has increased
over the last two years in the Caribbean, reaching 17.2 percent, while it has
remained relatively stable in Mesoamerica, at 5.8 percent.
Regarding moderate or severe food insecurity, the region
also showed progress for the second consecutive year, falling below the world
average for the first time in 10 years. A total of 187.6 million people in the
region experienced food insecurity, 19.7 million fewer than in 2022 and 37.3
million fewer than in 2021.
This reduction is attributed to the economic recovery of
several South American countries, driven by social protection programs,
post-pandemic economic efforts, and targeted policies to improve food access.
The report also highlights that food insecurity
disproportionately affects certain population groups, such as rural communities
and women. The gender gap in Latin America and the Caribbean remains higher
than the global average.
The Challenge of Malnutrition Amid Climate Variability
FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative
for Latin America and the Caribbean, Mario Lubetkin highlighted the relevance
of the Regional Overview 2024 considering that: "Climate variability and
extremes are a threat for the stability of food security and nutrition. He
added: “the importance of implementing a comprehensive response, based on
policies and actions designed to strengthen the capacity of agri-food systems.
This resilience allows us to anticipate, prevent, absorb, adapt, and transform
in a positive, efficient and effective way against various risks, including the
challenges associated with climate change and extreme events.”
Regarding malnutrition, the report states that in 2022,
stunting affected 22.3 percent of children under five globally. In Latin
America and the Caribbean, the prevalence was estimated at 11.5 percent,
significantly below the global average. While the region has made notable
progress since the turn of the millennium, progress has slowed in recent years.
"In Latin America and the Caribbean, one in ten
children under five lives with stunting. Undernourishment and overweight
coexist in the region, exacerbated by high exposure and vulnerability to
climate events in the most affected communities. This double burden of
malnutrition daily threatens the full development of children," said Karin
Hulshof, UNICEF Regional Director a.i. for Latin America and the Caribbean.
"Any decision on climate action must prioritize the right to food and
nutrition for children, women, and families."
In 2022, 5.6 percent of children under five globally were
overweight, compared to 8.6 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean—3.0
percentage points above the global estimate. The regional prevalence has also
grown faster than the global rate, increasing by 1.2 percentage points between
2012 and 2022, compared to only 0.1 percentage points globally. The region's
trends vary significantly, with South America mainly driving the increase,
while Mesoamerica and the Caribbean have shown greater stability in recent
years.
The report also identifies economic barriers to accessing
healthy diets as a critical issue. In 2022, 182.9 million people in Latin
America and the Caribbean could not afford a healthy diet. This marks an
improvement of 2.4 percentage points compared to 2021, meaning 14.3 million
more people can now afford a healthy diet.
"Overweight and obesity are growing challenges in the
region and key risk factors for non-communicable diseases. A healthy diet is
the foundation for health, well-being, and optimal growth and development. PAHO
positions health as a cornerstone for transforming food systems, promoting
fiscal policies such as taxes, public food procurement policies, regulations on
advertising (including breast milk substitutes), food safety, product
reformulation, and front-of-pack labeling," said Jarbas Barbosa, Director
of the Pan American Health Organization.
Disparities also persist among subregions in access to
healthy diets. In the Caribbean, 50 percent of the population (22.2 million
people) could not afford a healthy diet, followed by Mesoamerica at 26.3
percent (47.1 million people) and South America at 26 percent (113.6 million
people). This highlights the need to focus on vulnerable populations exposed to
extreme climate events.
“Climate shocks are making it increasingly difficult for
families across Latin America and the Caribbean to produce, transport, and
access food. Frequent storms and floods are destroying homes and farmland,
while drought and erratic rainfall are wiping out crops before they can grow,”
said Lola Castro, WFP’s Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean.
“As extreme weather events intensify, WFP is working with communities and
governments to strengthen food security, protect the most vulnerable and build
resilient food systems that can withstand the climate crisis”, she added.
The agencies emphasized the need to further accelerate
investments and actions to create long-term capacities to address climate
variability and extreme weather events.
Rossana Polastri, Regional Director for Latin America and
the Caribbean at IFAD, stated: "We are making progress in the fight
against hunger, but the numbers still exceed pre-pandemic levels, showing there
is much work to be done. We must redouble efforts to adapt food systems to the
effects of climate change, whose negative impacts exacerbate food insecurity.
To achieve this, we need to invest more in rural areas, ensuring that
small-scale producers have access to basic infrastructure, climate information systems,
sustainable agricultural practices, and financial products to cope with extreme
events and climate variability. Additionally, we must invest in women and the
most vulnerable groups to ensure that progress in reducing hunger leaves no one
behind."
The 2024 Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition is
a joint publication by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the
Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), the
World Food Programme (WFP), and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Information source: FAO.org
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