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The State of Food Security and Nutrition in Europe and Central Asia. 2017

Regional Overview











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    Europe and Central Asia Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2024
    Managing water sustainably for improved food security and nutrition
    2025
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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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    Book (series)
    Europe and Central Asia – Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2021
    Statistics and trends
    2021
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    The state of food security and nutrition in the world, including that of the Europe and Central Asia region, was marked in 2020 by the outbreak of COVID-19 and resulting disruptions to markets, trade and food supply chains. The pandemic has had a negative effect on food security in the region. It is in this light that the report seeks to assess how food security and nutrition indicators in the region, subregion and countries have changed under the shadow of the pandemic and to monitor the region’s progress towards achieving the SDGs.The first major conclusion is that the subregions (such as the Caucasus and Central Asia) and countries that were already vulnerable before the pandemic became even more so in 2020. The resilience of the Europe and Central Asia region relies mostly on the provision of solid effort in the vulnerable subregions. The second major conclusion is that, although the region was doing better than the world in 2020 in some indicators, there is still an enormous amount of work ahead to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
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    Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition in Europe and Central Asia 2018
    The role of migration, rural women and youth in sustainable development
    2018
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    The Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition in Europe and Central Asia 2018 provides new evidence for monitoring trends in food security and nutrition within the framework of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. The in-depth analysis of progress made against 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), as well as the state of micronutrient deficiencies, is complemented by a review of recent policy measures taken to address food security and nutrition in all its dimensions. The Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region encompasses great economic, social and environmental diversity, and its countries are facing various food security and nutrition challenges. While they have made significant progress in reducing the prevalence of undernourishment over the past two decades, new evidence shows a stagnation of this trend, particularly in Central Asia. Malnutrition in one or more of its three main forms – undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and overweight and obesity – is present to varying degrees in all countries of the region. Often, all three forms coexist, creating what is called the “triple burden of malnutrition.” Overweight among children and obesity among adults continue to rise – with now almost one-fourth of the region’s adults obese – and constitute a significant concern for future health and well-being and related costs. While poverty levels in most ECA countries have been declining in recent years, poverty coupled with inequality has led to increased vulnerability of disadvantaged groups and populations in rural and remote areas of low- and lower-middle-income countries. New analysis shows that adult women have a higher prevalence of severe food insecurity than men in some areas, pointing to gender inequalities that are reflected in access to food. Addressing gender and other inequalities is key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and heeding the call to “leave no one behind.” The publication’s focus this year is on migration, gender and youth and the linkages with rural development and food security in Europe and Central Asia. Migration is linked in multiple ways to gender, youth, and agricultural and rural development – both as a driver and possible source of development opportunities, with labour migration and remittances playing significant roles in the region. Changing migration processes need to be fully understood to better address the challenges of migration and harness the potential benefits for sustainable development and revitalized rural areas. Governments, public and private institutions, communities and other concerned parties must strengthen collaboration and scale up efforts towards achieving the goals of a thriving, healthy and food-secure region.

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