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Social circumstances and cultural beliefs influence maternal nutrition, breastfeeding and child feeding practices in South Africa

F&BKP Office — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 15:33:42 +0000

This study (PDF) in the Nutrition Journal determined maternal dietary diversity, breastfeeding and, infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices and identified reasons for poor nutiriton and suboptimal breastfeeding in five rural communities in South Africa, in the context of cultural beliefs and social aspects. Maternal and child undernutrition remain prevalent in developing countries with 45 and 11% of child deaths linked to poor nutrition and suboptimal breastfeeding, respectively. This also has adverse effects on child growth and development. Results show that maternal dietary diversity was very low and exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life was rarely practiced, with young children exposed to poor-quality diets lacking essential nutrients for child growth and development. Social circumstances including lack of income, dependence on food purchasing, young mothers’ feelings regarding breastfeeding and cultural beliefs were the major drivers of mothers’ eating habits, breastfeeding behaviour and IYCF practices. Fathers were left out in breastfeeding and IYCF decision making and young mothers were unwilling to employ indigenous knowledge when preparing food (especially traditional foods) and feeding their children. Finding a balance between mothers’ income, dietary diversity, cultural beliefs, breastfeeding and considering life of lactating mothers so that they will not feel burdened and isolated when breastfeeding and taking care of their children is crucial. Paternal inclusion in breastfeeding decisions and safeguarding indigenous knowledge on IYCF practices is recommended.

Home food availability, food insecurity and nutrition knowledge are key factors influencing dietary diversity among adolescent girls in Southern Ethiopia

F&BKP Office — Fri, 19 Jun 2020 13:07:28 +0000

This study (PDF) in Current Development in Nutrition examined the dietary diversity and its determinants among in-school adolescent girls in two regions in Southern Ethiopia. In Ethiopia, where 40% of the population is under 15 years, evidence on adolescent nutrition is limited. Household survey data from 162 in-school adolescent girls aged 10–14 y across 54 primary schools in one agrarian region (SNNP) and one pastoralist region (Somali) was used. All of the adolescent girls were currently enrolled in school (grades 4–8), and most resided with their mothers (96.9%) and fathers (80.2%). Prevalence of thinness was 11.7% , and 35.2% were mildly thin. Dietary diversity was low, with 3.7 food groups (out of 10) consumed in the last 24 hours. Also, 48.8% reported consuming sweets and sugar-sweetened beverages in the last 24 hours. Nutrition knowledge among adolescents was moderate, with an average score of 4.8 out of 8 knowledge items. On occurrences of food insecurity in the past 30 days, they reported an average score of 1.1 (out of 9 items). However, household surveys revealed a high degree of food insecurity (56.2%). Adolescents also reported that only 3.6 food groups (out of 10) were available at home some/most/all of the time (that is, 3–7 days) over the past 7 days. Unsurprisingly, food availability at home and food insecurity followed by nutrition knowledge were significantly associated with dietary diversity score. Understanding the factors influencing poor diets among adolescents will help to enhance the design of educational interventions to improve adolescent nutrition outcomes, a critical priority in Ethiopia. However, household food insecurity and household food availability are serious concerns in this context.

The voices of women cooks in food markets in La Paz

F&BKP Office — Wed, 13 May 2020 14:30:05 +0000

This paper (PDF) by Hivos and IIED shares results of research carried out together with women vendors in dining areas of markets in La Paz, Bolivia, guided by interest and concerns of the vendors themselves. Bolivian people’s diets have changed significantly in recent years due to urbanisation, increased purchasing power, and changes in consumer preferences. However, the food system in cities is still based on the traditional wholesale and retail markets. Dining areas inside these markets are important for people to access nutritious, affordable food, as well as keeping the country’s culinary traditions alive. Nevertheless, the viability of these market dining areas is threatened by competition and by changes in consumption patterns. Results show that market dining areas operate in fierce competition from businesses in the surrounding area. The women vendors are worried about falling sales and the increasing number of places selling food outside the market. Their main concern is how to improve their businesses to prevent further losses of customers and income. Therefore it is important to understand their customers. Customers mostly have positive opinions of the food, the service and prices. Compared with businesses nearby, the lunches at the market dining provide nutritious food at low prices. Customers’ main priorities are to make the market dining areas more comfortable and improve cleanliness. The key lessons from the the women vendors are: 1) Essential to build trust and understand that research is unfamiliar, which may make people suspicious. 2) Patience is essential to develop trust. It also requires flexibility and investment of time and resources. 3) When citizens are involved, researchers need to be aware that objectives may differ from those envisaged at the outset. 4) Moving from evidence to action is not an automatic process; it requires time, capacity and the will to act. 5) Research that focuses on citizens opens up new opportunities to engage in constructive dialogue with decision makers.

A related blog can be found here.

Changing food consumption patterns in rural and urban Vietnam: Implications for a future food supply system

F&BKP Office — Thu, 07 May 2020 13:10:53 +0000

This study, in the Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, estimates a food demand system, including 15 major food items in Vietnam, with multiyear household survey data. Rapid income growth and urbanisation could significantly change the composition of the food basket in many emerging economies. Results show a large variation in the estimated price elasticities (–0.05 to –0.88) and expenditure elasticities (–0.16 to 2.56). Food types, urban status and income groups can explain this variation. It is also found that the staple food, rice, is already an inferior good for rich urban households in Vietnam. Moreover, food preferences are evolving away from rice but towards animal proteins (fish, pork, chicken, eggs and milk), fruits and vegetables, irrespective of urban status and income groups. As the Vietnam economy continues to grow with a doubling of gross domestic product (GDP) in the next decade, per capita rice consumption in both urban and rural areas and across different income groups will continue to decline, whereas demand for other high‐value products will rise. Thus, government policy should focus on encouraging demand‐oriented food production. In addition, crop diversification at the farm level needs to improve substantially to meet the rising demand for these food products due to income growth and urbanisation.

To sell or consume? Gendered household decision-making on crop production, consumption, and sale in Malawi

F&BKP Office — Thu, 16 Apr 2020 12:55:11 +0000

This study in the Food Security journal examines the sociocultural drivers of gendered household decisions to produce and sell or consume nutritious crops, based on analysis of 80 in-depth interviews with women and men in three regions of Malawi. Value chains and agricultural commercialization are increasingly being promoted as mechanisms for agricultural transformation, inclusive growth, and improving food security and diets. Donors and implementers promote production of nutritious crops as a mechanism for improving the quality and diversity of diets of the rural poor. However, while there is a theoretical basis for this, there is a need for a deeper empirical understanding of how, under what circumstances, and through what pathways own-production of nutritious foods improves diets. Respondents define all food crops as nutritious and marketable and emphasize maize-security over other more nutrient-dense food crops. The findings provide an in-depth understanding of diet patterns and preferences in the study population. It becomes clear that a sophisticated evaluation procedure guides household production, sale, and consumption decisions wherein a wide range of criteria are considered. In addition, insights emerge on the role of gendered structural domains in these decisions, dismissing a clear dichotomy of men’s crops and women’s crops and supporting a more nuanced and diverse view of these domains.

Why income lacks to ensure household food security: Needs and challenges identified by consumers from a rural community, South Africa

F&BKP Office — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 16:11:26 +0000

This study (PDF) in the International Journal of Consumer Studies aimed to gain an understanding of the challenges and needs experienced by households with different food security statuses. Inadequate supply of healthy food impacts negatively on household food consumption and well‐being. Disproportionate income distribution in South African households results in several households that lack daily consumption of adequate healthy foods and reliance on low‐cost staple foods. Households are confronted by various challenges, and reliance on highly processed staple foods is a public health concern. Results revealed that households had experienced insufficient food supply to such an extent that the household was at risk of becoming food insecure or actually insecure among medium and high‐income groups. Food insecure households indicated a significantly higher consumption of food which they do not necessarily prefer, limited portion sizes and they borrowed money to purchase food. Households in the middle‐income group applied this coping behaviour. It is thus clear that income alone is not enough to ensure food security. Participants indicated a need for budgeting and basic food knowledge. Promoting self‐production, skills and knowledge regarding basic food needs may play a significant role to support households’ food consumption and improve household food security. Future developments must aim at sustainable intervention programmes to support household food utilisation and management to enhance consumers’ well‐being through education.

Indonesia’s triple burden of malnutrition

F&BKP Office — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 12:39:29 +0000

This study (PDF) by Hivos,IIED, Universitas Jember, Tanoker Ledokombo and Kementeran Sosial aimed to better understand the triple burden of malnutrition, diets, and the drivers of food choices in East Java, Indonesia. The ‘triple burden of malnutrition’ is particularly stark in Indonesia, where there are both high rates of both childhood chronic undernutrition and overweight. Yet there is very little data available on people’s diets in Indonesia and few methods adapted to measure the triple burden. Some key findings are: 1) A sizeable proportion of respondents do not meet the minimal daily dietary diveristy target; 2) Ultra-processed foods and sweets are widely consumed and are potentially related to a range of health problems; 3) The dietary species richeness score revealed that in general people rely on just a few foods and there was little diveristy within food groups; 4) Most people source their food from markets and vendors; 5) Food choices are driven by several factors including cost and dietary habits. Poverty and cost were limiting dietary diversification. Achieving healthier diets requires action on several fronts. To improvide children’s diets includes food culture in schools and developing a whole-family approach. Stronger regulation of commercial food processing is needed as well as better use of local dietary guidelines. Lastly, policymakers should better align agricultural policy with dietary needs. Concerning the triple burden of malnutrition, currently, they are being dealth with as seperate issues, while a more holistic appraoch is needed, which includes: 1) Straighforward dietary assessment methods for researchers; 2) Easy-to-use dietary indicator accounting for healthy and unhealthy foods; 3) Dietary species richness score is a promising new indicator; 4) Self-administered food diaries are a step forward, allowing people to collect their own dietary data. These actions would help to build a fuller picture of diets in different contexts for use in policies and programmes aimed at tackling the urgent problem of the triple burden of malnutrition.

Urbanization as a driver of changing food demand in Africa

F&BKP Office — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 09:07:09 +0000

This technical report (PDF) by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) focuses on the concern that urbanization will have profound effects on eating patterns and increase the risk of nutrition-related non-communicable diseases. Data from the Tanzania National Panel Survey allowed JRC to compare individuals’ dietary patterns before and after they relocated from rural to urban areas and assess whether those changes differ from household members who stayed behind or moved to a different rural area. It is found that individuals who relocated to urban areas experience a much more pronounced shift away from the consumption of traditional staples, and towards more high-sugar, conveniently consumed and prepared foods. Living in an urban environment is not found to contribute positively to the intake of protein-rich foods, nor to diet diversity. These changes in eating patterns represent a clear nutritional concern regarding the potential longer-term impacts of urbanization. Our results however also indicate that the growth of unhealthy food consumption with urbanization is largely linked to rising incomes. As such, health concerns over diets can be expected to spread rapidly to less-urbanized areas as well, as soon as income growth takes off there. Our findings call for more in-depth research that may help to improve health and food and nutrition security as well as correctly predict food demand and adapt trade, agricultural and development policies.

Household-level drivers of dietary diversity in transitioning agricultural systems: Evidence form the Great Mekong Subregion

F&BKP Office — Wed, 13 Nov 2019 10:08:38 +0000

This study in the Agricultural Systems journal discerns the drivers of household dietary diversity in the context of farmers evolving from subsistence toward commercial production, in the Greater Mekong Region (GMS). Despite connoting economic progress, effects of these changes on household welfare indicators such as dietary diversity have been unclear. The results show that the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) is found to increase among the sites in a way that is roughly associate with their state of agricultural transition, though differing combinations of market orientation, specialisation, and intensification traits that describe such a transition suggest that the pathway to commercialisation, and dietary diversity, is not a linear one. Drivers of dietary diversity vary markedly between the sites. In the Laos site, HDDS is most closely correlated to a set of variables closely linked with agricultural transition, while in the Cambodia site it is associated more with other farm and household characteristics. In the Vietnam site, dietary diversity is correlated to the overall value of crop production. Findings point to the need to contextualise site-specific knowledge of linkages between dietary diversity and ongoing agricultural transition in the GMS, as well as policy and interventions seeking to improve dietary diversity in the face of such transition.

Participatory agroecological research on climate change adaptation improves smallholder farmer household food security and dietary diversity in Malawi

F&BKP Office — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 16:14:27 +0000

This study in Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment examines whether agroecological farming practices, when employed by highly vulnerable households in sub-Saharan Africa, can improve food security and dietary diversity. The findings show that participatory agroecology experimentation increased intercropping, legume diversification and the addition of compost, manure and crop residue amendments to the soil. Intercropping was associated with food security and the use of organic soil amendments was associated with gains in dietary diversity. Household food security and dietary diversity increased significantly over a 2-year period. Spousal discussion about farming was strongly associated with increased household food security and dietary diversity. Households who discussed farming with their spouse were 2.4 times more likely to be food secure and have diverse diets. Addition of compost or manure to the soil significantly influenced dietary diversity. These findings indicate that poor, vulnerable farmers can use agroecological methods to effectively improve food and nutritional security in sub-Saharan Africa. The study also highlights how linking agroecology to participatory research approaches that promote farmer experimentation and gender equity also lead to greater health and well-being. The study sheds light on how agroecological approaches can rapidly improve food security and dietary diversity, even under conditions of acute social, health or ecological stress. It draws attention to issues of equity and farmer-led approaches in addressing food security and nutrition.

Barriers and facilitators to fruit and vegetable consumption among rural Indian women of reproductive age

F&BKP Office — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 14:26:35 +0000

This study (PDF) in the Food and Nutrition Bulletin aims to identify perceived barriers and facilitators to fruit and vegetable consumption among women of reproductive age living in rural communities in India. Micronutrient deficiencies have been a serious public health problem among women of reproductive age in low- and middle-income countries including India, adversely affecting maternal and child health and human capital outcomes. Fruit and vegetables are important sources of micronutrients, and consumption of these foods is less than recommendations. The study revealed that women knew that fruit and vegetables were beneficial to health and expressed that they wanted to increase the intake of these foods for themselves and their children. Seven main themes were identified as being barriers or facilitators to fruit and vegetable consumption: (1) personal factors, (2) household dynamics, (3) social and cultural norms, (4) workload, (5) time pressures, (6) environmental factors, and (7) cost. At the household level, it would be important to increase awareness and change attitudes among all family members around ensuring that women are adequately nourished and rested. At the community level, the conceptions should be tackled about indigenous green leafy vegetables that are nutritious and grow abundantly in these areas, but that are considered to be unfit for consumption. In terms of environmental and economic factors, it is of course essential to address the access availability, affordability, and sustainability issues. The majority of rural poor in India rely on markets to obtain fruit and vegetables; therefore, supply-side interventions will be necessary to increase the consumption of fruit and vegetables. Poverty and lack of employment for the rural population must be addressed at the district, state, and national levels. Migration to cities is increasing, and there must be an incentive for people to remain in rural areas and a means for them to earn a living wage.

Modernization of African food retailing and (un)healthy food consumption

F&BKP Office — Thu, 15 Aug 2019 10:15:10 +0000

This article (PDF) in the Sustainability journal examins relationships between consumers’ socioeconomic status, use of different modern and traditional retailers, and dietary patterns in urban Zambia. Food environments in Africa are changing rapidly, with modern retailers gaining in importance. Changing food environments can influence consumers’ food choices and dietary patterns. Recent research has suggested that the growth of supermarkets leads to more consumption of processed foods, less healthy diets, and rising obesity. However, relatively little is known about what type of consumers actually use modern supermarkets and to what extent. Moreover, focusing only on supermarkets may be misleading, as most consumers obtain their food from various modern and traditional retailers. Results of this study show that two-thirds of the households use modern and traditional retailers simultaneously, but that richer households are more likely than poorer ones to use supermarkets and hypermarkets. Use of modern retailers is positively associated with higher consumption of ultra-processed foods, after also controlling for income and other socioeconomic factors. However, the use of traditional stores and kiosks is also positively associated with the consumption of ultra-processed foods, suggesting that modern retailers are not the only drivers of dietary transitions. So a focus on regulating modern retailers alone would be insufficient to promote healthy eating. Policy options to consider are regulations related to the advertisement and promotion of healthy and unhealthy foods and their strategic placement within shops. Beyond advertisement, awareness campaigns, and nudges, taxes and subsidies could also be options to promote healthy diets.

Mapping obesogenic food environments in South Africa and Ghana: Correlations and contradictions

F&BKP Office — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 13:25:43 +0000

This paper (PDF) in the Sustainability Journal explores correlations and linkages between neighbourhood food environments and household food environments, with particular emphasis on the risk they pose for obesity. In sub-Saharan Africa, urbanisation and food systems change contribute to rapid dietary transitions promoting obesity. It is unclear to what extent these changes are mediated by neighbourhood food environments or other factors. This paper correlates neighbourhood food provision with household consumption and poverty in Khayelitsha, South Africa and Ahodwo, Ghana. The findings confirm the conclusions reached by several previous studies, namely that: 1) there is a co-existence of a diverse range of formal and informal food outlets; 2) obesogenic foods are widely prevalent and available; 3) supermarket expansion in particular is making ultra-processed and other obesogenic foods more accessibl; and 4) there are high levels of consumption of obesogenic foods. Further, the results reveal that household food environments promoting obesity, more prevalent in Khayelitsha than in Ahodwo, appear correlated with neighbourhood food environments, which make obesogenic foods accessible and available, despite greater poverty in Khayelitsha. They also suggest that poverty is a powerful determinant not only of household consumption and purchasing but also of local food environments, thus suggesting a systemic feedback loop contrary to the direction of causality commonly implied in food environments theory. Making these “foodscapes” visible and legible may enable state and civil society agents to frame them as more concrete objects of local governance discourse. This is essential to galvanise the “will to transform” them. In light of the above interpretation of the findings, however, governance of food environments may offer only limited leverage to address obesity in the face of systemic poverty and inequality. It cannot substitute for more fundamental engagement with socio-economic and spatial drivers of obesity which transcends a narrow focus on food.

Agricultural transformation and food and nutrition security in Ghana: Does farm production diversity (still) matter for household dietary diversity?

F&BKP Office — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 16:19:52 +0000

This article (PDF) in the Food Policy Journal examines the linkage between farm production diversity and household dietary diversity in rural Ghana and how that linkage changed between 2005–06 and 2012–13. Ghana managed to utilize rapid economic growth for poverty reduction and improving food and nutrition security. Transformation of agriculture appears to have played an important role in this context. However, the linkages between agricultural transformation and food and nutrition security at the household level are not well understood. The empirical analysis employs a regression model that controls for region- and time-fixed effects. The estimation results suggest that farm production diversification, as well as household income growth, continues to be strongly associated with increased household dietary diversity. This production-consumption linkage rests mainly on the direct effect of own-consumption of produced foods. The indirect income effect was larger in 2005–06 than in 2012–13. Further, the results confirm that market failures that prevent farmers from separating farm production and household consumption decisions are persistent in rural Ghana. Recent agricultural transformation seems to have not yet markedly improved integration of rural food and agricultural markets into the wider economy. Given that farmers tend to prioritize satisfying their families’ food requirements over maximizing profits, agricultural commercialization can be expected to progress at a slow pace. These findings have important policy implications. Agricultural policy continues to critically influence food and nutrition security beyond the standard parameters of farm income and productivity. Agricultural interventions therefore must carefully consider the less-obvious adverse outcomes in addition to the intended beneficial outcomes, and set incentives that are conducive to both agricultural transformation and food and nutrition security goals. A value chain development approach also has great potential for rural, off-farm job creation in agro-processing and accelerating structural change.

A related blog about the article can be found here.

Systematic review of use and interpretation of dietary diversity indicators in nutrition-sensitive agriculture literature

F&BKP Office — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 09:31:35 +0000

This article (PDF) in the Global Food Security journal assesss to what extent and how studies used and interpreted common metrics of dietary diversity, which would improve comparability across studies to produce global evidence of the impact of agriculture on nutrition and food security. In the past decade, food group dietary diversity indicators (FGIs) have increasingly been used to assess the impact of agriculture on food security or nutrition. The study reviewed use and interpretation of silmple food group dietary diversity indicators in 46 peer-reviewed studies. Most studies based on individual level FGIs were consistent with published guidance. However, half of the studies measuring households’ dietary diversity were not consistent, particularly in terms of interpretation of the indicators or of food group classification. Efforts are needed to harmonize the way FGIs are used and interpreted in order to enhance comparability across studies and allow meta-analyses of the association between agriculture and food security or nutrition. The authors recommend that investigators using a dietary diversity indicators that is not standard but suits their purpose should try, whenever possible, to also construct for their data a standard FGI for comparison purposes. Furthermore, investigators using a standard FGI on an age or gender group for which indicator was not validated should clearly acknowledge and discuss this point. Thereby, authors should avoid pooling data from several datasets that use different recall periods and that are likely to have a variable number of food items from which food groups are composed.

Income variability, evolving diets and demand for processed foods in Nigeria

F&BKP Office — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 15:33:42 +0000

This report (PDF) by A4NH-CGAIR and IFPRI presents evidence on evolving dietary patterns in Nigeria. Nigeria faces many of the same challenges confronting other low and middle-income countries today. Rapid development, high population growth, and rural-urban migration are leading to swelling cities and a new set of issues. Research revealed a complex and nuanced picture of consumer demand for processed foods. First of all, consumption of highly processed foods at home has been decreasing over time in Nigeria. However, trends differ by region, income level, and urban or rural location. This is in part a result of a decline in the overall value share of food consumed at home in recent years. Furthermore, though consumption of food eaten away from home has increased, much about that food is unknown. When households have additional money, they increase their share of expenditure on food away from home but decrease their share of expenditures on highly processed foods eaten at home. The research also shows that estimates of food expenditure elasticities of different food types are highly sensitive to different estimation approaches, raising concerns regarding the existing evidence base on food consumption patterns reliant on estimation of food expenditure elasticities. In the researchers preferred specifications, elasticity of demand for food away from home is highest for the relatively wealthy and in the urban South. Within households, elasticities are highest in times of scarcity, suggesting that households cut food away from home when resources are relatively scarce. In this context, solid policy recommendations can best result from both improved data collection on foods eaten away from home and the use of models derived from consumer demand theory to understand the relationship between food purchasing and household income.

Food and nutrient gaps in rural Northern Ghana: Does production of smallholder farming households support adoption of food-based dietary guidelines?

F&BKP Office — Fri, 15 Feb 2019 11:23:56 +0000

This study (PDF) in Plos One developed local food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) and studied whether these are supported by the diversity and quantity of the production of a household. FBDGs are based on the actual dietary patterns and their costs, thus assumes that the recommended foods are available, affordable and acceptable for the population under study. They provide guidance to policy makers, the private sector and consumers to redesign food systems and to improve diets of vulnerable populations. At household level, the developed FBDGs were unable to sufficiently cover the household requirements for fat, calcium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin B12 and vitamin C. This implies that even when these FBDGs are fully adopted the requirements for these nutrients will not be met. In addition, the nutrient needs and food needs of a household were only marginally covered by their own food production. Diversifying household food production is often proposed as a means to increase the diversity of foods available and thereby increasing dietary diversity of rural populations. Here, the diversity of the production of a household was indeed positively related with their food and nutrient coverage. However, the diversity of the production of a household and their food and nutrient coverage were not related with children’s dietary diversity and nutrient adequacy. Results show that the production of a households does not support the adoption of FBDGs in rural Northern Ghana, especially for vegetables. This suggests that the promotion of FBDGs through nutrition education or behaviour change communications activities alone is insufficient to lead to improvements in diets. Additional strategies are needed to increase the food availability and accessibility of the households, especially that of fruits and vegetables, such as diversification of the crops grown, increased production of specific crops and market-based strategies.

When food crosses borders: Paradigm shifts in China’s food sectors and implications for Vietnam

F&BKP Office — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 13:51:11 +0000

This article (PDF) by Springer aims to provide an overview of the macro trends that are emerging in regard to Chinese food security strategy at the national level and the food preferences at the household level and its implications for Vietnam. It examines with a macro-perspective how Vietnam fits into China’s new food security strategy as well as the shifting dietary preferences of Chinese consumers and its potential implications for Vietnam’s food sectors. China’s renewed interest in developing the region’s agricultural sector could provide huge economic opportunities for Vietnam’s agricultural and food sectors. Nevertheless, as food ties between the two countries strengthen, Vietnam’s food markets will also be increasingly subject to forces beyond its borders. Moreover, the Chinese consumers’ growingly diversified tastes for different varieties of food products as well as concerns toward safety and quality of domestic produce could create further demands for food products from Vietnam, which could generate more income for the farmers. However, what should be noted is that the massive smuggling of the food products such as rice, sugar, and frozen meat, though providing considerable benefits to both countries, could eventually hamper the agricultural ties between the two sides in the future. Furthermore, some of the emerging trends in China’s food sectors could become big challenges for Vietnam. First, China’s embrace of gene modification technologies could have implications on the rice sector of Vietnam. Second, since China is determined to expand its fishery sector, competition over limited fishery resources could intensify. Furthermore, some of the bad practices, and illegal additives in China’s food sectors could also be replicated in Vietnam. Last, if China takes action against counterfeited and substandard food products within its borders, these products could be exported or smuggled to Vietnam, posing safety threats to local consumers.

This article is part of the book: Food Anxiety in Globalising Vietnam

Social-cultural processes and urban affordances for healthy and susainable food consumption

F&BKP Office — Mon, 07 Jan 2019 08:50:41 +0000

This paper (PDF) in Frontiers in Psychology provides an overview of research highlighting the relation between cultural processes, social norms, and food choices, discussing the implication of these findings for the promotion of more sustainable lifestyles. Development of evidence-based policies in the domain of more sustainable food choices could be based on a combination of cultural and education interventions with urban planning management and transformation. Furthermore, beside genetics, socio-economic status and differential exposure to environmental features are key factors in overweight and cardiovascular disease risks. The cultural values and representations attached to food and health should be the target of community interventions. Different cultures differ in the food production, preparation and consumption, but also in attitudes toward the relationship between food, health, and pleasure and the way food is acquired, prepared, processed and consumed in physical spaces. Social relationships could have a key role in the food production process too, as an important factor involved in the building of social capital, trust and social support. Urban growth and size is associated with both higher socio-economic productivity and wealth but also stronger inequalities. Walkability and restoration opportunities might help to buffer the impact of such negative features, without affecting the positive aspects of increased urbanism. Education programs and community interventions on food choices can thus be improved by acting on a multiplicity of factors, with issues of culture, identity and relationships at the base. Furthermore, the paper provides arguments suggesting links between cultural norms and cultural processes such as migration and acculturation, healthy food consumption patterns, and sustainable lifestyles. More research is needed on the links between cultural processes and positive urban environmental affordances. A challenge for more inclusive urban planning would be to increase walkability, provide more restoration opportunities, and promote access to more healthy food in urban peripheries, where many migrant communities live.

Contributions of livestock-derived foods to nutrient supply under changing demand in low- and middle-income countries

F&BKP Office — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 15:13:30 +0000

This article (PDF) in the Global Food Security journal presents a case study of food nutrient supplies in eight selected countries within the context of their growing demand for livestock-derived food (LDF). Results show that supply of LDF grows substantially and relative to other food groups in at least four of the countries. Under alternative scenarios of economic or environmental change, up to four of the study countries are found to be heavily dependent on LDF imports in 2050, underscoring motivation to improve the current productivity and production of LDF in these countries, or improve cross-border livestock markets and food distribution networks. Projections of the future demand for LDFs in countries such as Burkina Faso and Tanzania, are however highly variable, with implications for policy. These countries may need to approach market-based programs and policies for livestock sector development more cautiously. Household level data reviewed revealed incentives for promoting smallholder involvement in future production of livestock, showing that countries may find it useful to boost investments in local production to meet future demand for LDF and nutrients, take advantage of livelihood opportunities for smallholder producers of livestock, and improve the nutrition of poorer populations. This study picked up on effects of a large-scale intervention to improve poultry ownership in Uganda, and by extension improvements in the diets of children in poor households. However, more robust data and analysis is needed to better establish these links, and to contribute to current debate on how livestock asset endowments match up against other interventions, including cash transfers to the poor.Dairy and poultry production offered the highest potential for channeling livelihood benefits and key food nutrient supplies to the poor, but specific interventions, including those that go beyond the sector (e.g., education, sanitation), will need to be more rigorously assessed to better quantify livestock’s future role in the food security of LMICs.

From corn to popcorn? Urbanization and dietary change: Evidence from rural-urban migrants in Tanzania

F&BKP Office — Tue, 18 Sep 2018 08:21:58 +0000

This article (PDF) in the World Development journal aims to study whether and how urbanization impacts dietary change. There is rising concern that the ongoing wave of urbanization will have profound effects on eating patterns and increase the risk of nutrition-related non-communicable diseases. Yet, the understanding of urbanization as a driver of changes in food consumption remains limited. Data from the Tanzania National Panel Survey, which tracked out-migrating respondents, allows to compare individuals’ dietary patterns before and after they relocated from rural to urban areas and assess whether those changes differ from household members who stayed behind or moved to a different rural area. The study shows that moving to an urban area does not have any significant effect on the intake of fats, animal-source foods, and dietary diversity. However, individuals who moved to urban areas do experience a more pronounced shift away from the consumption of traditional staples, and towards high-sugar, more conveniently consumed and prepared foods. These effects occur across the whole spectrum of urban locations, ranging from smaller secondary towns to large cities. Further exploring the factors underlying these changes in dietary patterns upon moving, depending on the food category considered, a substantial part of the impact of relocating to an urban area is related to the transition out of farming, differences in food prices, and especially income changes. The latter appears to explain the more pronounced growth of unhealthy food consumption after rural-urban migration. As such, health concerns over diets can be expected to spread to less urbanized areas as soon as income growth takes off there. These findings call for more in-depth research on the extent and consequences of changes in diets related to living in more urbanized areas that may contribute to improved projections on food demand and help to improve health and food and nutrition security policies as well as agricultural and trade strategies.

Urban food security in the context of inequality and dietary change: A study of school children in Accra

F&BKP Office — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 09:54:59 +0000

This study (PDF) by the UWE Bristol explores food security in the context of inequality and dietary change in schoolchildren in Accra. The study aims to bridge a divide between micro-level analyses of food consumption and macro-level studies of food systems, and seek to contextualise children’s food consumption patterns in the broad picture of global dietary change. Diets are changing globally, as agricultural and food systems have become globalised and created new forms of food production, distribution, and trade. Understanding how patterns of globalisation affect the welfare of populations is a key development question, but little is known about the way that the globalisation of food and agriculture systems affect different individuals or groups. This study shows that socio-economic status is a critical dimension of food security and food consumption, with poorer children more vulnerable to food insecurity and narrow dietary diversity. However, consumption of packaged and processed foods, often sugar-rich and nutrient-poor, cuts across wealth groups. In the 1990s, the question of urban food security was seen as embedded in that of urban poverty. The article argues that the urban food security question today is defined by two intersecting phenomena: intra-urban inequality and global dietary change. The urban poor continue to face the fundamental challenge of adequate food access. In addition, urban food security is endangered by a food environment that provides consumers with unhealthy food options that are widely available, cheap and enticing. Therefore urban food security can no longer be addressed only through agricultural policies that ensure availability of affordable staples for a growing urban population, but it strongly needs agricultural and trade policies that regulate imports of cheap, processed, unhealthy foods.

The spice of life: The fundamental role of diversity on the farm and on the plate

F&BKP Office — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 09:23:46 +0000

This synthesis paper (PDF) by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) discusses why agricultural biodiversity and dietary diversity are important, the relationship between them, the reasons why they are at risk, and what can be done to foster them. The world is witnessing major shifts in dietary patterns and – in parallel – the threat to agricultural biodiversity. The implications of human health and food system resilience are significant, and interconnected. Agricultural landscapes are becoming increasingly simplified as the number of crops and crop varieties growth decline. Such heavy reliance on a narrow range of crops is risky; key risk is that it undermines the ability of agricultural to adapt to climate change and cope with pests and diseases. Coinciding with the threat to agricultural biodiversity is the trend towards the homogenization of diets, which is most pronounce among the increasingly urbanised segment. This results in increased diet-related health problems, due to which social and economic costs will rise. Diverse agricultural production and diets can be mutually reinforced. Agricultural biodiversity is vital for the functioning of agroecosystems and dietary diversity is a key element of human health. The current focus of food systems should be reoriented towards a more holistic approach, highlighting connections between all different elements in the system. Food systems and policies that affect them need to become more inclusive and responsive to the needs of farmers and consumers alike. Multi-stakeholder approaches are needed to ensure the voices of all relevant groups are heard. There are five actions proposed for fostering diversity: 1) Reorient food, nutrition and agricultural policies, promoting food system analysis can help; 2) Use markets to support diversity in production and consumption; 3) Promote ad maintain local crop varieties; 4) Nurture the biocultural heritage and traditional knowledge that underpin much of the world’s remaining agricultural biodiversity; 5) Increase awareness and catalyse change through innovative multi-stakeholder approaches.

Culture and food security

F&BKP Office — Sat, 28 Jul 2018 08:27:49 +0000

This article (PDF) in the Global Food Security journal reviews the impact of culture on all four dimensions of food security (availability, accessibility, utilization, and stability). This review has shown that what we eat, as well as how and why we obtain, process, store, prepare, share, and eat food, is affected by culture in various way. Empirical evidence on the impact of cultural drivers of food security appears to be mixed and varies across different cultural groups and socio-economic settings. Culture has received a more prominent place on the policy agenda. Yet, less progress has been made in integrating and mainstreaming it into food security policies and interventions in practice. Culture should especially be taken into account by ensuring the availability of food that meets culturally determined preferences. The effectiveness of behavioural change communication campaigns depends on how culture is taken into account as well. Improved understanding of cultural models of gender, family and decision-making power is therefore crucial to make sure that the most relevant decision-makers are involved. Besides, information that is culturally appropriate and builds upon certain culture traits may be more effective in capturing attention, stimulation information processing and motivating behavioural change. Besides cultural acceptability, traditional foods have also been documented to offer several benefits: high levels of micronutrients, (natural) availability, affordability, higher resilience, and lower care needs. It is worthwhile to explore traditional diets and gather information on the nutrition and toxic content of traditional foods. Improving the integration of culture may enhance the effectiveness of production-oriented policies and interventions as well. If policy is to take advantage of the potential benefits of traditional food systems, however, more efforts are needed to document and preserve these food systems and the underlying biological and cultural resources. Participatory approaches based on dialogue and information sharing may be especially suitable to take culture into account in practice. An area for research is to understand how important cultural effects are relative to other drivers, such as environmental factors. Another area is related to dynamics of culture. It is unknown when, how and why culture changes or persists.

Fish consumption in urban Lusaka: The need for aquaculture to improve targeting of the poor

F&BKP Office — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 08:08:51 +0000

This paper in the Aquaculture journal aims to generate information on the fish consumption patterns of poor urban households and explore the role of aquaculture as a source of fish among poor urban households in Zambia. Data on fish consumption were collected through a cross-sectional study that analyzed a quantitative household survey. The results of the study reveal that the poorest households almost exclusively rely on small, dried fish products from capture fisheries while the slightly better off households among the poor strata tend to consume larger, fresh fish, such as tilapia, which are partly supplied by aquaculture producers. These results imply that the poorest of the poor households – unlike the better off households – are less likely to supplement their diets with fish products from aquaculture. This could have negative consequences for the food and nutrition security of disadvantaged consumers, given the stagnation of fish supply from Zambian capture fisheries and an increasing population that demands fish. For aquaculture to contribute more effectively to fish supply among poor consumers, the sector would need to further expand its economies of scale (to decrease unit production costs), explore producing smaller-sized fish (to increase accessibility), promote the development of small and medium-sized fish farming, and diversify production with respect to species and products that better respond to the needs of poor consumers.

Income elasticities for food, calories, and nutrient across Africa: A meta-analysis

F&BKP Office — Mon, 04 Jun 2018 12:03:51 +0000

This paper (PDF) by the Food Policy Journal aims to provide better understanding of the relationship between income growth and the demand for different types of food, nutrients and calories in Africa by conducting a meta-analysis of income elasticity estimates. The sample shows a large heterogeneity in income elasticities, which is explained by differences in data and methodology in primary studies. Almost all income elasticities reported are positive, suggesting that Africa has not reached the saturation point, and that policies aimed at increasing household income can still contribute to increasing calorie consumption and reducing hunger. The positive effect of income holds for all food and nutrient categories, although elasticities are typically smaller for basic calorie-rich food items (cereals, legumes, tubers) and nutrients (carbohydrates) and larger for those food and nutrient groups typically having a smaller share in expenditures. Increasing income will likely contribute to more diversified diets, but it is not clear if these diets will be healthier. The results suggest that economic growth in Africa will be associated with more nutritionally diverse diets, but also greater intakes of fats and sugars, as is observed in many rapidly growing developing countries, raising concerns of over- in addition to undernutrition. Hence, income-oriented policies still have a major role to play in fighting hunger and undernutrition in Africa, especially in the poorest countries. Results also point to the risk of excessive intakes of fats and sugars, which calls for targeted policies and programs to promote nutritionally valuable and healthy diets. Finally, the study highlights the high dispersion in income elasticity estimates for Africa and the high concentration of estimates for a small number of countries. There is need for more and better demand studies that are based on recent, detailed, country-specific and carefully collected micro-level consumption data, to provide reliable income elasticity estimates to improve food demand projections.

Improving diets in an era of food market transformation: Challenges and opportunities for engagement between the public and private sectors

F&BKP Office — Mon, 14 May 2018 14:48:35 +0000

This brief (PDF) by the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition seeks to stimulate governments and other stakeholders to help build strategies to incentivize the private sector to influence food systems in ways that will improve the food environment, and enable dietary choices. Leaders of low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) face a policy challenge: how to resolve persisting undernutrition and vitamin and mineral deficiencies while simultaneously preventing the global escalation of overweight and obesity. Some LMIC governments are stepping up to improve diets. However, there are very few successes where governments have harnessed the market power of private sector actors to achieve positive gains in nutrition, which is a huge missed opportunity. Policy makers need to be realistic about their own limits in shaping consumer behaviour and need to be pragmatic in seeking to persuade industry partners to play a more active role in improving diets. A policy focus is needed to encourage and enable firms to shift the balance of their activities in favour of products as well as fresh produce. The key is to establish common understanding of the critical role of diet quality in nutrition. Circumstances should then inform two broad classes of action: incentives and enabling measures. Regulation is a powerful tool at the disposal of policy makers for influencing food and beverage companies. There are also opportunities and benefits for both public and private interest to move forward in partnership, in which the private sector could inform and help shape the design and implementation of policy actions. There are six key questions identified which need to be addressed and resolved as part of any new partnership approach to address malnutrition. The key questions are related to: encouraging investments in food sector SMEs, promoting consumer demand for healthy diets, public incentives for appropriate action in the private sector, managing risks with insurance, building trust and infrastructure.

Farm production diversity and dietary quality: Linkages and measurement issues

F&BKP Office — Fri, 20 Apr 2018 09:25:03 +0000

This research in the Food Security journal analysed whether higher levels of farm production diversity contribute to improved diets in smallholder farm households. Different indicators are used and compared to better understand the underlying linkages. Results of regression models showed that production diversity measured through simple species count is positively associated with most dietary indicators. However, when measuring production diversity in terms of the number of food groups produced, the association turns insignificant in many cases. Further analysis revealed that diverse subsistence production often contributes less to dietary diversity than cash income generated through market sales. If farm diversification responds to market incentives and builds on comparative advantage, it can contribute to improved income and nutrition. Yet, increasing the number of food groups produced on the farm independent of market incentives may foster subsistence, reduce income, and thus rather worsen dietary quality. The results suggest that improving the functioning of agricultural markets and smallholder market access are key strategies to enhance nutrition.

Diet and eating practices among adolescent girls in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review

F&BKP Office — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 09:30:15 +0000

This systematic review (PDF) by SPRING aims to summarize current dietary intakes, patterns, and practices of adolescent girls (ages 10–19 years) in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Adolescent girls in LMIC have poor nutrition profiles, including high risks for undernutrition, overweight/obesity, and micronutrient deficiencies. The authors found that the diet quality of adolescent girls in LMIC is generally poor. Fruit and vegetable intake is vastly inadequate, and girls are consuming high-fat and calorie-rich foods that are likely to be contributing to the rise in overweight and obesity, especially among younger adolescents (10–14 years). In South Asia and Africa, protein intake is inadequate and fat intake is low—factors which may contribute to the prevalence of underweight in these regions. Overall, breakfast skipping and snacking are highly prevalent among adolescent girls of all ages. Recommendations to fill research gaps are defined, of which one is that multi-country or global survey on adolescent diet and nutrition should incorporate consistent definitions, indicators, and measurement tools to allow better pooling of data. Policy recommendations include contextually-relevant, healthy school policies and/or regulations. For example: limit the availability of unhealthy foods throughout the day at schools and consider school-feeding or school-meal programs for vulnerable or low-income populations. Implementation recommendations are, among others, obesity prevention initiatives and programs taking adolescents’ behaviour and common practices (e.g. breakfast skipping) into account.

The effect of cash transfers and household vulnerability on food security in Zimbabwe

F&BKP Office — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 10:17:27 +0000

This article (PDF) in the Food Policy journal studies the impact of the Zimbabwe Harmonized Social Cash Transfer (HSCT), an unconditional cash transfer, on household food security. To address the challenge of growing food insecurity, implementation and scale up of effective social protection programs is required. Cash transfers are a policy instrument that can help build household resiliency in obtaining access to food. This paper investigates two things. Firstly, it compares an aggregate consumption expenditure measure versus a food security scale to assess household vulnerability and food insecurity. Secondly, it researches the effects of state-sponsored unconditional cash transfers in Africa on household behavior and food security. Results show that household vulnerability correlates more strongly with the food security scale than with aggregate food consumption. Moreover, the impact analysis of HSCT reveals that food consumption is inadequate in assessing food security, since it hides dynamic activity that is taking place within the household that produces robust results for household diet diversity. Therefore, relying on an aggregate food consumption measure is inadequate. The impact of the HSCT is significant for the food security and diet diversity scores. The unconditional cash transfer by the state enabled households to make market purchases to diversify their diet by market purchases increase, rely less on gifts and aid, as well as diversify their own production. This paper builds on previous research by providing evidence of the multidimensionality of food security and subsequently the usefulness of relying on a combination of measures to assess failure/success of a program/policy instrument.

Could consumption of insects, cultured meat or imitation meat reduce global agricultural land use?

Ati van der Honing — Wed, 20 Dec 2017 14:03:20 +0000

This article (PDF) in the journal Global Food Security reviews alternatives to conventional animal products, including cultured meat, imitation meat and insects, and explores the potential change in global agricultural land requirements associated with each alternative. Cultural and personal associations with animal product consumption create barriers to moderating consumption, and hence reduced environmental impacts. Stylized transformative consumption scenarios where half of current conventional animal products are substituted to provide at least equal protein and calories are considered. The results suggest that imitation meat and insects have the highest land use efficiency, but the land use requirements are only slightly greater for eggs and poultry meat. The efficiency of insects and their ability to convert agricultural by-products and food waste into food, suggests further research into insect production is warranted. Cultured meat does not appear to offer substantial benefits over poultry meat or eggs, with similar conversion efficiency, but higher direct energy requirements. Comparison with the land use savings from reduced consumer waste, including over-consumption, suggests greater benefits could be achieved from alternative dietary transformations considered. The authors conclude that although a diet with lower rates of animal product consumption is likely to create the greatest reduction in agricultural land, a mix of smaller changes in consumer behavior, such as replacing beef with chicken, reducing food waste and potentially introducing insects more commonly into diets, would also achieve land savings and a more sustainable food system.

Africa is conquering its domestic food markets

Ati van der Honing — Mon, 20 Nov 2017 14:01:02 +0000

This paper (PDF in French) by the French Development Agency (AFD), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD) and the Economic and Statistical Observatory for sub-Saharan Africa (AFRISTAT) is the result of the study on domestic food markets in West Africa, Cameroon and Chad. This work was a synthesis of data from thirty-six national surveys between 2001 and 2011, of a total sample of almost 230 000 households. Food systems in sub-Saharan Africa have changed in recent decades, and many observers have failed to keep up. The results reveal the considerable importance of the domestic food markets compared to the export markets. This market is clearly dominated by local and regional products and has become a real driver of agricultural development. Rural food consumption is now largely market dependent, although self-provision remains significant. Food consumption in cities is characterized by high dependence on imported rice and wheat. These commodities, however, represent less than a third of the food budget of urban households. Animal products, other sauce products, and sweet products account for two-thirds of the expenditures and are largely dominated by local and regional products. Such a result nuances the vision of an externally dependent Africa to feed itself. The analysis of the origin of food consumed reveals the importance of the growing local agro-food sector, dominated by small-scale producers and SMEs, which connects local agricultural supply to urban food markets. This sector, which is not widely recognized by the authorities, is a major supplier of jobs in both rural and urban areas.

Insecure food: diet, eating and identity among the Ethiopian Suri people in the developmental age

Ati van der Honing — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 09:15:40 +0000

This article (PDF) in the journal African Study Monographs discusses food, cultural identity and development among the agropastoral Suri people of Southwest Ethiopia. Their food system is discussed in its actual form and in its process of change, accelerated since a decade or so. The theoretical concern of this paper is with issues of identity formation and continuity through the materiality of food and food systems, in the context of varying assumptions underlying discourses of development. The Suri people remain at the margins of the modernizing Ethiopian state and experienced a decline in food security, health and wealth in the last decade, coinciding with growing inter-group tension and new state developmental plans which devalue the agro-pastoral mode of life. State support or investment is in massive sugar and other mono-crop plantations and in enterprises by foreigners and private capitalists, not matched by parallel investment in local economies of agro-pastoralism and crop cultivation. Some of the effects on the production system, diet and ‘food sovereignty’ of the Suri are described so as to highlight the challenges they face, including growing internal differentiation, pressure on modifying their food system and the increasing sale and use of alcoholic drinks. Observing the, often ambivalent, changes in the Suri food pattern and food consumption shows the challenges they face in (re)defining group identity, responding to internal tensions and to state-capitalist modernizing schemes that impact their way of life.

Nutrition and food systems

Ati van der Honing — Mon, 02 Oct 2017 13:58:32 +0000

This report (PDF) by the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) aims to analyse how food systems influence diets and nutrition. Ending hunger remains critically important but other forms of malnutrition, like overweight and obesity, have become widespread and must also be tackled. Global dietary patterns have been changing, affecting people in all parts of the world. While some of these changes have had a positive effect on diets that promote health, others have been negative. One example is the significant increase in animal source foods (ASF) consumption in developing countries, with mixed results on nutrition. Reversing such trends remains a significant concern, considering the complex impacts of ASF on health, nutrition status and the environment. The report identifies five main categories of drivers of food system changes that influence nutrition and diets: biophysical and environmental; innovation, technology and infrastructure; political and economic; socio-cultural; and demographic drivers. Food systems allow many points for intervention; across the supply chain, within food environments and related to consumer behavior. Many promising programmes and policies to reduce the multiple burdens of malnutrition are currently being piloted, tested and scaled. However, there is no one-size-fits-all approach, and solutions must be adapted to the different food systems and to each local context. In the face of the myriad of dietary and malnutrition challenges that lie ahead, a coordinated, multisectoral, enabling environment and response are necessary for true change across food systems.

Greedy or needy? Land use and climate impacts of food in 2050 under different livestock futures

Ati van der Honing — Wed, 27 Sep 2017 12:31:31 +0000

This article (PDF) in the journal Global Environmental Change estimates global land use and greenhouse gas emissions for a set of scenarios, building on four livestock futures. The scenarios are: further intensification of livestock systems; a transition to plant-based eating; a move towards artificial meat and dairy; and a future in which livestock production is restricted to the use of ‘ecological leftovers’. Results show that without improvements in crop productivity or reductions on today’s waste levels, available cropland will only suffice if production of all protein currently supplied by animal foods is replaced by artificial variants not requiring any land. With livestock intensities corresponding to current ones in North-Western Europe and with yield gaps closed by 50% and waste reduced by 50%, available, cropland will suffice for all scenarios that include a reduction of animal products and/or a transition to poultry or aquaculture. However, in the scenario based on an extrapolation of current consumption patterns and with livestock production based on feed from cropland, available cropland will not be enough. The scenario that makes use of pastures for ruminant production and food waste for pigs, uses considerably less cropland and could provide 40–56 kg per capita per year of red meat. However, such a livestock future would not reduce GHG emissions from agriculture on current levels. This study confirms previous research that to achieve a sustainable food future, action is needed on all fronts; improved supply and reduced demand and waste.

Supermarket shopping and nutritional outcomes: A panel data analysis for urban Kenya

Ati van der Honing — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 13:01:28 +0000

This article (PDF) in the journal World Development examines the effects of supermarkets on consumer diets and nutrition in Kenya. Rising obesity rates in developing countries are the result of changes in people’s diets and lifestyles. Income growth and urbanization are factors that contribute to these changes. Modernizing food retail environments may also play a certain role. For instance, the rapid spread of supermarkets in many developing countries could affect consumer food choices and thus nutritional outcomes. A few existing studies have analyzed related linkages with cross-sectional survey data. This study adds to this literature by using panel data from households and individuals in urban Kenya. Results show that shopping in supermarkets significantly increases body mass index (BMI). Shopping in supermarkets contributes to higher consumption of processed and highly processed foods and lower consumption of unprocessed staples and fresh fruits and vegetables. These shifts toward processed and highly processed foods lead to less healthy diets, with higher sugar, fat, and salt contents, and probably lower amounts of micronutrients and dietary fibers. These results confirm that the retail environment affects people’s food choices and nutrition. However, the effects depend on the types of foods offered. Rather than thwarting modernization in the retail sector, policies that incentivize the sale of more healthy foods—such as fruits and vegetables—in supermarkets may be more promising to promote desirable nutritional outcomes.

Food consumption, nutrient intake, and dietary patterns in Ghanaian migrants in Europe and their compatriots in Ghana

Ati van der Honing — Wed, 09 Aug 2017 14:56:07 +0000

This article (PDF) in the journal Food & Nutrition Research aims to describe the dietary behavior among Ghanaian migrants in Europe and their compatriots living in different Ghanaian settings (urban and rural). Contributions of macro-nutrients to the daily energy intake was different across the three study sites. A trend was observed towards higher intakes of westernized foods in Europe followed by urban Ghana and rural Ghana. Still, the same was seen for food groups with proved beneficial health effects, including whole grain cereals and vegetables. The opposite trend was discernible for typical Ghanaian fermented maize products, palm oil, and roots, tubers, and plantain. Three dietary patterns were identified. Adherence to the ‘mixed’ pattern was associated with female sex, higher education, and European residency. The ‘rice, pasta, meat, and fish’ pattern was associated with male sex, younger age, higher education, and urban Ghanaian environment. Adherence to the ‘roots, tubers, and plantain’ pattern was mainly related to rural Ghanaian residency. Differences in food preferences were observed across study sites: in rural Ghana, diet concentrated on starchy foods; in urban Ghana, nutrition was dominated by animal-based products; and in Europe, diet appeared to be highly diverse. These differences in dietary behavior were consistent with the nutrition transition theory through changes in the environment, due to migration or rapid urbanization. Yet, in this West African population, traditional and indigenous foods continued to be consumed at all study sites.

Dynamics of food systems in Sub-Saharan Africa

Ati van der Honing — Tue, 11 Jul 2017 10:19:48 +0000

This report (PDF) by the Wageningen Economic Research investigates the dynamics in the food systems in countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The African continent is rapidly urbanizing and has shown significant welfare growth rates in recent years. This are favorable conditions for a nutrition transition that is featured by increasing demand for vegetables, livestock based and processed foods. Food systems in SSA show dynamics as in quite a number of countries in this continent diets change. A gradual shift can be seen from traditional to non-traditional cereals in most countries. Additionally, data from Ethiopia, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda give some indication of a nutrition transition in urban areas as generally urban diets include fewer cereals and starch and more meat/fish than the rural diets in these countries. Additionally, supermarkets formats emerge, and food processors and farmers invest in integrating in supermarket value chains. However, it shows that supermarkets’ share in a country’s total food sales remain limited, and food processors and farmers face many difficulties in their efforts supplying modern value chains. Processed food products sold in supermarkets are largely imported, as are fruits, vegetables and fish. Still, there is no evidence for a rapid increasing food import dependency on a per capita basis. Although literature points at sometimes rapid developments, the overall, general picture is that diet transitions are gradual.

Whose problem? Fixing our food systems

Nynke — Tue, 27 Jun 2017 11:22:19 +0000

In this blog, Santiago Ripoll from the Institute of Development Studies argues that consumer action is not enough to change the food system, since while some individual purchasing behavior have had positive effects, these alternative market channels only compose limited market shares. He argues that consumer action can only thrive when it is combined with personal and collective political action to ensure a fairer food system. He elaborates in his blog on the limits on the ability of consumers to make ethical choices since the knowledge required to make these choices is immense, ranging from knowledge on carbon and methane emissions, to food miles, to water footprints and to the use of agricultural inputs. In addition, he argues that producers are often hardly able to become part of market value chains, since the market-space is taken up by large players and large scale produces.

What drives diversification of national food supplies?

Ati van der Honing — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 08:11:41 +0000

This article (PDF) in the Global Food Security Journal sets out to systematically explore what drives the diversification of food supplies (DFS) across countries and regions, and over the course of economic development. A cross-country dataset was constructed and analyzed linking a simple DFS indicator, the share of calories supplied by nonstaple foods, with structural transformation and agroecological indicators. Results show that several indicators of structural transformation are strong predictors of diversification within countries, in particularly economic growth, urbanization and demographic change to older populations. Yet time-invariant agroecological factors are also significantly associated with diversification. This appears to explain why some countries have exceptionally low or high DFS relative to their level of economic development. For example, high levels of population density are found to be strongly negatively associated with DFS. This may be associated with lack of feed for the production of animal-sourced foods or with land constraints, which somehow inhibits diversification out of staples. These findings pose many challenges for nutrition strategies, policies, and program design, because it illustrates the difficulties of diversifying food supplies and diets in the absence of prolonged economic growth and transformation. Moreover, while there are many nutrition programs that aspire to accelerate dietary diversification, it is still unclear whether such programs can substantially and sustainably improve diets without prolonged growth in incomes.

Food consumption patterns in light of rising incomes, urbanization and food retail modernization

Ati van der Honing — Tue, 06 Jun 2017 13:18:18 +0000

This PhD dissertation published by ProQuest provides new insight into the nature of the diet transformation that is unfolding in Eastern and Southern Africa, and on some of its drivers and effects. It considers the effects of income, urbanization and food retail modernization on the commodity makeup and source of foods in household diets, including processed foods. Transitioning food consumption patterns are not solely a middle-class story. In fact, poor households are already consuming surprisingly high levels of purchased food and are consuming greater shares of non-grain foods as their incomes rise. Spatial considerations of increasing city size and reduced distance to cities also have significant positive effects on purchased share. This affirms the expectation that households will purchase more food (compared to consuming own production) when they have increased access to markets. Processed foods have penetrated the diets of rural and urban households at all levels across the income distribution. The patterns of increased processed share with income growth and urbanicity signal a strong future demand for increased food market infrastructure. With regards to food retail modernization can be said that households that consume some food from supermarkets continue to purchase the majority of their processed food from non-supermarket retailers. Conditional on the presence of a supermarket, households in smaller cities consume greater shares of food, by value, from supermarkets than households in larger cities.

Global trends in dietary micronutrient supplies and estimated prevalence of inadequate intakes

Ati van der Honing — Mon, 08 May 2017 08:52:45 +0000

This article (PDF) in the PLOS ONE Journal characterizes global trends in dietary quality for all countries between 1961 and 2011. This is done by estimating micronutrient density of the food supply, and the prevalence of inadequate intake of 14 micronutrients. Over this 50-year period, Sub-Saharan Africa is the only region where dietary micronutrient density has declined, while in most regions it improved. The estimated prevalence of inadequate intakes of micronutrients has declined in all regions due to increased total production of food and/or micronutrient density. This decline has been particularly strong in East and Southeast Asia. At the global level, calcium, iron, vitamin A, and zinc have the lowest levels of adequate estimated intake. Fortification has reduced the estimated prevalence of inadequate micronutrient intakes in all low-income regions, except South Asia. Still, the food supply in many countries is far below energy requirements, which suggests a need to increase the availability and accessibility of nutritious foods. Countries with adequate food energy supply show a very large variation in dietary quality. Many of these countries would benefit from more diverse diets with a greater proportion of micronutrient-dense foods. Dietary quality can be improved through fortification, bio-fortification, and agricultural diversification, as well as efforts to improve access to and use of micronutrient-dense foods and nutritional knowledge. Reducing poverty and increasing education, especially of women, are integral to sustainably addressing malnutrition.

The impact of supermarkets on nutrition and nutritional knowledge: A food policy perspective

Ati van der Honing — Wed, 05 Apr 2017 09:56:02 +0000

This book chapter published by Springer provides an analytical and policy perspective on the rapid emergence of supermarkets and their modern supply chains, and the subsequent impact on food security and nutritional well-being. The rapid emergence of supermarkets in low- and middle-income countries plays an essential role in providing food to consumers. But there are also negative effects, including increased availability and marketing of high-fat, high-sugar and salty foods. In essence, the modernization of the food system, which is to a large extent led by supermarkets, shortens the distance between food producers and consumers but in a way that reduces the number of players and the influence of public sector entities. The story is complicated because there are important opportunities and challenges raised by the supermarket revolution. On the positive side, supermarkets and modern supply chains offer significantly enhanced food safety, the opportunity to fortify basic food staples with essential vitamins and minerals, and the potential to stabilize food prices, thus contributing to food security. On the negative side, supermarkets offer an enticing array of “junk foods” that are likely contributors to the obesity epidemic and rapid spread of non-communicable diseases. Government policies can shape both the positive and negative dimensions at the margin, but most of the dynamics of supermarket growth are stimulated by technological changes and consumer demands that are beyond the control of governments.

Regional overview of food insecurity: Europe and Central Asia

Nynke — Thu, 16 Mar 2017 09:32:49 +0000

This report (PDF) from FAO analyzes a wealth of country data on dietary energy supply, undernourishment indicators and consumption patterns in Europe and Central Asia. The report points to a pattern whereby countries progress from dealing predominantly with undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, to coping with degenerative diseases associated with increased dietary fat, sugar, meat and dairy, and processed foods, linked to over-nutrition. Today, 13 percent of the population of the region lives in countries suffering from a “triple burden” of all three nutrition problems (undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and overnutrition). The report also explores several promising policies solutions for addressing food insecurity, tailored to the income and nutrition profile of each country. These are policies that have been tried and proven effective. Food fortification is offered as a policy option for countries in the undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies grouping. Fortification of milk with vitamin D, salt with iodine, wheat flour with iron are examples that have been critical drivers of improvements in micronutrient consumption in children in Central Asia. Other policy recommendations include: reformulating popular convenience foods to improve their nutritional value; taxes and subsidies designed to change the relative prices of foods depending on their healthfulness; nutrition education to inform people; more effective food safety systems, and standardization of food safety, sanitary, phytosanitary and hygiene regulations; better nutritional labeling of food products; and food assistance programs including vouchers and food subsidy programs, food transfer and cash transfer programs.

Guidelines on assessing biodiverse foods in dietary intake surveys

Nynke — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 15:35:53 +0000

This report (PDF) from FAO and Bioversity International provides new scientific guidelines for collecting information on food biodiversity through dietary surveys. The authors argue that information on food consumption goes hand in hand with information on food composition and both are essential building blocks for nutrition science. Rather than debate which element should come first in research, the authors argue that joint efforts are needed to gain a better understanding of consumption and composition of food biodiversity. They hope this stimulates users to foster collaboration in filling information gaps and building upon findings. In order to mainstream biodiversity and improve nutrition at national and local levels, a thorough understanding of the contribution of food biodiversity to healthy diets and sustainable food systems is needed. While dietary assessment surveys provide information on the nutrient adequacy of diets, few are designed to capture the consumption of foods with taxonomic details below the level of ‘species’. This offers an opportunity to adapt these instruments to better capture this information. Currently, there are few national and regional food consumption surveys that report food biodiversity, particularly at the cultivar/breed level. The guidelines will facilitate the adaptation of existing dietary assessment instruments to better capture food biodiversity.

From corn to popcorn? Urbanization and food consumption in Sub-Sahara Africa: Evidence from rural-urban migrants in Tanzania

Ati van der Honing — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 12:56:22 +0000

This paper (PDF) by the Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE) aims to improve the understanding of the impact of rural-urban transition from a micro-level perspective, using evidence from Tanzania. Sub-Saharan Africa is currently in the midst of an unprecedented wave of urbanization that is expected to have wide Ranging implications for food and nutrition security. Though this spatial transformation of the population is increasingly put forward as one of the main drivers of changes in food consumption patterns, empirical evidence remains scarce and the comparative descriptive design of existing research is prone to selection bias as urban residence is far from random. This study will be the first to assess the impact of urbanization on food consumption through comparing individuals’ food consumption patterns before and after they have migrated from rural to urban areas. While there is some evidence of changes that can be deemed beneficial from a nutritional point of view including increased consumption of vegetables and animal source foods. The results also largely confirm concerns about the association between urbanization and heightened consumption of sugar and fats. In addition, the authors find no support for the hypothesis that urbanization is associated with more diverse diets. Finally, the results clearly indicate that rural-urban migration significantly contributes to reducing volatility in food consumption.

West African food systems and changing consumer demands

Nynke — Mon, 23 Jan 2017 09:34:24 +0000

This publication (PDF) from FAO and OECD elaborates on the rapidly changing consumer demands in West Africa and the opportunities and constrains for the West African food system related to this. Fueled by a burgeoning population, urbanization and income growth, West African food demand is transforming fast, with striking increases in total quantities demanded, growing preference for convenience, diversification of diets towards more perishable products, and an increased concern for product quality. These changes provide great opportunities for the West African food system to increase production, value added, job creation and food security. Yet a number of structural and policy constraints continue to threaten the ability of West Africa to seize these opportunities. This paper analyses the key drivers of change and their implications on the various demands facing the food system. It then looks at how different elements of the food system respond to evolving demands, discusses the constraints to more effective responses, and finally considers some policy implications and key recommendations, particularly in the context of the ECOWAS-led efforts to develop and implement more effective regional agricultural policies.

This publication is also available in French.

Why behavioral economics matters to global food policy

Nynke — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 11:13:28 +0000

This article in the journal Global Food Security elaborates on how including behavioral economics can influence consumer choices. While the article is focused on the developed world, the authors argue that the lessons learned might be directly applicable to developing countries. Traditional approaches have treated food consumers as if they were making deliberate and calculated food decisions, leading to policies that provide more detailed health information, pricing incentives and direct prohibitions. However, the authors argue that this is often not the case. Alternative approaches (based on behavioral economics) recognize the passive nature of food decisions that rely on subtle changes in the food choice environment. The hallmark of these “nudges” are relatively large impacts on choice within the altered environment, relatively low costs, and little in the way of consumer resistance. Since it is the food insecure that are at greatest risk for obesity and are most likely to be susceptible to food choice nudges, they were the focus of the study. As obesity is on the rise in many developing countries, lessons learned in developed countries may be directly applicable. Alternatively, similar principles may be of use in ensuring proper nutrition among the food insecure as a means to prevent malnutrition or other acute diet related diseases. The authors provide some discussion of what these applications may look like, as well as the research needed to make effective use of behavioral choice in this new frontier.

Oil crops, aquaculture, and the rising role of demand: A fresh perspective on food security

Nynke — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 09:32:29 +0000

This article in the Global Food Security journal explores how economic growth, income distribution, and trade have influenced patterns of food demand and food security since 1990. It focuses on two of the most rapidly expanding segments of the world food economy, tropical oil crops and aquaculture. Aquaculture, palm oil and soy production have risen by 5–7% annually since 1990. The global economy has also experienced remarkable growth during the past twenty-five years. The related rising incomes have helped to alleviate extreme poverty and calorie deficiencies worldwide, and have fueled demand for animal protein and processed foods. Income disparities have also widened, leaving the majority of the world’s population in the lower income groups. The major oil crops are not produced mainly by the poor for the poor. The commodity groups of tropical oil crops and aquaculture involve multinational companies and smallholder producers oriented mainly around global markets. Aquaculture systems are diverse and have mixed nutritional outcomes for the poor. Enhancing food security in these systems requires new analytical frameworks. To date, however, Sub-Saharan Africa has largely been by-passed by growth in both sectors.

Metrics for sustainable healthy diets: why, what how?

F&BKP Office — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 10:28:04 +0000

This report (PDF) by the Food Climate Research Network (FCRN) and the Food Foundation is based on a meeting, held November 2016, on the topic of metrics for sustainable healthy diets for the food industry. While a range of sustainability metrics for this industry already exists, none comprehensively measure the progress (or otherwise) that food companies are taking to foster a public shift towards more sustainable and healthy eating patterns. The meeting report considers whether further work on such a set of metrics would be of use. While governments have a major role to play in stimulating a shift towards sustainable healthy diets, food companies are the gatekeepers of consumption. The food that companies produce and sell, the way they market them, and at what price, are all crucial influences on what people eat. The report therefore considers whether there is a need to benchmark and track how companies, through their food offer, are fostering or hindering a shift towards more sustainable and healthy eating patterns. It provides a detailed overview of one particular potential user: the investment community. One whole section of the report provides an explanation of how the often poorly-understood investment community operates.

The nutrition transition and agricultural transformation: a Preston curve approach

Nynke — Mon, 05 Dec 2016 11:04:02 +0000

This article in the journal Agricultural Economics tests whether new technologies and institutions have brought structural shifts in the relationship between economic development to diet-related disorders (the nutrition transition), food production and distribution (agricultural transformation) and governments’ agricultural price policies that alter the relative cost of food (the development paradox). It combines food availability and dietary intake data from more than 100 countries over 30 years with a wide range of other evidence to characterize the nutrition transition and its association with changes in agricultural production and the food environment, asking how future dietary patterns might be steered toward healthier outcomes as national incomes grow. The nutrition transition in diets and health is closely tied to other aspects of economic development, including agricultural transformation and urbanization as well as demographic change and epidemiological transition from infectious to noncommunicable disease. Over time, dietary patterns typically shift from widespread inadequacy of many foods and nutrients, especially for children and mothers, into surplus energy intake and rising obesity with continued inadequacy of healthier foods. Diet-related diseases remain the largest single cause of premature death and disability in all regions. The authors conclude that while a lot of action have been taking, for example, reducing the bias against fruit an vegetable consumption imposed by food price policies, but much remains to be done.

Food systems and diets: Facing the challenges of the 21st century

Ati van der Honing — Wed, 05 Oct 2016 09:42:12 +0000

This report (PDF) by Global Panel generates a new understanding of diets and food systems, and how they could change by 2030. The analysis shows that if current trends continue, by 2030 nearly half of the world’s adult population will be overweight or obese, up from one third today. The poorest countries are not immune to these trends. The report also shows how these trends have economic impacts at the macro and micro levels, as well as consequences for mortality and morbidity. For example, at the macro level, cost are estimated to represent an annual loss of 10% global GDP, equivalent to a global financial crisis every year. The report presents evidence showing that the risk that poor diets pose to mortality and morbidity is now greater than the combined risks of unsafe sex, alcohol, drug and tobacco use. Drawing on over 250 data sources and peer-reviewed articles, the report lists a series of recommendations for policymakers in low and middle income countries through a ‘Call to Action’. It identifies decisions that policymakers need to take in the coming decade, particularly for women and children, to invest in effective policies to reduce all forms of malnutrition, repositioning food systems from feeding people to nourishing people.

Shifting food consumption to mitigate climate change is critical to fulfilling the Paris Agreement, but how?

Nynke — Tue, 04 Oct 2016 09:39:05 +0000

This info note (PDF) from CGIAR’s CCAFS assessment the available measures to mitigate climate change through shifting food consumption and reveals some opportunities, particularly through linking with public health and other policy areas. Reducing emissions by changing consumption of foods with large greenhouse gas emissions could have a major impact on climate change. Yet past efforts to change diets through public policy have had mixed results, suggesting that recent estimates of technical mitigation potential likely exceed feasible reductions in emissions. Shifting consumption away from livestock products is a major opportunity for reducing emissions driven by consumption demand. In some contexts, this could also provide health, food security and other environmental benefits. The authors argue that packages of policy mechanisms and interventions involving health, nutrition, efficiency and sustainability in supply chains will be more effective in achieving dietary change than any one measure. In addition, focusing on reducing food loss and waste in high potential areas and involving key value chain actors can increase returns on efforts to mitigate climate change and improve food security. Private sector investment in reducing food loss and waste requires an enabling environment, support for development of commercially viable investments, and increased awareness among financial institutions of investment opportunities.

Precarious lives: food, work and care after the global food crisis

F&BKP Office — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 14:57:52 +0000

The longitudinal study synthesized in this report (PDF) is the result of a 4-year collaboration between IDS, Oxfam and research partners in: Bangladesh, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Kenya, Pakistan, Vietnam and Zambia. The research was carried out between 2012 and 2015 and involved annual visits to communities in 23 rural, urban and peri-urban sites, along with commissioned reviews of national-level prices and policies over the period. The social, economic and political adjustments made by people in developing countries in the wake of the global food crisis are the focus of this report. It documents how people across a variety of contexts have responded en masse to these common pressures, changing the work they do and the food they eat. The actions they took depended on how they were already living, the price hikes they faced, their resources and capacities, and the wider opportunities and constraints of their context. The multitude of individual responses consolidated new norms and influenced institutions and politics. Although these collective and institutional adjustments are still working themselves out, the implications for each society, economy and polity are potentially vast. Powerful shifts towards commoditisation at the nexus of food, care and the informal economy – already underway in most countries – appear to have been given a significant boost by rising food prices. As key research findings, the researchers observed rapid changes in people’s eating habits and – alongside accelerated urbanisation – a move to more dangerous, demeaning and insecure jobs as people worked longer hours to raise the cash needed to put food on the table. As people worked harder and longer, and migrated to towns, other regions or countries to find work, more turned to heavily-marketed convenience fast food, particularly unhealthy processed items with high fat/sugar/salt content – a more ‘Westernised’ diet. People in all communities had concerns about food safety and quality. Many called for regulation to protect children from the advertising and marketing strategies that encourage poor eating habits from the earliest years.

Market access and farm household dietary diversity

Ati van der Honing — Thu, 25 Aug 2016 08:59:47 +0000

In this article (PDF) in Rural21 country comparisons reveal that dietary diversity is higher in situations with more commercialized agriculture than in subsistence-oriented settings. This suggests that specialization and low on-farm production diversity are not necessarily associated with lower dietary diversity, when diverse types of foods can be purchased from the market. The results show that production diversity has a positive but marginal effect on dietary diversity. However, selling farm produce significantly improves dietary quality, as the cash income generated allows households to purchase diverse foods from the market throughout the year. The article also shows that the average effect of commercial sales on household dietary diversity is five times stronger than that of producing one additional crop or livestock species on the farm. The article concludes that the common assumption that higher farm production diversity is always conducive to household nutrition needs adjustment. The most suitable policy mix to improve nutrition in smallholder farm households will vary from case to case. In many situations, facilitating market access through improved infrastructure and other policies to reduce transaction costs and price distortions seems to be more promising than promoting further production diversification as such.

Plates, pyramids and planet – Developments in national healthy and sustainable dietary guidelines: a state of play assessment

F&BKP Office — Mon, 04 Jul 2016 09:53:07 +0000

This report (PDF) was published jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Food Climate Research Network (FCRN) at the University of Oxford. “Plates, pyramids and planet” evaluates government-issued food-based dietary guidelines from across the globe, looking in particular at whether they make links to environmental sustainability as well as personal health. There is increasingly robust evidence to suggest that dietary patterns that have low environmental impacts can also be consistent with good health – that win-wins are possible, if not inevitable. The report highlights instances of forward thinking governments who are taking the lead in developing integrated guidance; examines what these guidelines say; identifies common messages; and considers whether and how their approaches could be replicated elsewhere. It looks both at successes and at failures – where attempts to provide integrated guidance have failed, and why. A key finding of this research is that out of 215 countries, just 83 countries have official food based dietary guidelines (FBDG). Their absence is particularly apparent in low income countries – for example only five countries in Africa have guidelines. Even where guidelines exist, they are not always easy to find, and the intended audience and link with policy is not always clear. Only four countries have so far included sustainability in their FBDGs: Brazil, Sweden, Qatar and Germany. All highlight that a largely plant-based diet has advantages for health and for the environment. Sweden is notable in additionally providing more detailed advice on which plant based foods are to be preferred, recommending for example root vegetables over salad greens. The overarching suggestion is that countries that already have FBDGs should begin a process of incorporating sustainability into them. Those countries that do not have them are in a unique position to develop integrated guidelines from the outset. As such, it is important for the process of the FBDGs development to include a wider range of expertise, spanning for example environmental life cycle assessment, the agricultural and environmental sciences, economics, sociology and animal welfare, and therefore include more than one government agency.

Reducing anemia prevalence in Afghanistan: Socioeconomic correlates and the particular role of agricultural assets

Nynke — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 12:48:41 +0000

The authors in this article (PDF) in PLoSONE examine the socio-economic correlates of anemia in women and, potential sources of iron in household diets in Afghanistan. It delves into the agriculture-nutrition linkages and tries to understand these in the context of Afghanistan and related to iron-deficiency anemia. The authors found that ownership of agricultural assets (particularly livestock) and their use in food production has a role in alleviating anemia, especially when local markets are inadequate. Sheep ownership was found to have a protective effect in reducing anemia, after controlling for wealth and other co-variants. The data suggest that sheep ownership has a positive impact on the likelihood that women consume mutton and that this could explain the lower levels of anemia in households that were shepherding. The authors suggest that more researchers, with purposive data collection, to further explore the linkages and appropriate interventions. Up to now a lot of donor support in Afghanistan has been directed to dairy and poultry programmes; the authors suggest that a focus on red meat might be needed.

Contribution of forest foods to dietary intake and their association with household food insecurity: A cross-sectional study in women from rural Cameroon

Nynke — Tue, 31 May 2016 13:21:54 +0000

This article (PDF) in the Public Health Nutrition journal indicates that forest foods can contribute significantly to achieving nutrition and food security in the forest-dependent communities. Despite the under-utilization and neglect of forest foods, studies indicate that these foods can enrich household diets, providing essential nutrients and bioactive compounds that can prevent undernutrition and coronary diseases, and provide sources of income for millions of people. In addition, these foods also act as a safety net during times of shortage of other foods. The research aimed to show to what extend forest-food consumption would enhance their nutritional status. The authors found that the participants that consumed forest foods obtained substantial amounts of the essential nutrients vitamin A, Fe, Zn and Na from forest foods. The authors state that forest foods, if consumed in adequate quantities, have the potential to improve dietary diversity, food security and nutrient adequacy for forest communities in Cameroon.

Shifting diets for a sustainable food future

Nynke — Thu, 28 Apr 2016 14:13:26 +0000

This report (PDF) from the World Resource Institute recommends a dietary shift from animal-based protein to more plant-based protein. People who consume high amounts of meat and dairy could significantly reduce the pressure on the environment from agriculture through shifting to diets with a greater share of plant-based foods. The overall recommendations are that dietary shifts are needed that: 1) reduce overconsumption of calories; 2) reduce overconsumption of protein through reducing consumption of animal-based foods; 3) reduce consumption of beef specifically. The report also introduces a protein scorecard ranking foods from lowest (plant-based foods) to highest impact (beef), and a the Shift Wheel, which harnesses proven marketing and behavior change strategies to help move billions of people to more sustainable diets. The report includes some examples of interventions in which consumption was shifted towards more sustainable diets. You can also read this blog, which captures some of the main-findings of the report in 12 charts.

Global and regional health effects of future food production under climate change

Nynke — Thu, 24 Mar 2016 09:00:00 +0000

This report (PDF) in the Lancet focuses on the wider health impacts of future changes in agricultural production. While much research focuses on questions on food security, less attention has been devoted to assessing the health impacts. In this modelling study, the authors estimate that the health impacts of climate change from changes in dietary and weight related risk factors could be significant, and exceed other climate-related health impacts that have been estimated. The study compared risks of changes in fruit and vegetable consumption, red-meat consumption, and body weight and correlated this with deaths from coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer, and an aggregate of other causes. The authors calculate the change in the number of deaths due to climate-related changes in weight and diets for the combination of four emissions and three socio-economic pathways, which each included six scenarios with variable climatic inputs. Climate change mitigation could prevent a substantial number of climate-related deaths. Strengthening public-health programms aimed at preventing and treating diet and weight-related risk factors could be a suitable climate change adaptation strategy.

Eating like there’s no tomorrow: Public awareness of the environmental impact of food and reluctance to eat less meat as part of a sustainable diet

Nynke — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 11:33:56 +0000

This article in Appetite Journal investigates the public perspectives and awareness about the environmental impacts of food and of eating less meat. It thereby considers the cultural and social values associated with eating meat. While reducing meat consumption is central to many of the scientific debates on healthy and sustainable diets, the social and cultural values related to meat consumption are often not evaluated. This study explores the public awareness of the environmental impact of food and their willingness to reduce meat consumption. Public understanding of the link between food, environment and climate change was scrutinized, with a focus on meat and attitudes towards reducing meat consumption. Three dominant themes emerged: 1) a lack of awareness of the association between meat consumption and climate change; 2) perceptions of personal meat consumption playing a minimal role in the global context of climate change; and 3) resistance to the idea of reducing personal meat consumption. Scepticism of scientific evidence linking meat and climate change was common. Changing non-food related behaviours was viewed as more acceptable and a greater priority for climate change mitigation. The study highlights the role meat plays in the diet for many people, beyond nutritional needs. The authors stress that if healthy, sustainable dietary habits are to be achieved, attention to cultural, social and personal values and beliefs around eating meat must be addressed.

Creating a new menu for food security policy: Linking urbanisation and rural development

Nynke — Tue, 26 Jan 2016 14:58:37 +0000

This report (PDF) from the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) elaborates on the changing patterns of food consumption and production and its impacts on food security. In the past, rural areas produced food primarily for cities. Urban residents often consumed more than they needed, while the poorest rural smallholders often went hungry. Today, rural areas still produce, but they are also consumers, and poor city dwellers now also suffer from hunger. In Kenyan cities, for example, 80 per cent of the low-income populations suffer food insecurity. Given these long-term changes, policymakers must look at food security issues through the lenses of consumption and inclusion, and recognize the crucial interdependence between urbanization and rural development. Unless food policy reflects this shifting terrain, the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda will be put at risk.

You can find more items on urbanization and food security in the topic in the knowledge portal.

Livestock intensification and the influence of dietary change: A calorie-based assessment of competition for crop production

Nynke — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 11:11:22 +0000

This article (full text) from Science of the Total Environment employs a calorie-based approach to determine which feed calories do compete with human consumption for crop use and considers to what extent alternative scenarios could have reduced this competition between food and feed. Animal production exerts significant demands on land, water and food resources. However, demand for animal source foods has more than tripled over the past 50 years and the livestock sector has transitioned towards more intensive and concentrated production systems. Typically, studies have divided types of animal production into intensive, mixed and grazing production systems. However, as a large percentage of animal production originates from mixed systems, this divide makes it difficult to quantify competition for crop production between direct human consumption and use as feed. Therefore, this study used a calorie-based method to quantify the competition. The authors discovered that growth in non-feed animal systems only covered the extra consumption from population growth and that feed-fed production has necessarily met increases in human dietary demand for animal products. Through eating less animal calories, choosing less resource-demanding animal products and maintaining the relative contribution of non-feed systems, between 1.3 and 3.6 billion fewer people would be in competition with feed for crop use. With human demand for animal products is expected to continue increasing in the coming decades, the findings here provide insights into potential solutions and suggest that there exist opportunities for humankind to substantially reduce competition for crop use.

Changing climate, changing diets: Pathways to lower meat consumption

Nynke — Tue, 01 Dec 2015 14:38:59 +0000

The authors of this report (PDF) by Chatham House argue that governments must lead in shifting attitudes and behaviors of consumers to lower meat consumption. According to the report, reduction in global meat consumption is key to mitigating climate change and keeping global warming below two degrees Celsius. Global meat consumption and greenhouse gas emissions are at all-time highs. The livestock sector accounts for 15 percent of all emissions, the equivalent to the emissions of all vehicles worldwide. If global citizens reduced meat consumption, it would result in over one-fourth of the emission reductions needed by 2050, which is necessary to keep global warming limited. In spite of a compelling case for addressing meat consumption and shifting diets, governments fear the repercussions of intervention, while low public awareness means they feel little pressure to intervene. However, according to the report governments overestimate the risk of public backlash. Governments are thus missing a key opportunity for climate mitigation. Governments should spearhead efforts to address unsustainable consumption of meat and show that the government takes this issue seriously.

Also see this expert comment of Laura Wellesly, one of the authors of the report.

Sub-Saharan Africa’s significant changes in food consumption patterns

Nynke — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 11:33:53 +0000

This report (PDF) by l’Agence Française de Développement (AFD) elaborates on the importance of food markets for food consumption in African cities and rural areas. It argues that food systems in West Africa are rapidly changing and that, contrary to popular belief, the percentage of subsistence farming for food consumption in rural areas is also declining. Therefore, market supply is becoming the main source for food consumption and rural as well as urban household tend to become more vulnerable to fluctuation in food prices on these markets, which impacts their food security. As a result, issues with food security in rural and urban areas tend to converge with the increasing importance of food markets and food prices. The food markets are also diversifying, due to changes in the types of food that are consumed. Food security debates are often focused on grains and cereals, but these products make up less than half of total food consumption economic value at national level. While grains and cereals provide two-thirds of the caloric intake, animal products and other products are equally significant to agricultural development. Moreover, the nutritional component of the products is crucial in a context in which malnutrition from lack of protein and energy sources are increasingly rare and the main nutritional issues lie in the reduction of chronic malnutrition, caused by imbalances in the micro-nutrient profile of dietary consumption. The authors argue that these changes call for a revisiting of methods of research and statistics, which must focus on understanding consumption practices. In this study, data from national and urban household consumption and expenditure surveys (NHCS) were used. The authors indicate that data from NHCS is a rich source of information on food politics, but it remains underused.

Dairy intensification, mothers and children: an exploration of infant and young child feeding practices among rural dairy farmers in Kenya

Nynke — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 16:37:44 +0000

This article in the journal Maternal & Child Nutrition elaborates on the impacts of dairy intensification to human nutrition and household food security. While dairy intensification could improve human nutrition and food security due to higher incomes for the farmers, it could as have negative impacts. These impacts are related to the increasing workload of mothers, which negative affect infant and young child feeding (IYCF). Mothers tend to experience more stress, have less time for feeding and have specific beliefs about the timing and appropriate types of complementary foods. Using focus group discussions and a survey in Kenya, this study explores the relationship between the level of household dairy production and selected IYCF practices. It looked at mother’s attitudes towards breastfeeding, introduction of complementary foods and child diets. The results indicated that women from higher dairy producing households were more likely to introduce cow’s milk to infants before they reached 6 months than women from households not producing any dairy. Themes from the focus group discussions demonstrated that women were familiar with exclusive breastfeeding recommendations, but indicated a preference for mixed feeding of infants. The authors argue that evidence from this study can inform nutrition education programs targeted to farmers participating in dairy interventions in rural, low-income settings to minimize potential harm to the nutritional status of children.

Increasing homogeneity in global food supplies and the implications for food security

Babs — Wed, 13 May 2015 13:54:16 +0000

This article (PDF) in PNAS by a group of researchers provides evidence of change in the relative importance of different crop plants in national food supplies worldwide over the past 50 years. Trends in the richness, abundance, and composition of crop species in national food supplies worldwide were assessed. The study shows that over the years, national food supplies worldwide became more similar in composition. These changes in food supplies heighten interdependence among countries in regard to availability and access to these food sources and the genetic resources supporting their production, and give further urgency to nutrition development priorities aimed at bolstering food security.

Trends and determinants of food consumption patterns in West Africa

Babs — Tue, 12 May 2015 13:19:02 +0000

This dissertation by Me-Nsope, Nathalie Mongue examines food consumption patterns in the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS). The study provides detailed information on food demand parameters, which are critical to improving policymakers’ ability to make sound food policy decisions. The findings present a scope to encourage ongoing diversification of staple food sources to give consumers more opportunity for substitution and choice. Price transmission across cereals suggests a need for a cereals policy rather than just, for example, a rice policy. The results suggest strong future growth in demand (pressure on prices if supply is not increased), and a need to focus on driving down unit costs throughout the food system.

2014

Future diets: obesity rising to alarming levels around the world

Babs — Wed, 06 May 2015 11:37:12 +0000

This report (PDF) by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), highlights dramatic increases in the numbers of overweight or obese people in the past 30 years. Previously considered a problem in richer countries, the biggest rises are in middle income countries and the developing world. Diets are changing wherever incomes are rising in the developing world, with a marked shift from cereals and tubers to meat, fats and sugar, as well as fruit and vegetables. At the same time, under-consumption of dietary energy, protein and micronutrients is still a problem for hundreds of millions of people. Three key issues emerge from this study: 1) Diets and their influences are very varied. This implies that while the forces of globalisation have led to a creeping homogenisation in diets, their continued variation suggests that there is still scope for policies that can influence the food choices that people make; 2) Future diets that are rich in animal products, especially meat, will push up prices for meat, but surprisingly, not for grains. This suggests that future diets may matter more for public health than for agriculture; and 3) There seems to be little will among public and leaders to take the determined action that is needed to influence future diets, but that may change in the face of the serious health implications. Combinations of moderate measures in education, prices and regulation may achieve far more than drastic action of any one type.

What we eat: Changing patterns of food consumption around the world

Babs — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 11:17:30 +0000

This paper (PDF) by Hector E. Maletta from the Universidad del Pacífico explores changes in the level and composition of per capita food consumption across the world. The world’s food output has more than trebled since 1961 whilst population only doubled, causing a marked increase in per capita food supply. By 2011 the average human was consuming nearly 2900 daily kilocalories per person, up from less than 2200 in 1961; per capita protein intake had also increased significantly from 61 to 80 grams per day. Besides these overall increases in food consumption, the composition of the average diet also changed. One major finding in this regard is that per capita consumption of cereals reached a plateau (or slightly declined) in recent decades, whilst consumption of other foods increased significantly. All the increase in per capita dietary energy supply since 1990 reflects higher consumption of non-cereal food; per capita cereal food consumption stabilised or declined. The saturation level at which cereal food consumption stabilises seems to vary across regions, probably due to local culture and custom. Due to changing dietary patterns, some regions of the world have enormously increased their consumption of fats, especially vegetable oil, contributing to a growing obesity epidemic. In some regions, chiefly North America, this has been compounded by a significant increase in per capita consumption of sugar. But humans have also changed their diets in beneficial ways, consuming more pulses, fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, milk and eggs. These trends are present in all major regions, albeit varying across regions. Most of these trends imply greater intake of micronutrients. More diversified diets, with increased presence of fruits, vegetables and foods of animal origin, suggest that the micronutrient content of per capita food supply is increasing, at the world level and for all major regions.

Food Outlook 2014 – Biannual Report on Global Food Markets

Babs — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 12:07:14 +0000

The FAO Food Outlook is a biannual publication (May/June and November/December) focusing on developments affecting global food and feed markets. This report (PDF) from October 2014 highlights that food markets are more stable and prices for most agricultural commodities are sharply lower than they have been in recent years. The report shows market assessments of wheat, coarse grains, rice, cassava, oilcrops, oils and meals, sugar, meat and meat products, milk and milk products and fish and fishery products. Furthermore, major policy developments, food stocks and prices, statistical tables by country classification and market indicators are covered.

Rising incomes, changing tastes: How Africa, India, and China will reshape the global food and agriculture landscape

Babs — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 12:10:07 +0000

Morningstar analysts published a report (PDF) that covers aspects of the emerging markets’ diet as an important growth driver for consumption– from trends in meat and dairy consumption, to those in beer and processed food. The focus of the paper is on China, India, Brazil, Southeast Asia (mainly Indonesia), and sub-Saharan Africa. By use of global and country-level data, links between diets and incomes and the important roles of urbanization, culture, religion, geography and biology are examined. Some of the key findings are: 1) income is the main driver of caloric intake among emerging economies; 2) sub-Saharan Africa and India are expected to have the largest increases in caloric intake by 2022; 3) dietary differences within countries suggest non-traditional foods, such as milk and yogurt, become more prominent and 4) religious dietary restrictions in many key emerging markets suggest a larges demand for poultry as driver for meat consumption . Also, the report provides insight into the possible position of companies.

Trend: New research shows increasing appetite for sustainable seafood

Babs — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 12:03:15 +0000

Research into seafood buying behaviour around the world shows that consumers are increasingly looking for fish products from a sustainable source, and that ecolabels give credibility to these claims. For this research, over 9,000 regular seafood buyers from 15 countries across Europe, Asia, Australia and North America were questioned. The findings highlighted that supermarkets and restaurants are seen to have a key role in ensuring the sustainability of seafood (65%), brands that use ecolabels are more trusted than those that don’t (46%) and traceability (66%) and sustainability (61%) are high on the consumer agenda.