Food insecurity can cause child stunting. Good nutrition is having a diverse diet of nutritious food. Our body needs different nutrients to be healthy and ward off diseases. If a child is food insecure and is unable to eat appropriate variety, quality and amount of food, he/she will suffer from low immune system, malnutrition, and weakness. 

If this condition becomes chronic, this may lead to stunting. The child’s weight and height will be inappropriately low for his/her age.

Stunting has irreversible effects to brain development, physical growth and the immune system. It has long term effects later in life such as increased risk of acquiring diseases. 

 Achieving food security is a collaborative effort. There are international and national agencies and non-government organizations helping the initiatives of the National Nutrition Council and local government units along food security.

On the other hand when it comes to having your own food garden, for the food security of your family, plant vegetables that are nutritious, and pest resistant. Native varieties or locally adapted varieties of crops are better. You can also use natural and regenerative methods of agriculture such as bio-intensive practices that do not require the use of chemical fertilizers such as using madre de cacao or kakawate. Organic refuse such as vegetable and fruit peelings and other biodegradable waste can be used in making compost. There are a lot of natural and budget-friendly ways of securing your own food source while also recycling solid wastes.

You can use any available space in your yard or home in cultivating vegetables. You can also raise livestock such as chickens which could produce protein-rich eggs or goats that can provide fresh milk.Your “Pakbet Garden” or “Chopsuey Garden” could also include leafy greens such as talinum, kulitis and others.

Meanwhile,nutrition sensitive programs of PPAN 2017-2022  encourages the different sectors to invest on nutrition especially now that we are facing the COVID-19 pandemic. Nutrition and food security cannot take a back seat even during these hard times.//ESS

Reference: Radyo Mo Sa Nutrisyon 2020, media release, accessed 31 July 2020, <https://www.facebook.com/radyomosanutrisyon/posts/3411893125487415>