PH makes headway in food security

The Philippines has implemented “significant legal and policy measures” to address food security along with some other peers in Asia-Pacific, according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Juan Echanove, FAO Right to Food lead, said the strides made by the Philippines include enacting the Community-Based Monitoring System Act “to better track and address food insecurity and poverty at the local level.”

Signed in 2019, the law mandates focused and specific measures to ensure poverty reduction and access to social protection and welfare programs.

In his opinion piece, Echanove noted that the Zero Hunger program unveiled in 2020 has implemented various interventions to protect the right to food, such as school feeding program as well as initiatives to improve agricultural productivity and food supply chains.

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Vietnam implemented the National Action Plan on Zero Hunger. Launched in 2020, the initiative aims to improve nutrition among children and enhance food security.

Echanove noted that India had introduced the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana at the onset of the COVID-19 in 2020, providing free food grains to millions of families.

For its part, Bangladesh updated its National Social Security Strategy in 2020 to incorporate initiatives aimed at reducing hunger and malnutrition among the poorest households.

“These initiatives demonstrate tangible positive impacts, including improved health outcomes, reduced child malnutrition rates, and increased food security among vulnerable populations,” Echanove said.

“They underscore the importance of legal frameworks and policies that prioritize food access and nutrition,” he added.

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Based on a report by FAO, some 418 million people in Asia are undernourished and a significant number of children are suffering stunted growth due to chronic malnutrition.

He flagged the “alarming” situation as food insecurity and malnutrition issues persist in this part of the globe.

Despite this, Echanove said that Asia, home to more than half of the world’s population, was playing a vital role in attaining global food security.

“Promoting the right to food is essential for achieving broader social, economic, and political stability, particularly in regions like Asia and the Pacific, where food insecurity and malnutrition remain pressing issues,” he said.