Committing to adequately nourishing those who are in vulnerable situations and not just “filling their stomachs” is the request launched this Monday by Lynnette Neufeld, the Director of Food and Nutrition at the FAO in Rome, during a visit to Panama.
Neufeld has defended the need to change the perspective in the fight against hunger and focus on guaranteeing access to a healthy and nutritious diet, as reported by the regional office of this world organization.
The leader’s trip to Latin America had the purpose of discussing strategies for Food and Nutrition Security in Mesoamerica and how experts and leaders can collaborate to work to improve initiatives in this region.
According to Neufeld, some of the measures that must be applied in the agri-food system are also actions to combat climate change, such as the protection of biodiversity or the reduction of food waste.
The FAO, the United Nations agency specialized in the fight to eradicate hunger, denounces that in Central America and the Dominican Republic there is still food insecurity and malnutrition, especially among children under five years of age and in indigenous communities. And in parallel, they warn that there is an increase in overweight among another part of the population and in diseases related to poor eating habits.
In 2021, 34.2 million people in Mesoamerica, the historical region that includes Mexico and Central America, were unable to have a balanced and complete diet per day, which represents 22.2% of the total population.
The FAO Director of Food and Nutrition believes that it is still possible to achieve this goal, which is part of Sustainable Development Goal 2 “Zero Hunger”, but that much more impetus and determination are needed to achieve it.
