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Europe and Central Asia – Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2022

Repurposing policies and incentives to make healthy diets more affordable and agrifood systems more environmentally sustainable














Read online the Statistics and Trends digital report (in English)

Last updated 07/04/2023


FAO, IFAD, United Nations, UNDP, UNICEF, WFP, WHO and WMO. 2023. Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition in Europe and Central Asia 2022. Repurposing policies and incentives to make healthy diets more affordable and agrifood systems more environmentally sustainable. Budapest.





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    This report presents the latest updates related to food security and nutrition in Europe and Central Asia, including estimates on the cost and affordability of healthy diets. It also explores how governments are supporting the food and agriculture sector and how to repurpose policies and incentives to make healthy diets more affordable and agrifood systems more environmentally sustainable.The new estimates confirm that the prevalence of hunger at chronic or severe levels is relatively low in the ECA region, through the prevalence of food insecurity at moderate or severe levels can be quite high. The region is seeing alarmingly high – and rising – rates of overweight and obesity. The COVID-19 pandemic has added 25.5 million people in the region to the ranks of the moderately or severely food insecure, leaving them without access to safe, nutritious and adequate food. The war in Ukraine has made the situation worse. Almost all ECA subregions are experiencing increased costs and reduced affordability of healthy diets because of higher food prices and lower incomes.This report contains an in-depth analysis of the repurposing of food and agricultural policies to ensure the food systems transformation is better suited to addressing the “triple challenge” of achieving food security and good nutrition for better health, providing livelihoods to farmers and others connected to the sector, and reducing the nature and climate footprint of the sector. This report also reviews complementing policies within and outside of agrifood systems to assess whether repurposing efforts are impactful in the ECA region.
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    This report provides the latest updates on hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition in Europe and Central Asia, including the cost and affordability of healthy diets. It also explores the central theme of water security, highlighting its critical connections to agriculture, food security and nutrition.While the region has made progress in reducing hunger and food insecurity (SDG Target 2.1), challenges remain in eliminating all forms of malnutrition (SDG Target 2.2). Food insecurity and malnutrition persist in some countries, influenced by income levels, socioeconomic factors and climate risks. In 2023, global undernourishment remained at 9.1 percent, whereas the region has stayed below 2.5 percent since 2005, except in Central Asia (3 percent in 2023 and marginally higher in 2022). Food insecurity affected 11.5 percent of the population in 2023, well below the global average (28.9 percent).Many countries have reduced child stunting, wasting and low birthweight, but childhood overweight, anaemia in women aged 15–49, and adult obesity remain concerns. In 2022, 64.3 million people in the region couldn’t afford a healthy diet, though numbers have declined after the pandemic. At 16.3 percent, Central Asia had the highest unaffordability rate.Water security challenges – including scarcity, ageing infrastructure, pollution and weak governance – affect Central Asia, the Caucasus and the Western Balkans. Poor water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure in some areas impacts nutrition and health. The report recommends improving water conservation and recycling and exploring the use of alternative sources such as desalination and groundwater. Strengthening transboundary cooperation and promoting sustainable water management are crucial. Reducing agriculture’s water footprint through efficient crop choices can enhance climate resilience and long-term water sustainability.
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    This report consists of two main sections: 1) a situation analysis of Sustainable Development Goal 2 Target 2.1 (to end hunger and ensure access to food by all) and Target 2.2 (to end all forms of malnutrition) and analyses of the diets of children and of current food consumption patterns relative to dietary guidelines; and 2) a special look at the cost and affordability of healthy diets in Europe and Central Asia.The new estimates confirm that the prevalence of hunger at chronic or severe levels is relatively low in the ECA region. However, the prevalence of food insecurity at moderate or severe levels can be quite high. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to add people to the ranks of the food insecure. The ECA region is making progress overall in reducing malnutrition, but it is not on track regarding childhood overweight, adult obesity, anaemia and exclusive breastfeeding. Healthy diets protect against the effects of malnutrition, in all its forms, and promote better health.This report shows that healthy diets cost, on average, five times more than diets that meet only dietary energy needs, making them unaffordable for many people throughout the region. To increase the affordability of healthy diets, the costs of nutritious foods must be lowered. This report also shows that hidden costs are much lower with healthy diets than with current consumption patterns, meaning that adopting healthy diet alternatives could lead to large cost savings.

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