NUTRITION

Food safety. On July 8, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) published a report about the nutritional situation in Latin America. The report estimates that 9 percent of the population (55 million people) do not have their nutritional needs met and that 30 percent (188 million) suffer moderately from malnutrition in the region. To reverse this trend, FAO and legislators grouped in the Parliamentary Fronts against Hunger in Latin America are promoting an advocacy agenda so that, in 2020, Latin American Congresses and Executive Branches give priority to the eradication of hunger, overweight and obesity in their government agendas. 

The aim of these spaces is for governments in the region to resource institutional and financial programs in order to improve nutrition in Latin America. To this end, FAO recommends that Latin American countries take action to guarantee food security. In this context, FAO will promote an advocacy campaign called Parliament Zero Hunger. This initiative will propose common guidelines to reduce the food gap, for instance addressing the promotion of family farming as a mechanism to lower costs and improve food quality.

Also, they will promote laws to guarantee the Human Right to Adequate Food. On this point, it should be noted that these are initiatives that do not have an immediate practical implication, but rather a political commitment to track and assess the issue.

According to FAO estimates, one in seven babies is undernourished in the region. The FAO analysis concludes that in order to accelerate progress towards hunger eradication, achieve food security and improve nutrition, there is a need to understand and act on the links between food insecurity and malnutrition, as well as the risk factors with an impact on these health problems. 

Next steps

FAO and the region´s Parliamentary Fronts Against Hunger will promote in 2020 an advocacy agenda to get Congresses and Governments to prioritize the eradication of hunger, overweight and obesity. This follows a report in which FAO warns of the growth of malnutrition in Latin America.