A presentation of the report “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2019”, jointly dradted by FAO, IFAD, WFP, UNICEF and WHO, was held today at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
After decades of decline, in the last three years world hunger has started rising again and concerns today 820 million people globally. Considering all people in the world affected by moderate levels of food insecurity together with those who suffer from hunger, it is estimated that over 2 billion people do not have regular access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food
At the same time, overweight and obesity continue to increase in all regions. In 2018, an estimated 40 million children under five were overweight. About a third of overweight adolescents and adults, and 44 percent of overweight children aged 5–9 are obese.
The report includes, among measures that Government are recommended to adopt to fight obesity and overweight, the adoption of fiscal measures such as taxes on specific products deemed to be too rich in sugars, fats and salt.
In this regard, Italy requested to concerned UN agencies whether potential risks and adverse effects of such measures, especially in developing countries and fragile contexts characterized by high poverty rates, have been duly studied and assessed.
Italy also reiterated that the best way to tackle obesity and all forms of malnutrition and to accelerate progress towards the achievement of SDGs 2 and 3 lies in the promotion of healthy diets as a whole, without demonizing specific products, through education and information campaigns based on robust scientific evidence, starting from the very early stages of life, and in the support to rural development and sustainable local livelihoods, agriculture and livestock. Healthy diets, especially in developing countries, depend ultimately on sustainable agriculture and sustainable food systems that are respectful of local culture and traditions. Traditional healthy diets, food diversity and healthy eating habits and lifestyles are component of the cultural heritage that need to be preserved and can play a fundamental role against malnutrition, overweight and obesity, as it’s the case for the Mediterranean diet and other traditional healthy diets.
