Assessing Food Security and Nutritional Well-Being Globally
Key Indicators of Food Security and Nutritional Well-Being
1. Food Security Index (FSI)
The Food Security Index (FSI) evaluates food systems across four dimensions:
- Availability: Is there enough food produced or imported?
- Affordability: Can people buy food without financial strain?
- Quality and Safety: Does the food meet nutritional needs and safety standards?
- Sustainability and Adaptation: What is the exposure to impacts of climate change and what are the ways of adapting to these risks?
- Norway scores high on the FSI due to strong agricultural policies, relatively low food prices, high nutritional standards, and high adaptive capacity to potential impacts of climate change.
- In contrast, Yemen struggles with low availability and high prices due to conflict and economic instability, as well as with high level of vulnerability to climate change.
2. Global Hunger Index (GHI)
The Global Hunger Index (GHI) measures hunger and undernutrition using four indicators:
- Undernourishment: Proportion of people with insufficient caloric intake.
- Child Wasting: Proportion of children under the age of 5 who suffer from wasting (low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition).
- Child Stunting: Proportion of children under the age of 5 who suffer from stunting (low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition).
- Child Mortality: Death rates of children under five.
The GHI highlights the severity of hunger, categorizing countries from low to extremely alarming.
3. Calories per Person/Capita
- This indicator measures the average daily caloric intake per person, reflecting nutritional adequacy.
- However, it doesn't capture the quality of the diet.
Don't assume that high caloric intake means good nutrition. A diet high in calories but low in nutrients can still lead to malnutrition.
Global Patterns of Food Security and Nutrition
1. High-Income Countries (HICs)
Overnutrition is the primary concern, driven by:
- High Caloric Intake: Diets rich in fats, sugars, and processed foods.
- Lifestyle Factors: Sedentary lifestyles contribute to obesity and related diseases.
In the United States, over 40% of adults are classified as obese, leading to increased healthcare costs and reduced life expectancy.
2. Low-Income Countries (LICs)
Undernutrition and food insecurity are prevalent due to:
- Limited Access: Poor infrastructure and conflict disrupt food supply.
- Economic Barriers: Poverty and high food prices make nutritious foods unaffordable.
In South Sudan, over 60% of the population faces severe food insecurity due to ongoing conflict and economic instability.
3. Middle-Income Countries (MICs)
Many MICs experience a dual burden of malnutrition as these countries are undergoing rapid social and economic changes affecting their societies in a very unequal fashion:
- Undernutrition persists in rural or low-income areas.
- Overnutrition rises in urban areas due to dietary shifts.
In India, child stunting remains high in rural regions, while urban areas see increasing obesity rates.
