Tropentag 2020, September 9 - 11, virtual conference, Germany "Food and nutrition security and its resilience to global crises"

Contribution of Dairy for Food and Nutrition Security

¹Indaba Agricultural Research Institute (IAPRI), Agriculture research and Development, Zambia
²Civil Society Agriculture Network (CISANET), Malawi
³District Livestock Production Officer, Zambia

Abstract

The global burden to malnutrition is unacceptably high, one in five children is stunted, and 15.9m children under the age of five are stunted and wasted. Malnutrition is found worldwide and is linked, either directly or indirectly, to major causes of death and disability. More than one third of all child deaths are attributable to under nutrition. Many low- and middle-income countries, particularly in Africa, have not achieved significant reductions in underweight, stunting or vitamin and mineral malnutrition. The global nutrition targets for 2025 are (1) 40 % reduction in stunting in children who are under five, (2) 50 % reduction of anemia in women of reproductive age (15-49 years), and (3) 30 % reduction in low birth weight. The prevalence of anemia in women who are between 15-49 years of age was 32.8% in 2014. Diets low in nutritious foods is a leading cause of healthy life years lost. Food security: is the situation in which all people at all times have physical, social and economic access to sufficient safe, nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. The four pillars of food security are availability, access, utilisation and stability. Nutrition security: a situation in which food security is combined with a clean environment, adequate health services, and appropriate care and feeding practices, to ensure a healthy life for all household members. All dairy products belong to the milk pyramid. It is our most nearly perfect food as no other single food can substitute for milk in diet and give a person the same nutrients that you get from a glass of milk. It provides for a steady supply of essential micro and macro-nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fat, vitamins and minerals). Dairy is critical to the nutrition, food security, livelihoods and resilience of hundreds of millions of people throughout the world. It contributes to food and nutrition security through: directly (by improving household diet through increasing access to animal source foods) and indirectly (by improving income and ability to purchase more diverse foods).

Keywords: Agriculture, dairy, nutrition security

Contact Address: Cleopatra Nawa Kawanga, Indaba Agricultural Research Institute (IAPRI), Agriculture research and Development, 26A Middleway Road, Kabulonga, 10101 Lusaka, Zambia, e-mail: cleo2015nawagmail.com