The State of Food and Agriculture 2023

Why in News?

Recently, a FAO's report, 'The State of Food and Agriculture 2023', highlights the significant negative effects of unhealthy diets and ultra-processed foods on health and the environment.

Key Findings

1. Hidden Costs of Unhealthy Diets:

• Unhealthy diets, characterized by ultra-processed foods, fats, and sugars, often result in significant hidden costs.
• The annual costs of health-related issues like obesity and non-communicable diseases exceed USD 7 trillion, highlighting the economic burden on the economy.

2. Global Impact and Economic Burden:

• The majority of hidden costs were generated in upper-middle-income and high-income countries (36% and 22% respectively), with lower-middle-income countries at 22% and low-income countries at 3%.
• Unhealthy
• diets lead to hidden costs of at least USD 10 trillion annually, accounting for nearly 10% of the global GDP.
• The analysis covers 154 countries and highlights the significant impact of these dietary patterns.

3. Impact on India:

• India's agri-food system costs, totaling around USD 1.1 trillion, are the third-largest globally after China and the United States.
• In India, the largest hidden costs are the burden of disease, social costs of poverty, and environmental costs from nitrogen emissions.

4. Rapid Spread of Processed Foods:

• The consumption of highly processed foods is increasing globally, particularly in peri-urban and rural areas.
• Urbanization, lifestyle changes, and shifts in employment profiles are driving this trend.
• Longer commuting times in certain areas have led to an increase in the consumption of processed foods.

5. Urban vs. Rural Consumption Patterns:

• The report challenges the conventional belief that consumption patterns significantly differ between urban and rural areas.
• The study reveals that processed foods are widely and uniformly distributed across the rural-urban continuum.
• Processed foods significantly contribute to overall consumption in both high and low-food-budget countries, with urbanization not being the sole driving force.

6. Global Food Insecurity:

• Global food insecurity, particularly moderate or severe, remained largely unchanged for the second consecutive year.
• In 2022, approximately 29.6% of the global population, or 2.4 billion people, experienced moderate or severe food insecurity.
• Around 11.3% of the global population, or approximately 900 million individuals, are currently experiencing severe food insecurity.
• India ranks third in South Asian countries with the highest prevalence of undernourishment, after Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to an analysis.
• Low-income countries face significant hidden costs of agri-food systems, accounting for over a quarter of their GDP, compared to less than 12% in middle-income and 8% in high-income countries.

7. Future Projections and Undernourishment:

• The report predicts that by 2030, approximately 600 million people will be experiencing chronic undernourishment.

How can the Burden of Ultra-processed Foods be Reduced?

1. Transforming current agri-food systems can reduce the burden of ultra-processed foods by promoting sustainability, health, and inclusivity.

• Promoting the consumption of diverse, nutritious, and less processed foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.

2. The regulation of ultra-processed foods' marketing, labeling, and taxation, along with the provision of subsidies and incentives for healthier options, is being implemented.
3. The focus is on enhancing the accessibility and affordability of healthy foods, particularly for low-income and vulnerable populations, through social protection, food assistance, and public procurement.
4. The initiative aims to educate and empower consumers to make informed, healthy food choices through nutrition education, behavior change communication, and digital technologies.
5. The focus is on improving the efficiency and circularity of agrifood systems by reducing food losses, waste, enhancing resource use, and embracing cleaner, renewable energy sources.
6. The focus is on improving governance and coordination of agrifood systems by engaging stakeholders, promoting innovation, conducting research, and monitoring the effects and outcomes.

Government Initiatives to Promote Healthy Lifestyle

1. The National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013.
2. PM-POSHAN Scheme.
3. Fit India Movement.
4. Eat Right Movement.
5. Eat Right Station Certification.
6. Eat Right Mela.

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