Highlights

• The UN’s State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report for 2017 has important pointers to achieve nutrition policy reform
• At the global level, the five agencies that together produced the assessment found that the gains achieved on food security and better nutrition since the turn of the century may be at risk.
• Although absolute numbers of people facing hunger and poor nutrition have always been high, there was a reduction in the rate of undernourishment since the year 2000
• Deprivation is greater among people who live in regions affected by conflict and the extreme effects of climate change.
• India’s efforts at improving access to food and good nutrition are led by the National Food Security Act.
• 14.5% of the population suffers from undernourishment, going by the UN’s assessment for 2014-16 at the national level, 53% of women are anaemic
• NITI Aayog found that families below the poverty line consumed more cereals and less milk compared to the affluent
• Complementing rice and wheat with more nutritious food items should be the goal.

Source: The Hindu