Every year in October, countries worldwide celebrate World Food Day. World Food Day 2019 will mark the 74th anniversary of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The day calls for increased action to achieve Zero Hunger and for the need to ensure food security and nutritious diets for all.
This year’s theme "Our actions are our future. Healthy diets for a #ZeroHunger world” calls for action across sectors to make healthy and sustainable diets accessible and affordable to everyone. At the same time, it calls on everyone to start thinking about what we eat.
The day is observed at the time when there are over 820 million people hungry globally, with increasing obesity rates. Now over 670 million adults and 120 million girls and boys (5-19 years) are obese, and over 40 million children under 5 are overweight, according to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2019.
Participants in the meeting pose for a group photo. Addressing malnutrition is possible if nutrition is mainstreamed into relevant sectors policies and programmes. / FAO/Teopista Mutesi
A combination of unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyles has sent obesity rates soaring, not only in developed countries but also low-income countries, where hunger and obesity often coexist known as a phenomenon of the double burden of malnutrition. An unhealthy diet is the leading risk factor for deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and certain cancers. Linked with one-fifth of deaths worldwide, unhealthy eating habits are also taking a toll on national health budgets costing up to USD 2 trillion per year.
What is a healthy diet?
A healthy diet is one that meets the nutritional needs of individuals by providing sufficient, safe, nutritious and diverse foods to lead an active life and reduce the risk of disease. It includes, among others, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains.
Supporting Rwanda to build nutrition capacities
FAO provides guidance and technical support, and strengthens the capacities of government institutions and other stakeholders to implement standards and shape nutrition-sensitive policies to make nutritious foods available, affordable and accessible in a sustainable manner.
In Rwanda, FAO, with funding from Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), is collaborating with the government of Rwanda to implement a joint nutrition project titled "Effectively fighting chronic malnutrition in Rwanda”, aimed to strengthen institutional capacities to address malnutrition through social cluster ministries.
Under the project, FAO has trained some 40 national level specialists and officers on how to maximize the agriculture sector and food systems contribution to addressing nutrition-related challenges in Rwanda.
FAO is supporting the government of Rwanda to develop Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs) which are dietary recommendations expressed in terms of food and diet instead of nutrients, to be understood and used by the populations. Dietary guidelines are meant to inform and educate the general public about consuming more nutritious foods and living healthier lifestyles.
The premise of these FBDGs is to establish a basis for public food and nutrition, health and agricultural policies and nutrition education programmes to foster healthy eating habits and lifestyle
The guidelines will be adapted to the country’s nutrition situation, food availability, cultures and food habits, to inform effective policies and programmes impacting nutrition.
Promoting ICT-based solutions for healthy eating
Innovations in agriculture have presented enormous opportunities to address challenges in food and nutrition systems. Not only did digital services are changing the way farmers do business, but they are also bringing healthy eating information closer to them. With more than 75 percent of mobile telephone penetration, more Rwandan farmers are using mobile phones to access information related to nutrition, weather forecast and markets.
Farmers from Rulindo checking the applications during the training on the use of the four applications. / FAO
In 2017, FAO implemented the project "Agricultural Services and Digital Inclusion in Africa” to improve productivity and efficiency in Rwanda and Senegal. It aimed to bring solutions closer to the needs of poor households in Rwanda, directly contributing to poverty reduction and food security.
Four mobile applications were developed to help farmers in gathering and using information on nutrition, precipitation, soil fertility and climate change observations. They are installed in mobile phones that use Android as well as via Feature/dummy phone (RAPID-Pro) and those that don’t use android. The apps are; "Weather and Crop calendar”, "Cure and Feed your livestock”, AgriMarketplace”, "e-Nutrifood”. The farmers use the "e-Nutrifood” application to get information and technical recommendations concerning the production, conservation and consumption of nutritious foods.
"The applications helps me to know how to eat a balanced diet. I receive information related to nutrition and how to prepare a balanced diet. I now understand the nutritious value of different foods. This information is now so close to me”, says Marie-Chantal Akingeneye, a mother of one child who benefited from the project.
"We’ve learnt to eat the vegetables that we grow because they help protect against diseases. Before we received the application, we used to take the whole produce to the market without putting some aside for household consumption. Now, when we harvest, we take some to the market and some to eat at home,” said Claudine Uwase, 28-year-old involved horticulture and a mother of a five-year-old girl. At home she stays also with her mother and siblings.