Three billion people worldwide were unable to afford healthy diets in 2019, while 811 million suffered from hunger in 2020 despite the world producing enough food for everyone.
These statistics by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Report were revealed by Agriculture, Water and Land Reform Deputy Minister, Anna Shiweda, at the commemoration of World Food Day at Utuseb in the Walvis Bay Rural Constituency.
Shiweda expressed further concern that despite the high number of hungry people, about 3.4 million people worldwide also die every year due to overweight and obesity caused by unhealthy eating habits.
“This is a clear indication that we need to transform our food systems for food security, improved nutrition and affordable healthy diets for all. It is a well-known fact that healthy diets protect against malnutrition in all its forms, and prevent non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer,” she said.
The deputy minister expressed that the alarming statistics on hunger, malnutrition and obesity call for cooperation and coordination among all stakeholders in the food value chain in order to effectively address challenges related to food insecurity and malnutrition.
“Addressing hunger, malnutrition and poverty remains a high priority on the Agenda of the Government of Namibia through all the national high level policies, namely the Constitution, Vision 2030, Harambee Prosperity Plan II and the fifth National Development Plan.”
FAO Representative in Namibia, Farayi Zimudzi, said about 14 per cent of the food produced worldwide is lost while 17 per cent of it is wasted.
“Combined with other stressors such as pests and diseases, natural disasters, loss of biodiversity, habitat destruction and conflict, one can clearly see the magnitude of the challenge we face in meeting the world’s growing food needs, while simultaneously reducing the environmental and climate impact of our agri-food systems,” Zimudzi stated.
She however noted that as the leading UN technical agency working on food and agriculture, FAO has developed a set of tools which they are confident can make an impact on many of these complex systemic problems.
The event was held under the theme ‘Our actions are our future. Better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life’
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
