La desnutrició en el món

Un repte actual, un compromís de futu

Exploring the new indicator Minimum Dietary Diversity-Women. Results from Burkina Faso.

Improving the quality of women's diet is the best way to stop the inter-generational cycle of malnutrition. The Minimum Dietary Diversity Women is a global indicator recently endorsed to monitor nutrition sensitive actions and programs aimed at improving the diet of women of reproductive age. This report explores the potential use of the indicator for programmatic action, and gauges how the indicator relates to other dimensions, and how sensitive it is to changes, in urban and rural Burkina Faso.JRC.H.4-Monitoring Agricultural Resource

Assessing market incentive policies in Kenya with a food security and nutrition perspective: a macro-microsimulation approach

Kenya, such as other African countries, is particularly concerned about the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal #2 (SDG #2: zero hunger), and its associated consequences for the society. Empirical evidence about food security and nutrition in Kenya accounts for deficiencies in food access, food sufficiency and food quality at the household level. These deficiencies are among others the causes of all forms of malnutrition (stunting, wasting and overweight), which can lead to cognitive impairment, limited immunity to diseases, low educational performance, increased risk of chronic disease and even mortality cases of children in this country. To solve the food security and nutrition problems in Kenya is a challenging issue because of the different dimensions to be tackled (economic, environmental, educational, health and sanitation) and also because of the heterogeneity that characterizes households (income and food expenditure, education level of households’ head, regional sanitation coverage, access to potable water / waste water system, etc.). In the recent past, the Government of Kenya supported the construction of a roughly €1.1 billion fertilizer plant in Eldoret in the framework of a fertilizer cost reduction strategy aiming at stabilizing fertilizer prices and making fertilizer more accessible through local manufacturing, blending and bulk procurement. Increasing the domestic production of fertilizers should reduce the price of fertilizer, making them more accessible for farmers. Co-authors of this report, employing the STatic Applied General Equilibrium for DEVelopment (STAGE-DEV) Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model, calibrated on a Social Accounting Matrix Kenya 2014, evaluated the impact on food security of the creation of the fertiliser plant together with three additional policy scenarios (market access, extension and subsidies removal). For the purpose of this study, we developed a macro-micro simulation model, based on the previously developed CGE and policy scenarios and on microsimulations using the Kenya Integrated Household Budged Survey 2015/2016. The objective is to produce new set of food security indicators using macro-micro model linkages and it is purely methodological. The policy results, which should be taken with some caution, are discussed in terms of initial economic (per capita income), food security (household dietary diversity and dietary energy consumption) and children’s nutritional (stunting, wasting) status at the household level. Furthermore, national results are disaggregated by metropolitan areas (Nairobi and Mombasa) and the rest of urban and rural zones of the country. Main results suggest that increasing fertilizers’ availability coupled with increasing market access through the improvement of infrastructures and the reduction of transport costs (market access scenario) will increase overall purchasing power. Supporting pro-poor growth, this development will benefit the most those households with lower diet diversity and higher stunting rates. This policy scenario also leads to the largest increases in diet energy consumption, with similar distributive results as for the purchasing power impact. Increasing fertilizers’ availability paired with improving crops productivity in agricultural practices (extension scenario) leads to the largest increase in energy consumption, particularly from fats in the diet, among households with low diet diversity. Average protein and carbohydrate consumption at national level increase the most within the market access scenario. The results confirm the findings of the previous report. Increasing fertilizer availability in Kenya is not enough to improve food security in the country. The contribution of complementary policies, such as increasing the market access for fertilizers and agriculture by improving the rural infrastructure or improving the extension services to train small-holder farmers about fertilizer and land use, that give farmers better access to input and output markets is needed.JRC.D.4-Economics of Agricultur

Global analysis of food and nutrition security situation in food crisis hotspots

This report provides a global overview of food insecurity due to different crises and natural disasters to support programming of the Pro-resilience Actions (PRO-ACT) funding mechanism, a component of the Global Public Goods and Challenges (GPGC) thematic programme of the European Union. The analysis covers the period January 2015-January 2016 that has been marked by food crises in several countries because of extreme weather events due the El Niño phenomenon but also because of conflicts and political crises. In a number of countries, in particular in West Africa, food insecurity remains a major concern because of chronic vulnerability despite good crop production in 2015.JRC.H.4-Monitoring Agricultural Resource

Low dietary diversity and intake of animal source foods among school aged children in Libo Kemkem and Fogera districts, Ethiopia

Background A low dietary diversity score (DDS) and low consumption of food from animal sources (ASF) are among the factors related to malnutrition in school-aged children living in Libo Kemkem and Fogera (Ethiopia). Objectives This study aimed to identify associated determinants for low dietary diversity and lack of consumption of ASF. Methods In 2009, a cross-sectional survey was carried out in May, at the end of the lean season. Socio-demographic characteristics and diet habits were collected from 886 school-aged children. Additionally, 516 children from rural sites were followed up in the post-harvest season, in December of the same year. Bivariate and multivariable statistical methods were employed to assess low DDS and ASF intake and their association with different factors. Results Up to 80% and 60% of school-aged children living in rural and urban sites, respectively, ate ≤ 3 food groups the day before the survey. The percentage of children consuming ASF was significantly higher in urban settings (64% vs 18%). In the rural areas, if the head of the household was male (OR: 1.91; 95%CI: 1.00-3.65) and older than 40 years (OR: 1.56; 95%CI: 1.02-2.38) the child had a lower DDS in the lean season, while differences by socioeconomic indexes were observed in the post-harvest season. Males took more ASF than females in rural settings (OR: 1.73; 95%CI: 1.14-2.62) and differences by socioeconomic indexes were observed in both settings in the lean season, though not in post-harvest survey. Conclusions The findings of this study revealed that the diet among school-aged children in Libo Kemkem and Fogera districts lacked diversity, and that the intake of foods from animal sources was low, especially among rural girls. To effectively tackle malnutrition, dietary diversification strategies oriented to the local needs are recommended.JRC.H.4-Monitoring Agricultural Resource

Quantitative methods for integrated food and nutrition security measurements. Lessons to be learned!

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) jointly organized an International Conference on Quantitative Methods for Integrated Food and Nutrition Security Measurements. The conference provided a platform for researchers, academics, professionals and decision-makers to define the state of the art for quantitative measurement of food and nutrition security (F&NS) by identifying the main practical challenges, sharing innovative methods and modelling techniques, and exploring best practices to scale up multi- and cross-sectoral F&NS collaboration and coordination at country, regional and global level. Moreover, in hosting an interdisciplinary forum, the conference offered the opportunity for participants to forge innovative partnerships for the development and promotion of improved methodologies to support evidence-based F&NS policies and decision-makers.JRC.D.5-Food Securit

Quantitative Methods for Integrated Food and Nutrition Security Measurement

Despite the importance of Food and Nutrition Security, great challenges remain to be addressed worldwide to reduce and eradicate hunger and malnutrition. The most recent report on the State of Food Insecurity in the World (2018) stated that, for developing regions taken as a whole, the share of undernourished people in the total population has recently increased in the period 2015-17 to 10.9% compared to its lowest (10.6%) in 2015. Although there has been substantial progress in the last decade, almost 821 million people are still undernourished globally. In part, the inability to tackle the problems relates to the lack of timely and more spatially explicit information to inform decision-making, humanitarian and development initiatives. On the other hand, monitoring progress of policies and actions to combat hunger and malnutrition requires innovative and practical measurements that take into account food and nutrition security (FNS) updated information. The availability of joint measurements for FNS is still low for the great demand of information in this subject. Nonetheless, some efforts have initiated in recent years by researchers and practitioners. Thus, in 2017 the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) jointly organizing an International Conference on Quantitative Methods for Integrated Food and Nutrition Security Measurements. The conference provided a platform for researchers, academics, professionals and decision makers to define the state of the art for quantitative measurement of food and nutrition security (F&NS). The research work and keynotes presented helped identifying the main practical challenges, innovative methods or modeling techniques, and exploring best practices to scale up multi and cross-sectoral F&NS collaboration and coordination at country, regional and global level. Moreover, in hosting an interdisciplinary forum, the conference offered the opportunity for participants to forge innovative partnerships for the development and promotion of improved methodologies to support evidence-based F&NS policies and decision-making. The conference gathered research work mainly from Africa but also from Asia and included 80 participants from Africa, Asia and Europe. This document summarize the presentations, which included keynotes and research projects, included here according to their order in the program of the conference. Research projects presentations are summarized presenting when possible, their main motivation, methods and results, or else their title and authors for those under publication in scientific journals.JRC.D.5-Food Securit

La malnutrición en crisis humanitarias.

La malnutrición en crisis humanitarias es el capitulo 23 del libro titulado Asistencia Sanitaria en Crisis. Este capítulo resume el estado actual de los métodos de estimación de la prevalencia de malnutrición en situaciones de crisis humanitarias así como de las intervenciones que se llevan a cabo en estos contextos.JRC.D.5-Food Securit

Child dietary diversity and associated factors among children in Somalian IDP camps

Background: Malnutrition and food insecurity are major challenges in Somalia, particularly among small children living in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. Poor diet has been identified as key driver of malnutrition in young children who depend for their diets on their household’s socio-economic standing and access to food, as well as on the family’s caring and feeding practices. Objective: To assess the dietary diversity and identify the factors associated with it among children (6-23 months) in Somalian IDPs Methods: We used a cross-sectional survey conducted in eleven IDPs camps in Somalia in June 2014 and in June 2015. A total of 3188 children aged 6 to 23 months were surveyed. Child diets were assessed using food frequency questionnaires, and dietary diversity was categorized using the minimum child dietary diversity (MDDC) indicator. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to identify the factors associated with the children's dietary diversity. We built and compared two models using alternatively the household dietary diversity score and (HDDS) the food consumption score (FCS) as food security proxies. Results: Around 15% of children among IDP camps reached the minimum dietary diversity. Overall our results confirm that not only food security proxies are the factor more associated with MDDC, but HDDS performs better than FCS. In addition, results identified that: women as key decision-maker in the household, duration of household permanence in the settlement, women’s physiological status, frequency of milk feeding to child, type of toilet and measles vaccination were positively associated with MDDC. Conclusions: To improve child dietary diversity in IDP camps, food security interventions should be broadened to include female empowerment and inclusive nutrition education (encouraging male participation) programmes, as well as initiatives for targeting children who do not live with pregnant or lactating women, and that can support families beyond the first months after their arrival.JRC.D.4-Economics of Agricultur

Assessing MDG achievement through under-5 child stunting in East African Community. Some insights from urban versus rural areas in Burundi and Rwanda using DHS2010.

This paper assesses the prevalence of stunting and its potential determinants using data from the Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in Rwanda and Burundi in 2010. Selected child, mother and household characteristics were described for rural and urban areas of each country and logistic regression model was constructed for each setting independently. The results show that male sex and increasing age were associated with stunting in the rural and urban children of both countries. The child’s size at birth was associated with it only in urban Rwanda and rural Burundi, and the fact that the child had not received vitamin A supplementation or vaccination only in the rural settings (Rwanda and Burundi respectively). Regarding mother’s characteristics, young age was a stunting potential risk factor in all settings except in urban Rwanda, and mother’s low educational level in all settings except for rural Rwanda, although the mother’s working status had a significant impact in the child’s nutritional status only in this country. Finally, low socioeconomic status at household level was associated with chronic malnutrition only in the rural settings, and the mother’s partner education and no sanitation in rural Burundi and urban Rwanda respectively. Nutrition programming should differentiate urban and rural contexts within a country. The 1000 days approach that advocates for interventions from conception to the second birthday of the child seems to be relevant as mother characteristics show a strong correlation with the child nutritional status. In rural area of both countries, access to health services should be enhanced.JRC.D.5-Food Securit