GRADE Debate Seminars: Post COVID Food Insecurity in Latin America and the Caribbean
| Date | : | 08/06/2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Hour | : | 12:00 pm - 1:15 pm |
| Location | : | Facebook de GRADE |
| Area/s | : | Health and nutrition |
GRADE launches its new series of seminars GRADE Debate, which purpose is to promote the discussion around urgent development issues of national and international interest.
GRADE Debate 1: Post COVID Food Insecurity in Latin America and the Caribbean
SPEAKER
Máximo Torero, chief economist at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
DISCUSSANT
Silvana Vargas, Minister of Development and Social Inclusion (Midis).
ABOUT THE PRESENTATION
Our agri-food systems are failing, but they can be fixed. The COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to worsening the serious food security situation, could become an opportunity to correct the problems of food and agriculture in the world and in Latin America. During 2019, 7.4% of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean lived with hunger. It is estimated that in 2030, in the region, hunger will affect 67 million people – 20 million more than in 2019 (a figure that does not include the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic).
Food insecurity is more than hunger. The FIES (Food Insecurity Scale) indicator reflects that around 2 billion people in the world experience moderate or severe food insecurity. For the vast majority of these people the food system is failing. The food systems summit not only seeks to solve hunger, but also to end diseases caused by poor nutrition. Many of them caused by obesity and being overweight. In Mesoamerica the figures are alarming, being the subregion with the highest obesity and overweight rates in the region with 27 and 63%, respectively, of the population.
Actions to attack these problems in Latin America lie in the realization of regional commitments and measures to transform food systems, reduce the cost of nutritious food and increase the affordability of healthy diets in order to eradicate hunger, reduce incidence of food-related diseases, increase climate resilience and promote sustainable agricultural development.
LIVE STREAMING
Join the seminar via Facebook Live.
