Combating malnutrition
July 23, 2014
Hunger continues to be a huge global problem but international agencies have recently said that they are making some headway. In fact, according to the United Nation's Food and Agricultural Organization, the ranks of the world's hungry has dropped by more than 50 million since 1990, bringing the total number to around 842 million people worldwide.
But there is another food-related problem on the world's plate that could be even more difficult to tackle. Malnutrition - the severe lack of necessary vitamins and minerals in one's diet - still affects almost two billion people around the globe. And in many cases it can lead to serious or even fatal diseases.
A new joint-study released Tuesday (22.07.2014) is bringing renewed attention to the topic. The report, by German non-governmental aid organization Welthungerhilfe and the international child aid network Terre des Hommes, highlights malnutrition's causes, associated health risks and some possible solutions to this persistent problem.
"Hidden Hunger"
Health experts refer to malnutrition as "hidden hunger" because the afflicted often do get enough food to eat. But according to Wolfgang Jamann, the secretary general of Welthungerhilfe, not all calories are created equal.
"In east and southern Africa people eat corn porridge. They get full from that, but it lacks essential vitamins and minerals," said Jamann in an interview with DW.
"At the same time, we're seeing in areas where rice is a staple food, that people often eat husked white rice which lacks vitamin A, because it gets lost in the peeling process."
Malnutrition is especially prevalent in Central Asia, many parts of Africa and in countries like India and Bangladesh, says Jamann. Malnutrition tends to strike in poorer areas, where families cannot afford high quality, nutrient-rich food. Vitamins and minerals are a crucial part of a healthy diet and a deficiency of any number of such nutrients can cause serious health problems.
Enriching food staples
Low cost food staples like rice and corn don't always provide enough nutrition, so Jamann believes the most practical solution is to enrich these foods. This practice is currently required by law in eighty countries around the world.
"For example, there is a law in Zambia which says corn has to be enriched with Vitamin A and D. This can also be done at home - you can sprinkle powders over your food to add nutrients, and it can be highly successful."
Another suggested approach is called "bio-fortification," in which plants are bred or engineered to absorb more vitamins and minerals than conventional varieties.
"Through breeding, the richness of plants can be improved in a targeted fashion – and resistance can also be improved – against pests and drought," said Jamann.
Experiments with plants, such as sweet potatoes, beans, cassava or corn, are underway in Africa. Meanwhile researchers in India and Pakistan have developed bio-fortified prototypes of wheat, millet and rice.
All of these approaches have potential, says Jamann, but he warns the effectiveness of these varieties has yet to be proven.
"Most of the success that's being talked about has been achieved in the lab – using people who may not even suffer from malnutrition."
Testing in the field
More research in the lab is needed and testing plant-based solutions in the field is also crucial. In fact, "bio-fortified" varieties don't always improve upon plants designed by Mother Nature.
In the Philippines for example, the first field trials of "golden rice" – genetically modified rice that is rich in Vitamin A – were rather sobering. The local varieties turned out to be more robust under the climatic conditions.
Of course, introducing bio-engineered plants to combat malnutrition only makes sense if farmers can actually afford the better seed. But hybrid seeds are often more expensive than traditional varieties. Additionally, farmers would not be able to use seed from their previous crop, but would rather have to purchase new seed each year.
"Subsistence farmers should be in a position to use the improved seed," Jamann explained. "But they should not have to depend on any single supplier. And it shouldn't make things more expensive."
According to Jamann, malnutrition is primarily an issue of poverty. So any potential solutions to malnutrition will not be effective if they are more expensive than current alternatives.