The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations has disclosed that over three billion individuals have not been able to access healthy, complete diets around the globe, a situation which the organization said calls for more stringent measures.
The FAO said the development was revealed in its ‘2021 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World Report’, released recently.
While speaking at the opening session of the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) summit convened by the Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, the Director-General of FAO, Qu Dongyu, said the situation demands an urgent need to ameliorate the global food systems.
According to the Director-General, the COVID-19 pandemic that affected the world worsened the already difficult situation. He stressed the need for concerted efforts to ensure the production of healthy, safe, and nutritious meals globally.
He remarked that in a reaction to the alarming figure, the FAO has devised strategies to establish more resilient food systems, and said the strategies would help countries in Africa and all other continents in their bid to attain food security.
Dongyu also noted that ensuring better nutrition was one of the key goals of FAO’s 2022-2031 strategic framework.
He added: “FAO is committed to supporting the advancement of nutrition in Africa, where nearly 60 percent of the population were affected by moderate or severe food insecurity in 2020, and even more are unable to afford healthy foods.”
In the statement, the FAO made it known that it would ensure that a minimum of 90 percent of its new action plans related to agri-food systems will include prioritizing access to healthy diets in the next four years.
The FAO also noted that it would ensure that at least 90 percent of its country offices will efficiently offer support for its member states, to achieve better and healthier food systems.
Part of the statement read: “FAO will increase the share of nutrition-sensitive projects and programs by 50 percent by 2025, and maintain or increase the share through 2030.
“Support Members, upon their request, in the implementation of the Voluntary Code of Conduct for Food Loss and Waste Reduction.”
Meanwhile, others who took part in the summit are President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo, UN Secretary-General; António Guterres, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh, President Andry Rajoelina of Madagascar, Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak of Timor-Leste, World Bank President; David Malpass, World Health Organization Director-General; Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and the Executive Director of UNICEF, Henrietta Fore.
