In a report released in conjunction with its annual meeting, the Word Bank lists three related food challenges – hunger, obesity and deficiencies in vitamin and mineral intake. “Despite significant progress, 795 million people still are not getting the minimum dietary energy needs,” said the report. In sub-Saharan Africa, one-in-four people is hungry and in South Asia, the figure is one-in-six. At the same time, 2 billion people, more than a quarter of the world population, are overweight or obese. “Arguably, child stunting is one of the biggest development challenges,” says the report, referring to food and micronutrient deficiencies. “If not addressed, it will profoundly undermine our ability to end poverty and promote shared prosperity.”
“Feeding people well is as important as feeding people enough; shaping food systems to deliver safe, nutritious and sustainable food should be a priority,” said the Bank in summarizing the report. “Shaping food systems to deliver improved nutrition and health requires a combination of improved knowledge, sound policies, regulations, and investments across the production- to-consumption continuum. The goal is to stimulate behavioral change in food producers, post-harvest handlers, food processors, food distributors, and consumers. Women will also play a key role because they often link food systems and household nutrition.”