Expert Report Explores Inequalities in Food Security and Nutrition

Food is essential for our survival. But more than just food, our bodies require the right amount of food with the right amount of nutrients at the right time. Unfortunately, this remains a luxury for millions of people in many parts of the world. Reducing inequalities in food security and nutrition becomes a priority to improve people’s quality of life. 

The greatest challenges of our times

Food is a basic necessity, yet millions of people still go to sleep with empty stomachs. In 2022, the Food and Agriculture Organization estimated that between 691 and 783 million people suffered from hunger. For children, failing to meet the nutrients and food necessary during the critical growth period will lead to stunting and wasting, affecting other key developmental milestones, including cognitive ones. On the other hand, unhealthy diets can lead to obesity and other health problems.

Food-related crises remain some of the greatest challenges of our times. Tackling these issues will require us to zoom in on inequalities in food security and nutrition across the food system. In this light, the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition released the “Reducing inequalities for food security and nutrition” flagship report. The report offers a closer look at the trends, causes, and recommendations regarding inequalities in food security and nutrition. 

Inequalities in food security and nutrition

Inequalities in food systems occur when people with different social, economic, and geographical backgrounds have different health outcomes and access to the food system-related aspects, such as food supply and distribution. Inequity refers to the systemic reasons for such differences.

These conditions occur across the globe in varying degrees. However, the data in the report show that cases of hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition are more prevalent in low- and lower-middle-income countries. For instance, the African region has the highest prevalence of hunger (20% of the population) and moderate or severe insecurity (57.9% of the population). 

Similarly, Southern Asia, Melanesia, and a few Sub-Saharan African regions are some of the places with the highest cases of stunting and wasting. The only different trend is in adult obesity, where the highest prevalence is in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

Meanwhile, the report shares that food insecurity is more common and severe among women than men. Women, girls, and people in rural areas often cannot afford a healthy diet. Women who have anemia are also more likely to come from rural areas, with poor economic conditions and a lack of formal education.

Understanding the marginalized

Within food systems, inequalities occur in food production resources, supply chains, and food environments and consumer behavior. For instance, the differences between geographical locations, access to supporting agricultural knowledge and facilities, and market engagement can affect how people obtain their food. 

Furthermore, inequalities in food security and nutrition are also driven by factors outside the system itself, such as education, health systems, global conflicts, and climate change. These factors contribute to exacerbating the gap, especially in health outcomes related to food and nutrition.

Then, how can we tackle this systemic issue? Understanding inequity and inequality in food security and nutrition will require us to recognize who is marginalized, how, and why. We must understand how inequalities are intersectional and intergenerational and are determined by spaces and places. 

Therefore, the report proposes a framework to help governments, businesses, and civil society groups tackle inequalities in food security and nutrition:

• Recognition: acknowledging the specifics and history of inequity in each context
• Representation: ensuring that marginalized groups are genuinely empowered to have agency over the choice of actions to address inequity.
• Redistribution: ensuring the opportunities and resources are allocated fairly and that costs do not fall on those with less political power.

Most importantly, actions to address this issue must be guided by human rights and justice principles and consider all the data, contexts, and evidence available. Ultimately, eliminating the gap in food security and nutrition is a necessary step to uplift people’s quality of life, welfare, and prosperity, thus advancing sustainable development as a whole.

Read the full report here.

Editor: Nazalea Kusuma