FIA Position Statement
Food
security is a pressing global concern, with 925 million people living without
sufficient access to food, according to the UN Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO). Of these, 62.5 percent live in Asia and the Pacific.
FIA
supports the 1996 World Food Summit definition of food security, which states
that food security exists “When all people at all times have access to
sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life.”
Meeting
the target laid out in this definition – along with the UN Millennium
Development Goals – is a complex challenge, one that requires a 21st century
approach in order to succeed. That means input, participation and leadership
from multiple sectors of society are needed. A collaborative effort between
governments, communities, NGOs, and corporations will have the most impact,
with each contributing resources, manpower, and expertise.
The
food industry has a great deal of depth and expertise to offer in product
safety, reformulation, nutrition literacy, and encouraging physical activity.
The industry’s unique expertise in communicating with consumers means it is
well positioned to take a responsible partnership role.
Because
of the complexity of the challenges faced in Asia, a one-size-fits-all approach
will not work. Global best practices can and should play a role in the region,
but they must be customised to account for local needs.
One
crucial concern throughout the region is food safety. The industry is using its
resources and expertise to help governments address this point by raising
standards and improving the systems that ensure a safe food supply. Hunger also
remains a significant problem in Asia, and industry supports crucial programmes
to ensure access to adequate nutrition in underprivileged communities.
At the
other end of the nutrition spectrum, the World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates that 42 million children under the age of five are overweight
worldwide. While the vast majority live in the developed world, trends in
developing countries may be following the richer nations, meaning that building
nutrition literacy and encouraging physical activity have become key elements
of supporting food security.
In
addition to being leaders in food safety, and responsible advocates for
physical activity, FIA members are driving innovation in ‘better for you’
choices and have more than 70 programmes across the region that fall into the
food security space.
Beyond
these programmes, the key role of trade in ensuring food security exists
throughout the region must not be overlooked. Fair, transparent and harmonised
policies that promote trade throughout the world are crucial because they
encourage competitiveness and benefit consumers by ensuring both the
availability of safe, staple foods and access to a wider variety of products
and technologies. In addition, this will provide growers with access to global
markets, raising rural incomes where food security is most pressing.
For its
part, FIA can serve in a “communicate and coordinate” role, linking food
companies with regional policymakers, NGOs and farmers, and feeding back
“global best practices” from leading industry groups, government agencies and
bodies like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the FAO.
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