Average per capita dietary energy intake (DEI) is one of the indicators of food security used in the present study. Table 2.1 shows that this average in ECO region for 2001 amounted to 2,573 k-calories, which is above the average for the developing countries. However, it shows large differences among member countries; while the average DEI in Turkey reached 3,343 k-calories, it was only half that amount in both Afghanistan and Tajikistan, and ranged between 2,196 k-calories or 66% and 2,931 k-calories or 88% for the other 7 countries.
Table 2.1: Per capita daily energy intake (DEI) for ECO countries in 2001
| Country | Per Capita calorie daily intake k-calories | % of country total calorie to Turkey's | ||
| Vegetables | Animal | Total | ||
| Afghanistan* | n.a. | n.a. | 1,630 | 49% |
| Azerbaijan | 2,123 | 352.0 | 2,475 | 74% |
| Iran | 2,649 | 282.0 | 2,931 | 88% |
| Kazakhstan | 1,808 | 669.0 | 2,477 | 74% |
| Kyrgyz Republic | 2,326 | 555.0 | 2,881 | 86% |
| Pakistan | 1,999 | 457.0 | 2,456 | 73% |
| Tajikistan | 1,521 | 141.0 | 1,662 | 50% |
| Turkey | 3,000 | 343.0 | 3,343 | 100% |
| Turkmenistan | 2,304 | 434.0 | 2,738 | 82% |
| Uzbekistan | 1,795 | 401.0 | 2,196 | 66% |
| Average | 2,169 | 404 | 2,573 | 77% |
* Average for 1998-2000, FAO, the State of Food Insecurity in the World, 2002.
Source: FAO Agrostat, and FAO.
However, like all averages, this indicator does not tell the whole story, as it conceals large differences among different groups within the same country. To complete the picture, Table 2.2 gives estimates of numbers and percentages of undernourished people in ECO countries (average for the period 1998-2000). It shows that, while the overall percentage of undernourished people in ECO region is below the same for developing countries, large variations exist among member countries. This percentage ranged between 2.4% for Turkey and 70% for Afghanistan. The table also shows the negative association between the two indicators. High averages of DEI were associated with low ratios of undernourished population. This negative association was true for all countries, except for Azerbaijan, which has a relatively high average DEI and a relatively high percentage of undernourished population.
On the other hand, the comparison between Tables 2.2 and 2.3 shows the proportionate relationship between the ratio of undernourished population and the ratio of rural population, which indicates that the ratio of undernourished population is higher in rural areas. This phenomenon was considerably noticed for Turkey, Iran, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan. For the first two countries the lowest ratios of rural population were associated with the lowest ratios of undernourished population, and for the second two countries the highest ratios for rural population were associated with the highest ratios of undernourished population. For Uzbekistan, Kyrgyz Republic, and Pakistan this phenomenon was not quite clear, where high ratios of rural population were associated with middle ratios of undernourished population.
Table 2.2: Prevalence of undernourishment in ECO countries (1998-2000)
| Country | Undernourished population | ||
| Number (millions) | Percentage to grand total | % to country's population | |
| Afghanistan | 14.9 | 25% | 70% |
| Azerbaijan | 1.9 | 3% | 23% |
| Iran | 3.8 | 6% | 5% |
| Kazakhstan | 1.2 | 2% | 8% |
| Kyrgyz Republic | 0.4 | 1% | 8% |
| Pakistan | 26.0 | 44% | 19% |
| Tajikistan | 3.9 | 7% | 64% |
| Turkey | 1.6 | 3% | 2% |
| Turkmenistan | 0.4 | 1% | 8% |
| Uzbekistan | 4.7 | 8% | 19% |
| Total | 58.8 | 100% | 15.6% |
Source: FAO, The State of Food Insecurity in the World, 2002)
Table 2.3: The ratio of rural to total population in ECO countries (2001)
| Country | Population | |||
| Rural (millions) | Urban (millions) | Total (millions) | % of rural to total | |
| Afghanistan | 17,411 | 5,010 | 22,421 | 78% |
| Azerbaijan | 3,906 | 4,192 | 8,098 | 48% |
| Iran | 25,133 | 46,204 | 71,337 | 35% |
| Kazakhstan | 7,110 | 8,958 | 16,068 | 44% |
| Kyrgyz Republic | 3,284 | 1,706 | 4,990 | 66% |
| Pakistan | 96,574 | 48,421 | 144,995 | 67% |
| Tajikistan | 4,437 | 1,699 | 6,136 | 72% |
| Turkey | 22,946 | 44,692 | 67,638 | 34% |
| Turkmenistan | 2,665 | 2,173 | 4,838 | 55% |
| Uzbekistan | 16,035 | 9,232 | 25,267 | 63% |
| Total | 199,501 | 172,287 | 371,788 | 54% |
Source: FAO Agrostat.
Comparing Tables 2.1 and 2.4 shows the positive association between the per capita DEI and DPI (daily protein intake) in ECO member countries. The highest per capita DPI is associated with the highest per capita DEI and vice versa. This was noticed almost for all of the ECO countries. To a lower extent, this same proportionality was noticed with respect to the association of high per capita DFI (daily fat intake) and high per capita DEI.
Table 2.4: Per capita daily intake of protein and fat in ECO countries (2001)
| Country | Protein (grams) | Fat (grams) | ||||
| Vegetables | Animal | Total | Vegetables | Animal | Total | |
| Afghanistan | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Azerbaijan | 53.6 | 19.2 | 72.8 | 14.9 | 24.3 | 39.2 |
| Iran | 61.1 | 18.3 | 79.4 | 38.9 | 20.5 | 59.4 |
| Kazakhstan | 38.6 | 40.9 | 79.6 | 29.1 | 43.0 | 72.1 |
| Kyrgyz Republic | 60.9 | 34.7 | 95.6 | 16.1 | 35.2 | 51.3 |
| Pakistan | 39.1 | 23.4 | 62.5 | 37.8 | 31.3 | 69.1 |
| Tajikistan | 34.5 | 8.2 | 42.7 | 24.4 | 8.8 | 33.2 |
| Turkey | 72.3 | 22.8 | 95.1 | 67.1 | 22.0 | 89.1 |
| Turkmenistan | 53.7 | 24.3 | 78.0 | 38.2 | 30.1 | 68.3 |
| Uzbekistan | 42.7 | 23.3 | 66.0 | 30.0 | 26.4 | 56.4 |
| Average | 51 | 24 | 75 | 33 | 27 | 60 |
Source: FAO Agrostat.
Self sufficiency for a given food commodity is measured by the ratio of its domestic production to its domestic utilization in a given year, or averaged for a given period of time. Domestic utilization, including waste, should equal domestic supply. Because of lack of information, waste is mostly estimated as a residual; the difference between domestic supply and domestic utilization. Domestic supply is computed by adding net imports and stock changes to the production of the commodity in a given year, and domestic utilization is calculated by adding amounts of human consumption to amounts processed, used as feed, seed, or other uses, and amounts wasted during or after harvest.
Skimming through Table 2.5 shows that irrespective of the differences among member countries in self sufficiency rates in the 22 items, the overall rates of self sufficiency for the ECO countries as a group is relatively good. Hence developing intra-trade among them would significantly promote their interdependence regarding food security. All together, they are self or more than self sufficient in 10 out of the 22 items presented in the Table; rice, barley, starchy roots (mostly potatoes), pulses, fruits, vegetables, mutton and goat meat, offal, eggs, and alcoholic beverages; with the rate ranging between 100% and 113%. With modest developmental effort, they would become self sufficient in wheat, beef and veal meat, pig meat, poultry, and milk; with overall self sufficiency rates ranging between 94% and 99% for these products in 2001. Additional effort would be needed to reach self sufficiency in oil crops, fish and offal; with overall self sufficiency rates ranging between 82% and 87% for those three items.
Table 2.5: Food self sufficiency in ECO countries for the year 2001
| Commodity | Afghanistan | Azerbaijan | Iran | Kasakhistan | Kyrgyz Republic | Pakistan | Tajikistan | Turkey | Turkmenistan | Uzbekistan | Total |
| Wheat | 70% | 59% | 240% | 94% | 91% | 51% | 97% | 86% | 88% | 95% | |
| Rice; milled equivalent | 48% | 67% | 107% | 92% | 157% | 63% | 50% | 93% | 27% | 107% | |
| Barley | 110% | 72% | 378% | 99% | 103% | 84% | 102% | 92% | 95% | 107% | |
| Maize | 100% | 39% | 182% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 76% | 21% | 89% | 76% | |
| Starchy roots | 91% | 103% | 117% | 101% | 102% | 100% | 100% | 70% | 99% | 103% | |
| Sweeteners | 1% | 49% | 6% | 51% | 78% | 0% | 114% | 8% | 5% | 73% | |
| Pulses | 91% | 128% | 96% | 500% | 70% | 100% | 117% | 100% | 433% | 101% | |
| Oil crops (CS) | 100% | 46% | 99% | 100% | 89% | 101% | 84% | 109% | 98% | 87% | |
| Vegetable oils | 30% | 26% | 48% | 65% | 30% | 36% | 53% | 75% | 99% | 42% | |
| Vegetables | 99% | 104% | 103% | 102% | 100% | 107% | 105% | 100% | 104% | 104% | |
| Fruits, excluding wine | 104% | 107% | 89% | 138% | 102% | 149% | 129% | 85% | 113% | 113% | |
| Beef and veal | 100% | 86% | 99% | 100% | 100% | 60% | 100% | 100% | 99% | 97% | |
| Mutton & goat meat | 100% | 100% | 100% | 102% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | |
| Pig meat | 40% | - | 94% | 100% | - | - | - | 100% | 100% | 94% | |
| Poultry | 64% | 101% | 51% | 71% | 100% | 100% | 101% | 56% | 42% | 97% | |
| Offals | 71% | 101% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 123% | 100% | 99% | 101% | |
| Animal fats | 43% | 89% | 88% | 100% | 89% | 100% | 54% | 100% | 68% | 82% | |
| Milk, excluding butter | 99% | 99% | 93% | 100% | 100% | 97% | 100% | 97% | 100% | 99% | |
| Eggs | 89% | 106% | 97% | 100% | 100% | 67% | 103% | 88% | 101% | 102% | |
| Fish, sea food | 100% | 59% | 75% | 0% | 123% | - | 80% | 100% | 82% | 83% | |
| Stimulants | 13% | 100% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 80% | 0% | 0% | 44% |
Source: Calculated from Tables 1-2 of the Annex.
Table 2.6: Food self sufficieny in ECO under catering for the food gap in 2001
| Commodity | Afghanistan | Azerbijan | Iran | Kasakhistan | Kyrgyz Republic | Pakistan | Tajikistan | Turkey | Turkmenistan | Uzbekistan | Total |
| Wheat | 52% | 52% | 178% | 81% | 66% | 25% | 97% | 71% | 68% | 78% | |
| Rice, milled equivalent | 36% | 59% | 79% | 79% | 114% | 31% | 50% | 76% | 21% | 85% | |
| Barley | 81% | 63% | 280% | 85% | 75% | 42% | 102% | 75% | 73% | 100% | |
| Maize | 74% | 34% | 135% | 86% | 73% | 50% | 76% | 17% | 69% | 66% | |
| Starchy roots | 68% | 90% | 87% | 87% | 74% | 50% | 100% | 57% | 76% | 87% | |
| Sweeteners | 1% | 43% | 5% | 44% | 57% | 0% | 114% | 7% | 4% | 59% | |
| Pulses | 68% | 112% | 71% | 431% | 51% | 50% | 117% | 82% | 333% | 86% | |
| Oil crops (CS) | 74% | 41% | 73% | 86% | 65% | 50% | 84% | 89% | 75% | 70% | |
| Vegetable oils | 22% | 23% | 36% | 56% | 22% | 18% | 53% | 61% | 76% | 34% | |
| Vegetables | 73% | 91% | 76% | 88% | 73% | 53% | 105% | 82% | 80% | 92% | |
| Fruits, excluding wine | 77% | 93% | 66% | 119% | 75% | 74% | 129% | 70% | 87% | 97% | |
| Beef and veal | 74% | 76% | 73% | 86% | 73% | 30% | 100% | 82% | 76% | 77% | |
| Mutton & goat meat | 74% | 88% | 74% | 88% | 73% | 50% | 100% | 82% | 77% | 82% | |
| Pig meat | 30% | 0% | 70% | 86% | - | - | - | 82% | 77% | 71% | |
| Poultry meat | 48% | 89% | 38% | 62% | 73% | 50% | 101% | 46% | 32% | 85% | |
| Offals | 52% | 89% | 74% | 86% | 73% | 50% | 123% | 82% | 76% | 79% | |
| Animal fats | 32% | 78% | 65% | 86% | 65% | 50% | 54% | 82% | 52% | 65% | |
| Milk, excluding butter | 73% | 87% | 69% | 87% | 73% | 48% | 100% | 80% | 77% | 78% | |
| Eggs | 66% | 93% | 72% | 86% | 73% | 33% | 103% | 72% | 78% | 87% | |
| Fish, sea food | 74% | 51% | 56% | 0% | 90% | - | 80% | 82% | 63% | 72% | |
| Stimulants | 9% | 67% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 80% | 0% | 0% | 37% |
Source: Calculated from Tables 1-3 of the Annex.
Much more effort would be needed to reach self sufficiency in vegetable oils, stimulants, sweeteners (mostly sugar), and maize; with overall self sufficiency rates ranging between 42% and 76% for those four items.
The effective demand for a given commodity depends, among other things, on the disposable income. Hence, a country could be self sufficient in the production of a given commodity while the per capita utilization of the commodity is less than the recommended amount. That is, if people had more income, their demand for the commodity would have increased, and the food security ratio would have decreased. The difference between the demand for a given commodity, if people have sufficient income, and the present domestic utilization represents the food gap for the commodity. To estimate the food gap for the food items exhibited in Table 2.5, it was assumed that the per capita DEI for Turkey (3,340 k-calories) represents the recommended intake for all member countries. Accordingly the estimated demand that equates the per capita DEI for the country with the same for Turkey was estimated (Table 3 of the Annex), and the difference between these estimates and the amounts of domestic utilizations of the same commodities in 2001 represented the estimation of the food gap for all the above-mentioned food items (Table 4 of the Annex). Estimated food self sufficiency rates under the Turkish standard was calculated as presented in Table 2.6.
The table shows that reaching the Turkish standard would decrease the overall food security for all commodities in all countries, and for the region as a whole. Under such a situation, the region would be self sufficient only in alcoholic beverages and barley. With modest developmental effort in agriculture, they could become self sufficient in fruits and vegetables production; as self sufficient ratios for these commodities ranged between 92% and 97%. Additional effort would be needed to achieve self sufficiency in mutton and goat meat, poultry meat, rice, pulses, starchy roots (mostly potatoes), and eggs; as self sufficiency rates for these commodities ranged between 82% and 87%. Much more effort would be needed to reach self sufficiency for all other items; with overall self sufficiency rates for them ranging between 37% and 79%.
