Priorities for Public Sector Research on Food Security and Nutrition

Howarth Bouis, IFPRI

Terri Raney, FAO

John McDermott, IFPRI

Food Security Futures Research Priorities for the 21st Century

11-12 April 2013 Dublin, Ireland

Evidence on malnutrition

• 850 million people are undernourished

• 28 percent of children are stunted

• 2 billion people are micronutrient deficient

• 1.4 billion overweight/500 million obese

Child undernutrition

Africa

AsiaDeveloping regions

Latin America and the Caribbean

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1990 1995 2000 2005 20102011 1990 1995 2000 2005 2007

2000 2002 2004 2006 2007 2008 20052000 2000-20071995-2000 2005

Stunting Vitamin A deficiency

Anaemia* Low urinary iodine**

Africa Asia Latin America and the Caribbean Oceania Developing regions

Prevalence of overweight and obesity among adults, by region

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

1980 2008 1980 2008 1980 2008 1980 2008 1980 2008 1980 2008 1980 2008 1980 2008

Africa Asia LatinAmericaand the

Caribbean

Oceania Asia andOceania

Europe NorthernAmerica

World Developing regions Developed regions

Obesity Overweight, excluding obesityPercentage

Not just a double-burden

anymore

Social costs of malnutrition

Maternal and child malnutrition

Adult overweight and obesity

Total DALYs (‘000s)

1990 2010 1990 2010

World 339,951 166,147 51,613 93,840

Developed regions 2,243 1,731 29,956 37,959

Developing regions 337,708 164,416 21,657 55,882

Africa 121,492 78,017 3,571 9,605

Asia 197,888 80,070 12,955 34,551

Latin Am & Caribbean 17,821 6,043 5,062 11,449

Effect of incomes and prices

Malnutrition by Ag GDP category

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Low (≤ 999 US$) Medium (1,000 - 4,499 US$) High (4,500-11,999 US$) Very high (≥US $ 12,000 US$)

Stunting and micronutrient deficiencies (AB) Stunting, micronutrient deficiencies and obesity (ABC)

Micronutrient deficiencies (B) Micronutrient deficiencies and obesity (BC)

Obesity (C) No malnutrition problem (D)

Per

cen

tage

of

cou

ntr

ies

N = 38 N = 52 N = 36 N = 44

Indices of Inflation-adjusted Prices for Bangladesh

1973-75 = 100

0

25

50

75

100

125

150

175

200

1973-75 1979-81 1988-90 1994-96

Staple

Non-

Staple

Plants

Fish &

Animal

Share of Energy Source & Food Budget in Rural Bangladesh

Non-Staple

plants

Fish and Meat

Energy Source Food Budget

Staple foods

After

50% Increase in All Food Prices

Animal

Staples

Non-Food

Staples

Non-Food

Before

Share of Total Expenditures

Food system interventions for better nutrition

Supplementation Commercial

Fortification

Agricultural

Approaches

Dietary

Diversity (higher

incomes;

education)

Agriculture – Nutrition Disconnects ↑ Diet Quality

↑ Vitamin A

↓ Anemia

Gillespie et al, 2012; Masset et al, 2012; Webb, 2013

Food system approaches

• Biofortification and micronutrient fertilization

• Diversifying production

– Introducing single nutrient-dense foods

– Homestead food gardens

– Re-introducing/expanding traditional crops

– Integrated production systems

• Enhancing supply chains to deliver diverse, safe, nutritious foods

• Influencing consumer behaviour

20112

Cassava Vitamin A Nigeria DR Congo

Beans Iron (Zinc) Rwanda DR Congo

Maize Vitamin A Zambia

2012 2012

Crops for Africa & Release Dates

Crops are high-yielding and with other traits farmers want.

Pearl Millet Iron (Zinc) India

Rice Zinc Bangladesh India

Wheat Zinc India Pakistan

Crops for Asia & Release Dates

20122 20132 20132

Crops are high-yielding and with other traits farmers want.

Crop &

Nutrient

Countries of first

release

Status of Nutrition Studies

Dietary

Intake &

Retention

Bioavailabiliy Efficacy Effectiveness

Vitamin A Crops (released)

Cassava Nigeria,

DR Congo 2013-14 2013-15

Maize Nigeria, Zambia 2013-2015

OSP Uganda,

Mozambique

Iron Crops (released)

Bean Rwanda

Pearl Millet India 2013-2015

Zinc crops (under development—to be released in 2013)

Rice Bangladesh,

India 2013 2013-14 2014-2016

Wheat India, Pakistan 2013-14 2014-2016

Impact on vitamin A intakes

Information gaps

• Understanding diets and nutritional outcomes: what really matters?

• Life-cycle and life-style considerations: 1000 days, women, urban

• How to scale up agriculture/nutrition interventions?

• Something good to eat: What determines consumer behaviour?

Agricultural research priorities

• Productivity growth for staples, yes, but also especially non-staples

• Give nutritional characteristics higher priority in breeding objectives

• Consider dietary quality … not just energy … throughout the food system

• Partnerships:

– Development implementers

– Private sector and other value chain actors

– Enablers (investors and policy makers)

– Health sector (care, safety, disease)

Forthcoming

The State of Food and Agriculture 2013: Food Systems for Better Nutrition

June 2013

www.fao.org/publications/sofa