(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Muscat- A two-day Regional Symposium on Sustainable Food Systems for Healthy Diets and Improved Nutrition in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) was held in Muscat recently.
It was organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Health Organization, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, International Food Policy Research and World Food Programme.
The workshop, brought together representatives from both ministries of agriculture and health in Oman and the region, stated a press release. This comes as part of a series of regional symposia that have been organised this year to create a space for policymakers, development practitioners, researchers, and representatives from the private sector, farmers' organisations and civil society to share knowledge and explore possibilities to act.
Malnutrition in NENA
In the NENA region, multiple forms of malnutrition coexist, with countries experiencing simultaneously child undernutrition, anaemia and obesity. Not only are these problems the result of a lack of access to sufficient, nutritious and safe food but they also derive the failure from food systems to adequately address the problems of malnutrition in a holistic way from production to consumption. Abdessalam Ould Ahmed, FAO's Assistant Director General and Regional Representative for the NENA region, calls attention on 'the alarming growth rate of obesity and persistent undernutrition'.
He noted that the demographic and demographic transition accompanied by a change in life styles have 'led to significant changes in diets and dietary habits which are not conducive to good health.' A move from a diet based on grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits to one with higher consumption of meat, processed foods and sugar, salt and fat has been linked to diet related diseases. With this combined, with a more sedentary lifestyle has 'led to rising incidence of obesity, even in countries burdened by undernutrition', Ahmed added.
He also drew attention to the impact of conflict on some countries in the region, where agricultural production and food systems have been disrupted, and livestock production has declined affecting the availability of food.
This is compounded with the lack of safe drinking water and sanitation, both fundamental to nutrition, health and dignity of human beings. Ahmed encouraged the participants to 'highlight the importance of an integrated approach to nutrition, from production to consumption that considers the needs of children and vulnerable populations in conflict contexts'. He also stressed that UN agencies together with the International Food Policy Research Institute must continue to join hands to shed light on the nutrition challenge and share experiences and solutions each from its own perspective.
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