This month of October will be marked as a new moment of reflection and action in the face of the growing difficulties that are being verified in the field of food safety.
On October 16, World Food Day is commemorated, and as in other years, in the world and especially in our Latin America and the Caribbean, hundreds of events promoted by governments, regional and local institutions, parliamentarians, mayors, civil society organizations, the private sector and the academic world to reflect on where we are going in terms of food security, especially in relation to the transformation of agri-food systems.
But these reflections, as well as the multiple projects, parliamentary laws, public policies and private actions, activities in the countryside, in the cities and permanent evaluations in the university world, that have been executed or decided over these years, and which are the result of existing concerns and are part of the growing activity in our region, will enter into a moment of synthesis throughout the month that has just begun.
It was on October 16, 1945, at the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec (Canada), when the FAO, the United Nations Organization (UN) leader in food and agricultural issues, was born. This is the date that the UN chose as World Food Day.
Latin America and the Caribbean could currently feed more than 1.3 billion people, double its population. However, 56 million inhabitants live with hunger, which represents 8.6% of its total inhabitants.
In 2021, 40% of its population (close to 268 million people) was in moderate or severe insecurity, and 14% (more than 93 million people) was experiencing the most serious situation of hunger.
At the same time, overweight in children already represents 7.5% of the child population under 5 years of age, while obesity in adults over 18 years of age exceeds 24%.
This means that we have the absurd reality of a double burden of malnutrition: hunger, overweight and obesity.
Latin America and the Caribbean is the region with the highest cost of a healthy diet in the world, 22 percent of its population, more than 131 million inhabitants, do not have access to healthy food.
All this in a reality in which the region produces 14% of global food production, hosts 45% of net international trade in food products, in addition to 23% of world exports of agricultural and fishery products. We have 17 million farmers and two million fishermen, the vast majority of which are small-scale family producers.
The levels of poverty and hunger that the region has been dragging for some time, added to the effects of Covid-19 and the current military conflicts, as well as the devastating effects of climate change, especially in rural areas, have generated a situation of growing insecurity especially if we project ourselves into the coming years.
That is why we must move quickly in the agri-food transformation processes, resorting to transition processes that consider national and local interests, with special attention to sensible production and correct nutrition, with market and trade transparency, with technical and innovation capacities. , improving public policies, food education systems, with greater social protection and coherence in social, economic and environmental policies. Likewise, we must adapt to climate change based on anticipatory actions in the face of environmental threats and reducing emissions from agri-food systems, especially due to deforestation and degradation of forests and soils.
The initiatives of this special month began on September 29 with a series of multiple events focused on the International Day of Food Loss and Waste (more than 220 million tons a year), will continue in the days around October 16 in all the Capitals and many other cities of Latin America and the Caribbean, with various initiatives and the presence of multiple protagonists of this enormous challenge that should lead us to the elimination of hunger and poverty as agreed by more than 170 Heads of State and Government in 2015 at the United Nations.
A few days later, in Rome, where the FAO Headquarters is located, a week will be held for the first time focused on potential new investments in the agri-food sectors, science and innovation for food security, with the participation of numerous Presidents and Ministers of our region. Likewise, we will hold in parallel in our region, in virtual mode, a series of events on the challenges of agricultural innovation and food security.
This special month will culminate in the first days of November, when we will launch from our Regional Headquarters in Chile, in simultaneous connection with each of the capitals of Latin America and the Caribbean, the “Panorama” report, our main annual report that provides an analysis current and detailed food and nutritional security of our region.
It will be a month of reflection and action, to think about our future acting with synergies, integration and clear ideas of present and future initiatives, projects and programs, to reverse the current negative trends.
The author is Deputy Director-General Regional Representative of FAO for Latin America and the Caribbean.