In Ecuador there is a project that wants to avoid the destruction of food so that it can be donated.
According to a report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), since the coronavirus pandemic began, the progress that had been made against hunger in the world decreased.
The population living with insufficient food consumption went from 8.4% in 2019 to 10.4% in 2020, after having remained at the same levels for five years.
FAO adds that more than 1 billion people did not have adequate access to food in 2020, an increase of 150 million over the previous year.
“(…) Seven million people will join the group that suffered severe food insecurity, which reached a total of 22 million, or 2.4% of the population ”in the Europe and Central Asia region, according to a statement from the agency.
This is mainly due to disruptions in markets, trade and food supply chains.
The prevalence of undernutrition in Asia-Pacific fell from 14.3% to 7.5% between 2000 and 2019, but rose again to 8.7% in 2020.
Some of the countries with the highest prevalence of malnutrition in the region are North Korea (more than 40%), Afghanistan (more than 25%), Papua New Guinea (almost 25%) and East Timor (more than 22%), pick up EFE.
Meanwhile, the number of hungry people in Africa continues to rise, due to conflict, climate change and the economic slowdown.
According to the annual report on the state of food security and nutrition in Africa, the situation has worsened since 2013, with the worst period being 2019-2020 and the figures for 2021 are expected to be even worse.
“In 2020, 281.6 million people in the Africa region were undernourished, an increase of 89.1 million over 2014, according to the report. However, there is significant variation between subregions with respect to hunger levels and trends. About 44% of the continent’s undernourished live in East Africa, 27% in West Africa, 20% in Central Africa, 6.2% in Northern Africa and 2.4% in Southern Africa ”, says the document.
Given this reality, short-term actions such as humanitarian aid from other countries and the adoption of social protection measures are requested. While in the long term it is necessary to seek that the affected countries invest in agriculture, education, health and water services.
FAO has indicated that as the pandemic continues, it is still impossible to determine the full impact it will have on progress towards achieving the sustainable development goals (eradicate poverty in all its forms worldwide, end hunger , achieve food security and better nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture, among others), although for now the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has been shaken to its foundations.
At the moment the pandemic has been able to cause between 83 and 132 million people to fall into a situation of chronic hunger in the world.
Another point to highlight is that “the percentage of food lost after harvest on farms and in the transport, storage and processing phases stands at 13.8% worldwide ”, something that would be equivalent to more than 400 million dollars annually.
General food prices also increased in 2020. While water stress (when the demand for water is greater than available) remains at 18.4% on the planet, but in Western and Northern Africa, as well as in Asia southern is very high, reaching 70%.
Law against waste is debated in Ecuador
The Commission for the Right to Health of the National Assembly released this month the report for the second debate of the bill to prevent and reduce the loss and waste of food and mitigate hunger in people in situations of food vulnerability, called “law full belly ”. There is still no date for the discussion in plenary.
The project establishes guaranteeing food for people in a situation of food vulnerability through the donation process, prohibiting the destruction of food suitable for human consumption so that, in order of hierarchy, their loss is reduced and they are donated, among other actions In accordance with the principles of circular economy, that the proceeds are allocated in fines for sanctions to social programs and strategies to combat chronic child malnutrition.
One of its promoters is Assemblywoman Dallyana Passailaigue (PSC), who explains that the idea arises from the need to make food donation the first option over destruction, taking into account that both actions can be considered as loss of inventory and deducted in income tax.
“It is a human law, a law of solidarity that does not have political biases, but it does have a social objective that must be made visible so that the poorest families can appropriate this tool and benefit from these donations. (…) no one should go hungry, much less in a country or a world where more food is produced than (necessary for) undernourished people, ”says Passailaigue.
The proposal also builds on the activities that some nonprofit organizations already carry out with businesses.
The “full belly law” would even allow non-profit organizations to offer at very low prices products that have been processed to extend their useful life, in an exceptional way and for their self-support.
In Ecuador between 25% and 42% of people live in conditions of poverty, extreme poverty and indigence, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC).
In addition, one in four children suffers from chronic childhood malnutrition, according to UNICEF data, and 1.3 people are undernourished. However, the latter occurs while the country is wasting food to feed 1.5 million citizens. (I)
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