Our Food, Our Diet, Our Health: Where do we go from here?

A presentation at the Agricultural Biotechnologies in sustainable food systems and nutrition

February 17, 2016 (FAO, Rome, Italy)

Anna Lartey, PhD

Director of Nutrition,

FAO, Rome

Presentation outline

Our foods Our Diet Our Health What can Biotechnology offer? Conclusions

FOOD PRODUCTION NEEDS (2050)

Towards 20503

+60%Globally

+100%in developing Countries

FOOD DEMAND

And agriculture faces growing challenges Demographics :

Climate change: Depending on extent of temperature rise, Africa risks being able to produce only 13% of its food needs by 2050

Our foods: Food Production

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 20140

500000000

1000000000

1500000000

2000000000

2500000000

3000000000

Cereals FruitsPulsesRoots&TubersVegetables

Year

Prod

uctio

n

Source: FAOSTAT

Indices of Inflation-adjusted Prices for Bangladesh 1973-75 = 100

0

25

50

75

100

125

150

175

200

1973-75 1979-81 1988-90 1994-96

Staple

Non-StaplePlants

Fish &Animal

(Source: H Bouis)

70-

73

73-

76

76-

79

79-

82

82-

85

85-

88

88-

91

91-

94

94-

97

97-

00

00-

03

03-

06

06-

09

09-

10

90

110

130

150

170

190

Eggs, Meat & FishPulsesVegetablesFruits

Non-Staple Food Prices in India Have Risen by 50% Over 30 Years

(Source: H Bouis)

After

50% Increase in All Food Prices

Animal Staples

Non-Food

Staples

Non-Food

Before Share of Total Expenditures

(Source: H Bouis)

Our Diet:

1969-1971 1989-1991 2009-2011World

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

37%42% 41%

8%

9% 11%

40%

41% 42%

14%

8% 6%

Wheat and products Maize and productsRice (Milled Equivalent) Other cereals

kcal

/cap

ita/d

ay

Global calorie consumption from cereals 1969-2011

1969-1971 1989-1991 2009-2011World

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

Other

Animal fats

Meat

Fruits - Excluding Wine

Vegetable Oils

Pulses

Sugar & Sweeteners

Starchy Roots

Other cereals

Rice (Milled Equivalent)

Maize and products

Wheat and products

kcal

/cap

ita/d

ay

Global average dietary composition 1969-2011

Source: FAOSTAT

Very little diversity in the way we eat now:

Dietary diversity and nutrient density(Working Group on IYC Feeding Indicators 2006)Breastfed infants 6-8 mo, MMDA by # food groups yesterday

MM

DA

“MMDA” is a measure of the adequacy of nutrient density, relative to needs, and averaged across 9 “problem nutrients” (M. Arimond)

Dietary diversity & micronutrient adequacy(Arimond et al., Women’s Dietary Diversity Project, J Nutr. 2010)

“MPA” is probability of adequacy averages across 11 micronutrients

More diverse diets are more likely to meet micronutrient needs

The Food Environment is changingAround the World

WHAT ARE “FOOD ENVIRONMENTS”?

The foods that are available in the spaces around people as they move through their daily lives, & how affordable, convenient & desirable they are

“Our diet is killing us”

By Peter Whoriskey February 2015

America, please eat more fruits and vegetables

Washington Post By Peter Whoriskey February 2015

FEB. 23, 2015

HealthFood Habits Getting Worse Around the World

Extent of Food Losses and Waste

About 1/3rd of edible parts of food produced for human consumption, gets lost or wasted globally (about 1,3 billion ton per year)

Per capita food losses and waste (kg/year)

Per capita food losses and waste, at consumption, pre-consumption stages, in different regions

Source: FAO. 2011. Global food losses and food waste – Extent, causes and prevention. Rome

PER CAPITA

Consequences of the changing Food Environment?

Our Health:

• 63 countries have reached the hunger target of MDG-1.

• 25 countries have achieved the more stringent WFS target.

(FAO,WFP,IFAD-SOFI 2015)

The progress continues but there is still much to be done

Source: Adapted from SOFI, 2014

• 795 million people are undernourished globally, down 167 million over the last decade, and 216 million less than in 1990–92. (FAO,WFP,IFAD-SOFI 2015)

• The vast majority 780 million, live in developing countries.

(FAO,WFP,IFAD-SOFI 2015)

Undernutrition declining, but not fast enough

Source: UNICEF, WHO, World Bank. Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates. 2012

Hidden hunger at global level (2 Billion affected)

Muthayya S et al, 2013

Over 500 million women of reproductive age affected by anemia

468 M non pregnant + 56 M pregnant

-28-

Overweight, obesity rising rapidly

Source: FAO, SOFA, 2013

The nutrition transition: the pattern of malnutrition changes with diets and lifestyles (FAO SOFA 2013)

The Food System Is Broken: We Need to Involve All Stakeholder Groups in Finding SolutionsPosted: 05/05/2014 1:43 pm EDT Updated: 05/05/2014 1:59 pm EDT

OPed in the Huffington Post by the Executive Director of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN).

Consequences of malnutrition

Economic costs of malnutrition unacceptably high @ 5% of GDP• Under-nutrition, micronutrient deficiencies cost

2-3% of global GDP• Total output loss, healthcare costs due to NCDs,

for which obesity is key risk factor, aboutUS$47 trillion over next 2 decades • Total costs of malnutrition may be as high as 5%

of global GDP, equivalent to US$3.5trn or US$500/person/year

• Poorer countries -> higher malnutrition costs

Economic costs of obesity by McKinsey Global Institute (2014)

About 1.9~2.1 bn people overweight or obese),

i.e. 30% of global population

Comparative economic burden armed conflicts ($2.1 trillion) smoking ($2.1 trillion)obesity ($2.0 trillion)

Why the first 1,000 days is critical Age of greatest vulnerability to malnutrition and

infection, leading to poor pregnancy outcome, stunted growth and development.

Long-term physical and mental damage

36

Fetal under-nutrition

Brain sparing

Impaired development:Blood vessels, liver, kidney and pancreas

Down regulation of growth

Reduced insulin secretion and sensitivity

Altered Body composition

Reduced Muscle

HyperlipidemiaHypertension

Central Obesity Insulin Resistance

Type 2 Diabetes and CHD in Adult life

Metabolic Programming

Source: C. Fall 2009

37

Nutritional Programming: Fetal Origins of Adult Disease:

Maternal under nutrition is a primary factor that triggers metabolic programming

Prevalence of SGA Births

32.4 million babies were born SGA in 2011; 27% of all births in LMICs

38

Source: Lancet 2013

120 cms

4 yrs old

7 yrs old

7 yrs old

100 cms

Stunting

Poor linear growthMost common form of undernutrition (PE/micronutrients)

Affects infants before and early after birth

Linked to maternal size, nutrition during pregnancy & fetal growth

Length that is lost early on is rarely recovered

Stunted have less lean body mass (lower RMR per kg bw)

105 cms

Sl 11

WomanMalnourished

AdolescentStunted

PregnancyLow Weight Gain

ElderlyMalnourished

ChildStunted

BabyLow Birth

Weight

Higher maternal mortality

Inadequate food, health &

care

Inadequate food, health &

care

Inadequate food,

health & care

Reduced mental

capacity

Reduced mental

capacity

Reduced capacity to care for baby

Inadequate foetal nutrition

Higher mortality rate

Impaired mental

development Increased risk of adult

chronic disease

Untimely / inadequate weaning

Frequent infections

Inadequate food, health &

care

Inadequate catch up growth

Intergenerational Effects of Undernutrition

What has biotechnology got to offer to enhance human nutrition?:

Biotechnology can enhance human nutrition:

1. Increase food production; pest resistant crops, etc

2. Enhance the nutritional content of foods to make more nutrient dense

ICN2Second International Conference on Nutrition better nutrition better lives19-21 November 2014

ICN2 SecretariatICN2 Website: www.fao.org/ICN2

A charge for the global community to keepICN2 Rome Declaration on Nutrition: “Eradicate hunger prevent all forms of malnutrition, particularly stunting, wasting, underweight, and overweight in children;… anemia in women and children among other micronutrient deficiencies;

Agenda 2030

SDG Goal2: Commitment to end all forms of malnutrition (target 2.2) and provide safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round;

We have the knowledge, technology, and know- how needed to address malnutritionBiotechnology is a unique tool we should seriously consider in to meet our global targets.

Conclusion

• Communication around biotechnology must be well managed in presenting the facts, especially around safety, in easy to understand manner for the consumer.

• Biotechnology is a unique tool, among others that we can fall on to addressing the current nutritional challenges;

• Biotechnology is a rallying point for agronomists, biotechnologist, nutritionists, anthropologists, sociologists, and allied professionals to work together to deliver nutritious foods to the world.

Thank you