In order to have a healthy and vibrant nation, citizens must be fed with the right food at the right proportion.
Food and nutrition security is achieved if adequate food (quantity, quality, safety, socio-cultural acceptability) is always available and accessible to all and that individuals satisfactory use and utilize that food to live a healthy and active life (UNICEF, 2008).
Food security, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), is achieved when ‘‘all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food which meets the dietary needs and food preferences for an active healthy life’’, while nutrition security is defined as having ‘‘adequate nutritional status in terms of protein, energy, vitamins, and minerals for all household members at all times’’ (Weingartner, 2004 as cited at Quisimbing, 1995).
The farm to table food path plays a big role in ensuring food and nutrition security. The components of the food path include food production, food distribution, food consumption, and nutrient utilization. Food production involves the availability of agricultural inputs and practices that determines the kind and amounts of food grown (raising livestock, harvesting, catching fish, etc.). Food distribution, on the other hand, refers to how food is transported, processed, sold, and the ways or means by which food is physically and economically available to people (trade, marketing, infrastructure, etc.). Food consumption includes preparation and eating. It pertains to the amount and variety of food consumed. Nutrient utilization of food refers to the state of health, illnesses, physiological conditions that affect the digestion, metabolism, and how food is used by the human body for growth, development, and maintenance of vital bodily processes.
Each path from food production to nutrient utilization of food is important for in case there is obstruction on one or two paths, it can contribute to food insecurity (hunger) and malnutrition. A block on the food process is any factor, event, or situation that will stop, delay, or prevent the flow of food in the food path. This could be illustrated in the following scenario. In cases where food production is low, less food will be available in the market. So even if people have the money to buy food, they can’t buy any if there is limited supply. Also, in cases where there are no farm-to-market roads, it will be difficult to transport goods.
Knowing the importance of each path in ensuring food and nutrition security in the public, the following can be done to remove the blocks on each path. Problems on food distribution can be solved by the construction of farm-to-market roads. Backyard gardening can also address the block on food consumption. Cooking and preparing only the food needed as well as monitoring the expiration date and nutrient contents of processed products are essential in preventing food wastage. Moreover, government policies and programs relevant to agriculture and the food system would play a big role in ensuring that food are produced and reaches the families in various communities.
For this year’s Nutrition Month celebration, one of the key messages is to call for continued solidarity to support food and nutrition security, especially for the most vulnerable. Unity among all people, as well as strengthening of the agriculture sector / food supply chain, play an important role in achieving food and nutrition security.
BELLA M. BASALONG
References:
Weingartner, L. (2004). Background Paper No. 1. The Concept of Food and Nutrition Security. International Training Course: Food and Nutrition Security Assessment Instruments and Intervention Strategies. Retrieved at http://www.oda-alc.org/documentos/1341934899.pdf
National Nutrition Council. (2021). Module 1 Lesson 2: Understanding Food and Nutrition Security. eLearning Course on Local Nutrition Program Management, 18-20.
Committee on World Food Security (2012). Coming to Terms with Terminology. Retrieved at https://www.fao.org/3/md776e/md776e.pdf
