Mapping the Vulnerability of Mountain Peoples to Food Insecurity
This report (PDF) from the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) presents an updated geographic and demographic picture of the world’s mountain areas and assesses the vulnerability to food insecurity of mountain dwellers in developing countries. The report is a follow-up on the 2003 report (PDF). Both reports singel out mountain people, since they experience harsh climates; live on difficult, often inaccessible terrain; and are often political and social marginalized. This makes them extremely vulnerable to food shortages. One in three mountain people in developing countries is facing hunger and malnutrition. The final section of the report presents an alternative and complementary approach to assessing hunger by analyzing household surveys. This approach includes other factors impacting food security, such as water quality, sanitation facilities and road networks, in addition to crop and livestock activities, to ensure a holistic approach. The authors apply this methodology in two pilot cases in Malawi and Ecuador. The results show that the living conditions of mountain dwellers have continued to deteriorate in the last decade. A 30% increase in the number of vulnerable mountain people between 2000-2012. The publication encourages policy-makers to include mountain development in their agendas as well as specific measures and investments that could break the cycle of poverty and hunger of mountain communities and slow out-migration from mountain areas.