No Thumbnail Available

Preventing micronutrient malnutrition: a guide to food-based approaches. Why policy makers should give priority to food-based strategies







Also available in:
No results found.

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • No Thumbnail Available
    Book (stand-alone)
    Manual / guide
    Preventing micronutrient malnutrition: a guide to food-based approaches
    A manual for policy makers and programme planners
    1997
    Also available in:
    No results found.

  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    Technical book
    Improving the nutritional quality of street foods to better meet the micronutrient needs of schoolchildren in urban areas 2006
    Also available in:
    No results found.

    Micronutrient malnutrition affects one in every three persons living in sub-Saharan Africa. Women and children are most severely affected by micronutrient malnutrition, particularly deficiencies of iron, iodine and vitamin A. Between 40-80 percent of children in the region are iron deficient and forty percent of children under 6 years of age do not get enough vitamin A. For children micronutrient malnutrition affects their health, growth and ability to concentrate in school. Even small improvem ents in the nutritional quality of the foods children consume can increase their micronutrient intake and therefore improve their health.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (series)
    Working paper
    Food system strategies for preventing micronutrient malnutrition
    ESA Working Paper 13-06
    2013
    Also available in:
    No results found.

    Micronutrients are defined as substances in foods that are essential for human health and are required in small amounts. They include all of the known vitamins and essential trace minerals. Micronutrient malnutrition affects a third to a half of the global population. It causes untold human suffering and levies huge costs on society in terms of unrealized human potential and lost economic productivity. The goal of this paper is to identify deficiencies in the food system that lead to micronutrient malnutrition and explore and evaluate strategies for its prevention. We examine the impact of agricultural practices on micronutrients in the food supply, including cropping systems, soil fertility and animal agriculture. We then discuss the potential of biofortification –i.e. increasing the concentration of micronutrients in staple food crops through conventional plant breeding or genetic engineering– as a means to reduce micronutrient deficiency. In addition, we discuss the impact of food losses and food waste on micronutrients in the food supply, and we explore successful strategies to preserve micronutrients from farm to plate, including food fortification. Our review of the literature sheds light on the advantages and limitations of alternative interventions to reduce micronutrient deficiencies along the supply chain. We end with recommendations for actions that will reduce the prevalence of micronutrient malnutrition.

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (series)
    Flagship
    The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021
    Transforming food systems for food security, improved nutrition and affordable healthy diets for all
    2021
    In recent years, several major drivers have put the world off track to ending world hunger and malnutrition in all its forms by 2030. The challenges have grown with the COVID-19 pandemic and related containment measures. This report presents the first global assessment of food insecurity and malnutrition for 2020 and offers some indication of what hunger might look like by 2030 in a scenario further complicated by the enduring effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also includes new estimates of the cost and affordability of healthy diets, which provide an important link between the food security and nutrition indicators and the analysis of their trends. Altogether, the report highlights the need for a deeper reflection on how to better address the global food security and nutrition situation.To understand how hunger and malnutrition have reached these critical levels, this report draws on the analyses of the past four editions, which have produced a vast, evidence-based body of knowledge of the major drivers behind the recent changes in food security and nutrition. These drivers, which are increasing in frequency and intensity, include conflicts, climate variability and extremes, and economic slowdowns and downturns – all exacerbated by the underlying causes of poverty and very high and persistent levels of inequality. In addition, millions of people around the world suffer from food insecurity and different forms of malnutrition because they cannot afford the cost of healthy diets. From a synthesized understanding of this knowledge, updates and additional analyses are generated to create a holistic view of the combined effects of these drivers, both on each other and on food systems, and how they negatively affect food security and nutrition around the world.In turn, the evidence informs an in-depth look at how to move from silo solutions to integrated food systems solutions. In this regard, the report proposes transformative pathways that specifically address the challenges posed by the major drivers, also highlighting the types of policy and investment portfolios required to transform food systems for food security, improved nutrition, and affordable healthy diets for all. The report observes that, while the pandemic has caused major setbacks, there is much to be learned from the vulnerabilities and inequalities it has laid bare. If taken to heart, these new insights and wisdom can help get the world back on track towards the goal of ending hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition in all its forms.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Booklet
    High-profile
    FAO Strategy on Climate Change 2022–2031 2022
    The FAO Strategy on Climate Change 2022–2031 was endorsed by FAO Council in June 2022. This new strategy replaces the previous strategy from 2017 to better FAO's climate action with the Strategic Framework 2022-2031, and other FAO strategies that have been developed since then. The Strategy was elaborated following an inclusive process of consultation with FAO Members, FAO staff from headquarters and decentralized offices, as well as external partners. It articulates FAO's vision for agrifood systems by 2050, around three main pillars of action: at global and regional level, at country level, and at local level. The Strategy also encourages key guiding principles for action, such as science and innovation, inclusiveness, partnerships, and access to finance.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    Technical book
    Russian Federation: Meat sector review
    Country highlights prepared under the FAO/EBRD Cooperation
    2014
    Also available in:

    World food demand has seen massive changes, including a shift from staple foods to animal proteins and vegetable oils. In the short to medium term, this trend in global food demand will continue. There will be an increased demand for vegetable oils, meat, sugar, dairy products and livestock feed made from coarse grains and oilseed meals. There are numerous mid-term forecasts for the Russian Federation’s meat sector. Most of them agree on the following trends: (i) the consumption of poultry and p ork meat will increase; (ii) the consumption of beef will decrease or stabilize; and (iii) the Russian Federation will remain a net importer of meat on the world market. According to OECD and FAO projections, meat imports from the Russian Federation will decrease from 3 to 1.3 million tonnes, owing to an anticipated growth in domestic chicken meat and pork production. The country’s share in global meat imports is anticipated to decrease from 12 percent in 2006–2010, to 4 percent in 2021. While t he Russian Federation will continue to play an important role in the international meat market, it will fall from its position as the largest meat importing country in 2006–2010 to the fourth largest global meat importer by 2021, behind Japan, sub-Saharan African countries, and Saudi Arabia.