Securing sufficient, safe and healthy food in Nepal: Going beyond calories

Transcription

1 Securing sufficient, safe and healthy food in Nepal: Going beyond calories Drona P. Rasali, DVM, PGT (Vet Path), MS, PhD, CHET, FACE Former Senior Scientist, Nepal Agricultural Research Council Former Senior Veterinary Officer, Government of Nepal Currently: Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research/ Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies, University of Regina (Canada); Director, Population Health Surveillance & Epidemiology Provincial Health Services Authority, British Columbia (Canada) NAPA Talk Session October 15, 2016

2 Introduction and disclaimer I endeavour for nudging the society for social justice, equity in health and overall well-being of the people. In my talk in this maiden session of NAPA, I plan to bring up some of the major issues around food security in Nepal to begin a conversation for developing solutions through an intellectual discourse rather than making an exhaustive treatise on the subject matter. Disclaimer: The views expressed in this presentation do not necessarily represent the position of my past or present employers.

3 MALTHUSIAN AND BOSERUP S THEORIES BACKGROUNDER Source: Human population interacts with food

4 Hunger in the world, (% share of the country s population) Source:

5 World Food Summit goal progress Halving the numbers of unnourished between 1990/92 and 2015 Source:

6 Understanding a food system (Adapted from: Food, Health and Well-being in British Columbia, 2006)

7 Food security: What is it? Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. (World Food Summit, FAO, 1996) Nutritious=Healthy?

8 Major aspects of food security Sufficient food Safe food Food security Healthy food

9 SUFFICIENT FOOD Access to sufficient food is a human right

10 Food insecurity (Source: WFP, 2001)

11 Four Groups of Households Source: Nepal Food Security and Vulnerability Profile 2001

12 Dietary calories supply in Nepal The trend may be continuing Source: Nepal Food Security and Vulnerability Profile 2001

13 The trend may be continuing Source: Nepal Food Security and Vulnerability Profile 2001

14 Daily calories intake in Nepal, 2010/11 Population by regions Average per capita kilocalories consumed per day % of the population with food energy deficit Nepal Urban Rural Mountain region Rural Hills- Eastern Rural Hills- Central Below 25,000 Kilocalories is considered very low Mountains in particular are highly energy deficient. Rural- Western Rural Hills- Mid & Far Western Terai belt regions >2500 <35 Source: Nepal Thematic Report on Food Security and Nutrition, 2013.

15 Monthly average of calorie intake in Nepal s mountains, by source & seasons Calories deficit in the mountains should be addressed as geographic inequity in access to food. Source: Nepal Thematic Report on Food Security and Nutrition, 2013.

16 SOURCE: NEPAL NUTRITION AND FOOD SECURITY PORTAL

17 Food production in Nepal: Rice Source: Agricultural Atlas of Nepal

18 Food production in Nepal: Maize Source: Agricultural Atlas of Nepal

19 Food production in Nepal: Lentil Source: Agricultural Atlas of Nepal

20 Food Production in Nepal : Vegetables Source: Agricultural Atlas of Nepal

21 Food production in Nepal: Milk Source: Agricultural Atlas of Nepal

22 Food production in Nepal: Buff Meat Source: Agricultural Atlas of Nepal

23 Food production in Nepal: Egg layers Source: Agricultural Atlas of Nepal

24 Food production in Nepal: Orange Source: Agricultural Atlas of Nepal

25 Food production in Nepal: Mango Source: Agricultural Atlas of Nepal

26 Characteristics of clusters of agricultural technology adoption groups in the Western hills of Nepal Agro-ecological zone: High hills (>1,500 masl), middle hills (950-1,500 masl) and low hills (<950 masl). Access: Classified by mean number of hours walk (return journey) to the nearest roadhead or market/supply centre. Categories of <4 hours (0.5 day), 4-8 hours (1 day), 8-12 hours (i.e. overnight) and >12 hours were used. Food self-sufficiency; Number of months for which a household is food self-sufficient. Categories of >12 months (surplus), 12-7 months (sufficient) and <7 months (deficit) were used. Ethnicity: Classified Ethnic groups of respondent households. Categories: Brahmin/Chhetri, Gurung/Magar, Occupational caste and others.

27 Agricultural technology adoption clusters in the Western hills of Nepal: Food sufficiency (C.N. Floyd, A.H. Harding, K.C. Paudel, D.P. Rasali, K.D. Subedi and P.P. Subedi, 1999) Agro-Eco Zone: Low hills; Access: <4 hours; Ethnicity: Brahmin/ Chhetri Adopted: Maize, Wheat, Tree fruits, Vegetables Agro-Eco Zone: High hills; Access: 4-8 hours; Ethnicity: Gurung/ Magar Adopted: Finger millet, Maize Food sufficiency: > 12 months Agro-Eco Zone: Low hills; Access: <4 hours ; Ethnicity: Bhramin/ Chhetri Adopted: Fodder trees, Tree fruits Agro-Eco Zone: High hills; Access: <4 hours; Ethnicity: Brahmin/ Chhetri Adopted: Wheat Agro-Eco Zone: High hills; Access: >12 hours; Ethnicity: Occupational caste Adopted: None Food sufficiency: > 12 months Food sufficiency: 7-12 months Food sufficiency: 7-12 months Food sufficiency: < 4 month

28 Equality vs equity in food access Equal provision of food does not mean the same thing as fair access to the food, which must be guaranteed in a just society.

29 SAFE FOOD Food safety is a public health concern

30 What is safe food? The food consumers should know where the food they are eating comes from, how it is processed and what it contains Farm to plate traceability. Food must be safe to eat, in addition to being nutritious and in right proportions to maintain health. Food can be unsafe for consumption through contamination with pathogens, toxins or chemical, or due to oxidation of food: During production in the farm, During distribution, food processing and retail operations, Preparation of food at home

31 Sources of food safety hazards Microbiological and parasitic hazards causing food and waterborne illnesses due to infections or toxin poisoning: Viral- e.g., Norovirus, Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Bacterial- e.g., Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp, Staphylococcus spp., Escherichia coli Fungus (Moulds)- e.g. Parasites- e.g., Protozoa Chemical hazards affecting immune, endocrine and developing nervous systems: Natural toxicants- e.g., mycotoxins Environmental contaminants- e.g., mercury, lead, radionuclides and dioxins Naturally occurring chemicals in plants, e.g., glycoalkaloids Pesticides and veterinary drug residues

32 Sources of food safety hazards (cont d) Physical hazards that can cause choking or internal injury: Glass chips, plastics Metal chips or jewelry Wood chips Allergens including tree nuts and peanuts, eggs, dairy products, sulfites, soy products, sesame seeds, wheat. New technological hazards: Perceived hazards of GMOs, irradiated food, ohmic heating and modified atmosphere packaging, hormones, etc.

33

34 Food safety law in Nepal

35 HEALTHY NUTRITIOUS FOOD Food is socio-economic determinant of health

36 What is healthy/nutritious food? As early as in 1988, US Surgeon General s Report on Nutrition and Health indicated that 2/3 rd of the deaths in the United States are due to diseases associated with diet. Over the past few decades, the United States has become the most overfed yet undernourished nation in the World. Non-communicable (aka chronic) diseases are increasingly realized as major burden on health of the population even in developing countries. Food and health (in the context of chronic diseases) have a complex relationship Choosing and practising healthy eating habits can promote and support social, physical and mental wellbeing for everyone, at all ages and stages of life.

37 Nepal Government s Conceptual Framework of the Determinants of Chronic Undernutrition (Shrimpton, R., 2011)

38 Adequate daily fruit and vegetable consumption, age 15+ (Rasali et. al., 2016) British Columbia (Canada), 2007/ /12 data Canada s Food Guide recommends daily consumption of five or more servings of fruits and vegetables.

39 Food insecurity and health: An illustration British Columbia (Canada), 2011/12 data

40 Education and food insecurity: An illustration British Columbia (Canada), 2011/12 data

41 Household composition and food insecurity: An illustration British Columbia (Canada), 2011/12 data

42 Access to healthy foods Economic, social, and physical environmental factors play a role in determining an individual s access to healthy foods. The major four factors, among many, that influence access to healthy foods are: availability of healthy food options, affordability of healthy foods, mobility barriers to accessing healthy foods, and sufficient time to eat healthy foods. (Rasali et. al., 2013)

43 Challenges in food security in Nepal Nepal, once a country once a net exporter, is now a net importer of grains.-> population pressure. Difficult and diverse geographic terrains make the free flow of food produce from one part of the country to other extremely difficult, especially in the North. The human nutritional requirements are not realized equally across geographic, demographic and socio-economic dimensions- inequity in food is rampant.

44 Challenges of food insecurity (cont d) Human and animal excreta, and waste material are not managed to avoid contamination of food and water. Haphazard human activities pose hazards in keeping food safe. No guidelines of basic healthy eating across the country. Food security does not mean only providing calories adequately, but also providing balanced food. The concept of healthy eating for public health is not a priority consideration, but is a luxury that most people cannot afford.

45 Conclusions Food security is a human right in a just democratic society of the 21 st century. This can be addressed by reducing inequity in sub-populations in Nepal. A food system must be integrated incorporating all its components; especially food sufficiency, safety and healthiness are major considerations. Food insecurity is a public health issue and a determinant of health affecting physical and mental health and well-being across the lifespan. Education, policy and infrastructure development must be directed towards reducing food insecurity as a socio-economic inequity.

46 THANK YOU! The end.