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Making Food Systems Nutrition‐sensitive: an Economic Policy Perspective
Author(s) -
PinstrupAndersen Per
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
world food policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2372-8639
DOI - 10.18278/wfp.1.1.5
Subject(s) - food systems , malnutrition , overweight , nutrition transition , productivity , food processing , micronutrient , food security , economics , psychological intervention , business , obesity , environmental health , development economics , public economics , economic growth , medicine , political science , agriculture , geography , archaeology , pathology , psychiatry , law
The triple burden of malnutrition, i.e. lack of access to sufficient dietary energy, micronutrient deficiencies and overweight and obesity, causes widespread human misery, low labor productivity and large economic losses to individuals and societies. While most efforts to improve nutrition have focused on direct interventions, the results have been disappointing. Opportunities for nutrition improvements through changes in the food system are large and largely ignored. Merely producing more food does not assure better nutrition. Most malnutrition, particularly overweight and obesity but also much of the existing energy and nutrient deficiencies, occurs amidst plenty of food at the national or global levels. Thus, assuming that the food systems only role in improving nutrition is to produce more food is a fallacy. Food policy should pursue improved nutrition along with other food system goals, and trade‐offs among the various goals should be addressed. The pathways between food systems and nutrition, including those operating through food availability, incomes, food prices, gender‐specific time allocation, should be identified and household behavior should be fully understood.