Agriculture, trade and obesity prevention

Irela MazarNutrition and Consumer Protection

Division (AGN/FAO)

FAO's mandate is to raise levels of nutrition, improve agricultural

productivity, better the lives of rural populations and contribute to the

growth of the world economy

FAO has recognized the growing obesity epidemic occurring not only in the developed

world but also among all income and socioeconomic groups of the developing world.

In response, FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO) have

collaborated together in joint initiatives

recognition was given early on to the consequences of excess energy balance, that is, overweight and obesity. The first committee on

calories offered the very practical rule of thumb that if the person ‘is in good health and calorie balance,

that is, neither over nor underweight, then he or she is consuming food according to his or her

calorie requirements.’

The early committees had the insight of adding the notion of maintaining an adequate level of energy expenditure, thus recognizing that leisure activities and health promoting activities were important

Botero“Globesity” is fast becoming a serious threat to the health of every nation striving for economic development.

http://www.salud.aw/

Developing countries face double burden of malnutrition

Poor maternal nutrition and low birth weight increases risk of obesity and NCDs later in life

Poverty, hunger and undernutrition are linked to chronic diseases

Food & Nutrition Security, Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Economic Development

• Are hunger and malnutrition an outcome of poverty? - or a cause of poverty?

• Is the alleviation of poverty essential for reducing malnutrition, or is reducing malnutrition essential for alleviating poverty?

Food and Nutrition Security

Poverty Reduction Sustainable

Economic Development

Role of agriculture in the global economy

Agriculture provides much more than commodities. It is a way of life.

When practised sustainably, it assures food security, conservation of national resources, environmental stability and employment. It contributes to social

stability and cohesion, and maintenance of cultural traditions.

FAO is placing emphasis on actions that promote an increase in the supply,

access and consumption of an adequate quantity, quality and variety of foods for

all population groups

FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY

food and nutrition security is realized when all people, at all times, have physical, social and

economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY STRATEGY

FARM TABLE

AGRICULTUREFOOD SCIENCE &

TECHNOLOGYHEALTH

Biodiversity and NutritionLed by FAO and Bioversity International (former IPGRI), under the umbrella of the Convention of

Biological Diversity, there is an international,multidisciplinary initiative that recognizes the essential role of biodiversity and promotes its

sustainable use for food security and nutrition, as a contribution to the achievement of the Millenium

Development Goals (CDB, 2005)

Promoting the conservation & sustainable use of biodiversity for food and nutrition

Biodiversity on 3 levels: genetic, species and ecosystem -,contributes to improved nutrition

Nutrition and biodiversity converge as one common path leading to food and nutrition security and sustainable development.

Some facts• The worldwide trend is towards dietary simplification, with

consequent negative impacts on food security, nutrition and health;

• Globalization, industrial development, population increase & urbanization have changed patterns of food production & consumption in ways that profoundly affect ecosystems and human diets;

• Diets low in variety but high in energy contribute to the escalating problems of obesity and chronic disease which are increasingly found alongside micronutrient deficiencies and undernourishment;

• The causes and consequences of the dramatic reduction of food diversity and the simplification of diets are complex and are not limited to specific cultures.

Statements and recommendations

• FAO will actively encourage the consumption of foods, particularly those available locally, that contribute to diversified and balance diets, as the best means of addressing micronutrient deficiencies and other forms of malnutrition, especially among vulnerable groups (World Summit on Food Security, Rome, 2009)

• “to accelerate the transition towards sustainability” (21st Session of the FAO Committee on Agriculture)

Definition of Sustainable Diets

Sustainable Diets are those diets with low environmental impacts which contribute to food and nutrition security and to healthy life for present and future generations. Sustainable diets are protective and respectful of biodiversity and ecosystems, culturally acceptable, accessible, economically fair and affordable; nutritionally adequate, safe and healthy; while optimizing natural and human resources.

(FAO Symposium on Sustainable Diets, Rome, Nov.2010)

FAO activities in biodiversity and sustainable diets aim to:

• highlight biodiversity, food production and food consumption as interconnected elements;

• provide more eco-friendly food recommendations to consumers and help clarify what is required for an environmentally- sustainable food chain;

The purpose is to promote a broader assessment of the link between local food products, biodiversity, food

and nutrition security and sustainability

FAO/WHO Fruit and Vegetable Initiative for Health

A framework for promoting fruit and vegetable was established by FAO and WHO in 2004 to guide the

development of cost-effective and effective interventions for the promotion of adequate

consumption of fruits and vegetables for health at national or sub-national level.

General principles • Availability • Accessibility • Affordability • Acceptability – quality, taste, safety, type of food, cultural

sensitivity • Equity – including underprivileged • Holistic or integrative approach • Sustainability • Marketing and creating awareness of fruits and vegetables

in foods and food programmes

Narrowing the Nutrition Gap

Improving food security may be achieved through narrowing the gap between current and potential production yields. Similarly, improving the food-based aspects of nutrition security can be thought of in terms of narrowing the “nutrition gap” – the gap between current food intake patterns and intake patterns that are optimal in terms of macro and micronutrient content.

Pathways through which agricultural interventions can contribute to narrowing the

nutrition gap• Increasing small-scale production of micronutrient rich foods;• Increasing commercial production of micronutrient rich foods; • Reduction of post-harvest losses to maintain micronutrient

levels in commonly eaten foods;• Plant selection and breeding to increase micronutrient levels;• Education and social marketing strategies that increase

consumption of micronutrient rich foods;• Including nutritionists in agricultural research-planning teams;• Promoting gender-sensitive agricultural technology where

appropriate.

http://www.iaso.org/iotf/obesity/?map=children

Agriculture policy helps drive decisions about what crops are grown, and influences the market price of

each crop.

Sustainable agriculture provides many economic and non-economic benefits, such as contributing to

local quality of life, providing fresh, wholesome foods and conserving the environment to allow for

future productivity.

Common features of successful approaches to national policy & programme development for

improving food and nutrition security

• strong commitment to improving nutritional well-being and securing everyone’s right to food;

• comprehensive understanding of food and nutrition security;• strong coordination and joint planning among ministries -

agriculture and health - should work together and explore more closely synergies and how they could be better linked;

• emphasis on capacity building and training; • gender mainstreaming;

Nutrition and its related main development sectors

Source: http://www.sportmedicina.com/OBESITA_PANDEMIA/globesity.jpg

The 2012 Olympics provide an ideal opportunity to encourage people to do more exercise

RecommendationsFocus on:

• food and agriculture, not just on public health interventions;

• people and farmer’s not just on farm and pharmacies;• consumption and utilization, not just on increasing

production, raising incomes and improving access;• the nutritional quality, diversity and safety of food, not

just on quantity (energy) adequacy;• the provision of evidence to document the impact foods

and improved diets have on human health, growth and mental development;

Recommendations(cont.) Focus on:

• nutrition education especially in view of the evidence that agricultural improvements alone do not necessarily lead to improvements in diets;

• advocacy to help create policy, institutional, social and physical environments that are conducive to ensuring access by all people to nutritionally adequate diets

Joining forces to protect and improve nutrition

All global actions for improving nutrition should reflect a comprehensive and balanced approach involving all sectors in

recognition of the fact that agriculture, health and social protection can all make important and significant contributions

to improving nutrition

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (FAO)

Viale delle Terme di Caracalla00153 Rome, Italy

http://www.fao.orgmailto:nutrition@fao.org

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