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Why in a cheap food paradise, some Singaporeans are still going hungry

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Why in a cheap food paradise, some Singaporeans are still going hungry

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A cleaner unable to work, a family with a 4-room flat, a single dad in debt – those experiencing food insecurity are more diverse than you think. Here’s what they’re going through, in the first of a 2-part special report. Rice, hot water and salt to taste. Shanger Pannerchelvam remembers a time when these were the only ingredients his family could afford for dinner. He was only 12 years old.
His mother had to stop work as a cleaner at a condominium when artery disease affected her legs. One year later, his father fell into clinical depression and left his fast-food job. Just like that, the family had no breadwinner.

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*This story has been updated to reflect clarifications from the Ministry of Social And Family Development (MSF) to provide information on some of the profiles who are its current and past SSO clients.
SINGAPORE: Rice, hot water and salt to taste. Shanger Pannerchelvam remembers a time when these were the only ingredients his family could afford for dinner. He was only 12 years old.

His mother had to stop work as a cleaner at a condominium when artery disease affected her legs. One year later, his father fell into clinical depression and left his fast-food job. Just like that, the family had no breadwinner.

Like most adolescent boys, Shanger had a burgeoning appetite - which a small bowl of porridge was unable to satisfy. "I was full of anger as I ate. I'd think to myself, why must I eat this?" he recalled.

After dinner, he'd go to sleep. "There was nothing I could do about it. I slept so that I wouldn't feel any emotions."

That was his only meal of the day. In the morning, he'd go to school with an empty stomach, fighting hunger pangs through recess because he'd given his S$1 school meal voucher to his 8-year-old brother.

"He had his own coupon but it wasn't enough. He was always hungry also," said Shanger, now 22.

The family of four was given help with the bills, and food rations. But the latter wasn't enough. The brothers resorted to begging for money from strangers after school.

"We'd give the 'poor thing' face, say our Ez-link cards had no money and we couldn't get home," said Shanger.

"We would ask for a dollar each for transport. Then we'd use this to buy a plate of chicken rice to share."
HUNGER IN A FOOD SECURE NATION
A simple dish like chicken rice is also a luxury to 55-year-old Azhar Ibad. It's a S$2 meal he can afford to have only once a week.

The rest of the time, it's instant noodles for the cleaning supervisor, who has been unable to work for a year due to growing weakness in his limbs that doctors suspect might be Parkinson's disease.

While he waits for his ComCare assistance to be renewed, his kitchen cabinet is filled with packets of Maggi, cereal and Milo. "If I feel my stomach full, okay already. No choice," he said. "I eat this to survive."

In a food paradise like Singapore, where cheap eats abound around almost every street corner, why are instant noodles a staple and emblem of resignation for some?

What makes putting food on the table a struggle for them, in a nation ranked No 1 on The Economist Intelligence Unit's Global Food Security Index in December 2019?

Nor is Singapore short of safety nets for those in need: From Government schemes such as ComCare and the Silver Support Scheme, to the efforts of a plethora of social service agencies, charities, religious organisations, grassroots groups, and community do-gooders.

So why, then, do some fall through the cracks? And who are they?

As CNA Insider discovered - after tracking vulnerable families and individuals over months, and speaking to researchers and assistance groups - those who experience food insecurity are a surprisingly diverse group: One that can't be defined by housing type, family size, age, or income group alone.
WATCH: Hunger in Singapore - the documentary, part 1 (20:08)

BEYOND THE ELDERLY POOR
The elderly poor often spring first to mind as an at-risk group - and not just for the lack of savings or income.

Particularly for those who live alone, sickness, limited mobility and frailty pose a mammoth challenge to the simple act of cooking for themselves. "Some, because of physical or mental health, aren't able to go downstairs and get food, even if it's just a short distance from home," said Sam Ngeow, centre manager of TOUCH Home Care.

Fion Phua, the founder of volunteer group Keeping Hope Alive, recalls in June last year finding a famished 79-year-old man lying on the floor of his one-room flat in Marsiling, too weak to move.

The man - a former security guard who had not been working since April after being injured in a fall - had not eaten in three days, she said. "We had to send him to the hospital."

But, the elderly poor are also high on the list of vulnerable groups that receive attention.

Not only has the Pioneer Generation package made a "real and important difference" in recent years, say many observers, the elderly are also the target of numerous social service agencies, volunteers and NGOs.

The resulting irony is, such seniors can end up over-served by multiple well-meaning groups. Indeed, most of the elderly poor whom CNA Insider encountered in various neighbourhoods were receiving food rations or free meals.

Sometimes I see my friends staying in rental flats, they seem happier. They get more assistance.

The family is currently getting dry food rations from their Family Service Centre.

While the majority of food-insecure participants in the Lien Centre study did live in one- and two-room flats, 40 per cent live in three-room flats or bigger. Food assistance groups say that, while rare, they've even encountered those living in condominiums or landed property who needed their aid.

But many of them might be just one retrenchment or one serious illness away from a tight financial situation.

FEEDING MORE MOUTHS
For low-income families, the food situation can also get precarious with each new member.

Member of Parliament (MP) Lee Bee Wah, for one, sees more families than elderly residents coming to seek help at her Meet-The-People sessions in Nee Soon South.

These families, who are often already receiving assistance like Workfare, "face difficulty in getting three meals a day especially with the addition of a newborn," she said. "They need to buy more milk powder and diapers, which means less money to put food on the table."

Then, there are the unforeseen medical expenses and costs of transport to go see a doctor when the child falls sick. "These things can be a burden, especially when their income is not stable and when they are daily-rated workers," said the MP.

Food Bank's Nichol receives a number of desperate emails from young families. She recalls one in particular. "A single father with seven children got retrenched.

He wrote, 'My children have not eaten for three days. Can you please bring food?'

Ansar gets by on one meal a day, chugging water to feel full. The children meanwhile get chicken nuggets, fries, bread and spreads. They receive food support from Food From The Heart, but when desperate, Ansar also turns to groups on Facebook where members donate milk powder or diapers to families in need.

SMU's John Donaldson however, dismisses the stereotype that having many children is what keeps families in food insecurity.

"Often it's people with two or three children, or who have elderly frail parents," he said. In fact, families who are working hard yet still struggle to put food on the table are "much more common" among the food-insecure, than those with a large brood.
THE SINGLE-PARENT STRUGGLE
Even so, many low-income families seem to get along fine in terms of meals, with careful management of their expenses - until they lose a breadwinner.

More than half of the moderately-to-severely food insecure individuals in the Lien Centre study were from families headed by single, divorced or widowed parents.

Three years ago, Sam* was embroiled in an emotionally tumultuous divorce. "I suddenly had to take care of my daughter alone," said the 38-year-old. "I was very stressed, but I kept quiet and tried to cope by myself."

It affected his concentration at work as a security guard. For a couple of months, he couldn't report for work. So he borrowed money. The debt repayments snowballed. Before he knew it, there was simply not enough money to feed his daughter and his sister who stays with them.

Then there is Norashikin Mohd, 36, who was a housewife until her husband was jailed for several months. Then she had to start working as a school cleaner for S$600 a month, half of what her husband had made as a canteen stall operator.

"It was quite overwhelming," the mother of four kids, aged 7 to 14, said in Malay. "I was worried that when the kids return from school, there's no one to take care of them."

Norashikin tried to cook each day before leaving for work - a meal, usually of rice and just one dish, to be shared by all over both lunch and dinner. As the Lien Centre study noted, food insecurity isn't just caused by cash constraints, but also time constraints which leave little opportunity for shopping or cooking.

Since her husband's release recently, the couple have been working at his canteen stall and they bring home the cooked food leftovers for dinner. Whether it's enough or not, the family of six have grown used to making do.
THE CASE OF THE HUNGRY 8-YEAR-OLD
Learning to 'make do' is what many of the food insecure do out of resignation, and not knowing where to turn for help or not qualifying for it.

One afternoon last September, Fion from Keeping Hope Alive was visiting some elderly residents at a block of rental flats, when an 8-year-old girl came barreling down the corridor.

"She was in her school uniform, her hair was messy," Fion recalled. She had some custard buns left over from lunch, which she offered the girl.

"Her reply was, 'How did you know I am starving?' Her earnestness really caught my attention."

The girl, Katie*, lived in a one-room rental flat which was filthy and, in Fion's view, not a suitable living environment for a child. She had bugs in her hair and no clothes other than the school uniform she was wearing.

Fion wondered, where were her parents?

The good thing is that during the school term, Katie, who is on financial assistance, gets one meal a day taken care of under the School Meals Programme. Dinner at home usually consists of rice and one dish cooked by her 56-year-old aunt.

When asked if she got hungry, Katie paused for a long time before saying in Mandarin: "It's not like we're super hungry. Aunty and I just go hungry together. Or I'll just drink water."

THE LIFELONG IMPACT OF HUNGER
But hunger isn't just an ache to put up with for the day - or week, or months.

That's because the effects of food insecurity can last a lifetime, even well after life circumstances improve.

When Shanger entered polytechnic, he started to get paid for his internship and for distributing flyers, while his younger brother had his National Service allowance. So regular meals became a thing again for his family.

Shanger no longer eats salted rice for his one meal of the day - quite the other extreme, in fact.

He now eats up to five meals a day, typically consisting of fried rice, chicken rice and fast food - all the food he never got to enjoy as a child.

"The past impacted me a lot because now that I'm able to do what I want, I just can't let go," he said. "I probably will get another illness, from eating too much.

But I told my doctor off; I don't care, because I can finally eat.

The cost of food insecurity is not just borne by individuals, but in the long run, by the country as well in the form of increased public healthcare spending.

A study by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has linked food insecurity to higher healthcare expenditures across the US, due to the higher rates of associated chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease and depression.

The study's co-author estimates that food insecurity costs the US health system an additional US$53 billion a year.
HUNGER AND THE CYCLE OF POVERTY
Health problems aside, food insecurity exacts another grave cost on low-income families - it could exacerbate the struggle to break out of the poverty cycle.

A child who experiences hunger might fall sick more often, take longer to recover from illness, and suffer from poorer concentration in school, noted Goh Yiting, a senior dietitian at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

The implications of all this - the inability to focus, more missed days of school - makes it much harder for the child to keep up with school work.

A 2017 US study showed that children who experienced food insecurity in their first five years of life were more likely to be lagging behind in social, emotional and, to some degree, cognitive skills when they began kindergarten. Other research has shown that if children enter kindergarten lagging behind their peers, they tend to stay lagging.

Indeed, The Food Bank's Nichol shared her experience of providing food to a primary school that ran a daily breakfast programme for students from low-income families.

By simply providing a well-balanced meal in the morning, the school saw a drastic improvement in the attendance rate, she said.

"I would like young children to eat better so that they can study and focus better. If they can do that, they really have an opportunity to break out from the poverty cycle," she said.

As for food insecure adults, it's been posited that when resources are scarce, it can affect the ability to make decisions or see the bigger picture.

Attention is focused on immediate needs, like what food to put on the table, while the stress of having to worry about this day after day can reduce bandwidth for long-term planning.

Serene Loh, 39, can certainly identify with this.

PROBLEMS WITH ASSISTANCE
But does every family in need find assistance easy to get?

First of all, "we often assume that individuals or families will come forward for help," said SUSS' Walter Theseira. "The reality is that many households either don't know about the welfare schemes, so they won't come forward; or they may feel embarrassed about identifying themselves, because of the stigma associated with seeking help."

Several families brought up the hassle of applying for aid at the SSO or bigger welfare organisations. They spoke with frustration of the need to need to fill up multiple forms, and to apply for renewal of assistance every few months with the re-submission of documentation.

"Many people feel that if they have to repeat their story over and over again for the amount of money that they're receiving, it simply isn't worth it," said SMU's John Donaldson.

That has been Serene's experience. Since the first she spoke to CNA Insider, she has secured ComCare assistance through the SSO. But the process, she said, was "very troublesome".

"The officer told me I need to print my CPF statement, but my printer at home has no ink already," she said. "I already don't have enough money to buy food, how to buy printer ink?" (MSF has since clarified that she was not required to submit a hard-copy statement at any point, as her CPF information had been obtained via the SSO's backend screening.)

But nor has Serene renewed her food rations assistance from the family service centre, as she found the need to resubmit documents a hassle.

MANY HELPING HANDS
That's not all.

In her Nee Soon South ward, the charity Food From The Heart works with her grassroots team to distribute donated bread and groceries; the Lion's Club delivers fresh vegetables and fish; while the Indian Muslim Social Service Association helps with groceries for Muslim households.

There's also a community fridge that Singapore Food Rescue (and resident gardeners) helps to stock.

At Kampong Glam every day, elderly rental-flat residents and other beneficiaries are served free lunch at a new food hub built for them - a collaboration between MP Denise Phua, PeaceConnect Senior Activity Centre, and Willing Hearts. Nutritious all-day breakfasts could soon follow.

Across Singapore, efforts like these are replicated with many groups stepping up to help - and they have made a definite impact in recent years.

There are some 125 food support organisations with an online presence, according to the Lien Centre study, and they range from non-profits and Institutions of a Public Character (IPC), soup kitchens and Meals-On-Wheels providers, to informal ground-up groups.

Started 16 years ago, Food From The Heart for example works with residents' committees, senior activity centres and family service centres - people "on the ground who know who needs help," said Bee Hia.

"We have grown because there's a need - more people are requesting for food," she added.

While it's not clear how many of the 125 groups are actually active or regular in their outreach, they help fill the gaps that the Government's social support network cannot cover. This is in line with MSF's "many helping hands" approach.

"The Government can't do everything for everyone," said former academic Jenson Goh, who as part of a course he once taught at NUS' Residential College 4, had looked at Singapore's food system.

"It looks out for those living with the bare minimum, those really living day to day. For people who fall through the cracks, the NGOs on the ground try to serve them."

These folks include Azhar, who while waiting for his application for assistance to be processed, has been receiving food support from Free Food For All.

And father of one, Sam, had a huge weight lifted off his shoulders when Fion and her volunteers at Keeping Hope Alive helped pay off his debts.

"We helped him so that he can focus his energy on taking care of his daughter and not be bogged down by repayments," Fion said.

They also gave his home a fresh coat of paint and new furniture, while the refrigerator - once stocked with half-eaten junk food - has been transformed into what Fion laughingly calls "a rich person's fridge".

The idea of a universal basic income is not without its detractors. There is, however, one other thing all agree on: Food insecurity is a problem that should concern Singapore as a society

"Ensuring no one goes hungry and has access to basic meals is fundamental," said MP Denise Phua. "There is much to do. And I don't believe there will ever be enough paid social workers to address the needs of a rapidly ageing society, and of those who may fall through the cracks because no one was alerted or who do not qualify due to technical reasons.

It will take a village to piece together a strong social safety net - each of us can play our part.

Said Theseira: "Singapore is a very rich and abundant society. And if you feel that you constantly have to make very constrained decisions, there's going to be a long-term effect on your ability to feel like a regular member of society."

"Food insecurity isn't just a problem of nutrition," he added. "It's also a problem of whether people psychologically feel like they're part of society, and whether they fit in."
Editor's note: An earlier version of the story stated that renewal of ComCare assistance can take an average of six weeks to process. This is incorrect. Most applications are processed within two to four weeks, and almost all within six weeks. In Part 2 of CNA Insider's special report: With so much food assistance out there, why are good intentions falling short?

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Why in a cheap food paradise, some Singaporeans are still going hungry

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A cleaner unable to work, a family with a 4-room flat, a single dad in debt - those experiencing food insecurity are more diverse than you think. Here's what they're going through, in the first of a 2-part special report.

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Vegetables Rot in Food Markets across Zimbabwe While Half the Population Faces Food Insecurity

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Vegetables Rot in Food Markets across Zimbabwe While Half the Population Faces Food Insecurity

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Nearly half of Zimbabwe's population -- some 8 million people -- face food insecurity. Yet in food and vegetable markets across the country wastage is high as piles of once-nutritious vegetables rot.

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Africa, Development & Aid, Editors' Choice, Featured, Food & Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition, Food Sustainability, Headlines, Regional Categories, TerraViva United Nations

Food Security and Nutrition

Nearly half of Zimbabwe's population -- some 8 million people -- face food insecurity. Yet in food and vegetable markets across the country wastage is high as piles of once-nutritious vegetables rot.

- Piles and piles of rotting vegetables at food markets situated right in Zimbabwe's central business district would elsewhere be viewed as a sign of plenty.

But this Southern African nation has not been spared the irony of food wastage at a time of food shortages.

In Bulawayo's sprawling vegetable market in the CBD, which provides a livelihood for hundreds of vendors, rotting vegetables have become the norm.

With the country facing an ever-growing food crisis that has seen international appeals for humanitarian assistance, the lack of activity at vegetable markets in the country's major cities highlights the challenges developing countries face with balancing food production and consumption.

"We cannot give away the vegetables just because we fear they will rot," said Mihla Hadebe, who sells anything from tomatoes to cabbages to mangoes and cucumbers.

"Even if we lower prices, people just do not have money that is why you see a lot of vegetables rotting like this," Hadebe told IPS from his vegetable stall.

And this is happening at a time vendors say there is a shortage of vegetables that range from staples such as African kale, cabbages and tomatoes, and whose shortages have pushed up prices.

While a bunch of kale sold for ZWD.2(about 1 US cent) in December, the price has now shot up to ZWD5 (about 3 US cents), Hadebe said "because there is nothing [available] where we buy these veggies. The farmers say there is no water".

According to the Southern Africa Media in Agriculture Climate and Environment Trust (SAMACET) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation it is difficult to quantify the losses but they acknowledge the wastage in Zimbabwe is quite huge.

Zimbabwe is one of many countries included in the Food Sustainability Index, created by the Barilla Centre for Food and Nutrition and the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), and the country has become the focus of concerns about under-nutrition amid a crippling drought blamed on climate uncertainty.

Vegetables are thrown away despite reminders by nutritionists of their value in daily consumption habits.

The 2018 Barilla titled Fixing Food, noted that Zimbabwe was one of 11 African countries still lagging behind in "implementing health eating guidelines at national level."

"Given the fact that about a third of the food the world produces is lost or thrown away, sustainable agriculture can only go so far. Tackling consumer food waste and post-harvest waste (the loss of fresh produce and crops before they reach consumer markets) will involve everything from changing consumption patterns to investing in infrastructure and deploying new digital technologies. None of this is easy," the report noted.

"But while enough food is already being produced to feed the world's population, ending hunger and meeting rising demand for food will not be possible without addressing this high level of food loss and waste," the report says.

It comes at a time when Zimbabwe seeks to address the growing problem of under-nutrition. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has already raised alarm about high levels of poor nutrition in the country, noting that the problem is especially worse among children and women.

"In Zimbabwe, nearly 1 in 3 children under five are suffering from malnutrition, while 93 per cent of children between 6 months and 2 years of age are not consuming the minimum acceptable diet," James Maiden, UNICEF Zimbabwe spokesperson told IPS.

"Across the country about 34,000 children are critically suffering from acute malnutrition," Maiden said.

While in urban and rural areas, families have long produced their food in community gardens, the projects have suffered because of extreme weather despite being fed by boreholes.

"What is happening is terrible. We have borehole but as you can see our vegetables are suffering under this heat," said Judith Siziba, one of many women who plants vegetables for domestic consumption in the city of Bulawayo.

"There is nothing we can do but watch. We thought even if there are no rains, the boreholes would offer us relief but no," she told IPS.

This is at a time concerns have been raised that climate change has also affected groundwater levels when boreholes are expected to offer relief to the agriculture sector to ensure food security.

Zimbabwe is one of many countries that have seen record high temperatures , throwing agriculture activity into uncertainty as food insecurity worsens.

This has worsened everyday diets amid poor salaries despite full supermarkets in a country that falls under sub-Saharan African region where the Food Sustainability Index says is home to the world's hungriest populations.

The World Food Programme (WFP) says the number of people requiring food assistance continues to rise in Zimbabwe, stating that half the population - nearly 8 million people - is now facing food insecurity. It has also raised concerns about under-nourishment for both children and adults.

"WFP is working towards doubling the number of people it assists in Zimbabwe. We aim to support 4.1 million people who are facing hunger," said Isheeta Sumra, the WPF-Zimbabwe spokesperson.

"As things currently stand, we urgently need $200 million to see us through till mid-2020. The situation is dire, and we can foresee our needs growing over 2020," Sumra told IPS.

Nathan Hayes, an analyst with the EIU, believes the country has been slow in responding to the food and nutrition crisis.

"Making matters worse, poor rains have exacerbated the food crisis. This ongoing economic crisis means that social safety nets have been cut, leaving many families vulnerable and unable to afford sufficient food each day," Hayes told IPS.

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Vegetables Rot in Food Markets across Zimbabwe While Half the Population Faces Food Insecurity

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Africa, Development & Aid, Editors' Choice, Featured, Food & Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition, Food Sustainability, Headlines, Regional Categories, TerraViva United Nations Food Security and Nutrition Nearly half of Zimbabwe's population -- some 8 million people -- face food insecurity. Yet in food and vegetable markets across the country wastage is high as piles of once-nutritious vegetables rot.

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Venesuala Food Crisis

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https://www.devex.com/news/how-can-data-build-a-truer-picture-of-the-gender-gap-in-food-insecurity-964

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Poor Nutrition and Agricultural Decline in Fiji has Caused Food Insecurity 

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Poor Nutrition and Agricultural Decline in Fiji has Caused Food Insecurity 

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Consumption of cheap, imported food in Fiji is increasing rapidly, while consumption of fresh, traditional food has decreased. As agriculture is a key sector of the economy in Fiji, this has caused a dramatic decline in income. The increase in consumption of fast foods has also decreased the percentage of healthy people.

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e in South Sudan are suffering from food insecurity, around 6.5 million people.


https://www.miragenews.com/hunger-threatens-over-half-of-population-in-south-sudan/
Food Waste
Food Waste

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Global food waste twice as high as previously estimated, study says | CNN

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Twice as much food as previously estimated - or a third of all food available for human consumption - is wasted, with people in wealthier countries wasting more, according to a recent study published in the journal PLOS One.

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People with inadequate access to food are 10%-37% more likely to die prematurely

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People with inadequate access to food are 10%-37% more likely to die prematurely

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Researchers looked at data from the Canadian Community Health Survey 2005-2017 on more than half a million adults in Canada. They categorized people as food secure, moderately or severely food insecure. By the end of the study period, 25 460 people had died prematurely, with people who were severely food insecure dying 9 years younger than their food-secure counterparts.

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Adults with food insecurity (i.e., inadequate access to food because of financial constraints) are 10% to 37% more likely to die prematurely from any cause other than cancer compared to food-secure people, found new research in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

"Among adults who died prematurely, those experiencing severe food insecurity died at an age 9 years earlier than their food-secure counterparts," writes lead author Dr. Fei Men, a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Professor Valerie Tarasuk at the University of Toronto.

Researchers looked at data from the Canadian Community Health Survey 2005-2017 on more than half a million (510 010) adults in Canada. They categorized people as food secure, or marginally, moderately or severely food insecure. By the end of the study period, 25 460 people had died prematurely, with people who were severely food insecure dying 9 years younger than their food-secure counterparts (59.5 years old versus 68.9 years).

The average life expectancy in Canada in 2008-2014 was 82 years; deaths at or before that age were considered premature in this study.

Severely food-insecure adults were more likely to die prematurely than their food-secure counterparts for all causes except cancers. Premature death by infectious-parasitic diseases, unintentional injuries and suicides was more than twice as likely for those experiencing severe versus no food insecurity.

Previous studies have examined the relation between inadequate food and death, although none looked at causes of death.

"The significant correlations of all levels of food insecurity with potentially avoidable deaths imply that food-insecure adults benefit less from public health efforts to prevent and treat diseases and injuries than their food-secure counterparts," write the authors.

Policies to address food insecurity have the potential to reduce premature death.

"The markedly higher mortality hazard of severe food insecurity highlights the importance of policy interventions that protect households from extreme deprivation. In Canada, policies that improve the material resources of low-income households have been shown to strengthen food security and health," says Dr. Men.

###

"Association between household food insecurity and mortality in Canada: a population-based retrospective cohort study" is published January 20, 2020

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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People with inadequate access to food 10% to 37% more likely to die prematurely

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Adults with food insecurity (i.e., inadequate access to food because of financial constraints) are 10% to 37% more likely to die prematurely from any cause other than cancer compared to food-secure people, found new research in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) .

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Adults with food insecurity (i.e., inadequate access to food because of financial constraints) are 10% to 37% more likely to die prematurely from any cause other than cancer compared to food-secure people, found new research in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

"Among adults who died prematurely, those experiencing severe food insecurity died at an age 9 years earlier than their food-secure counterparts," writes lead author Dr. Fei Men, a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Professor Valerie Tarasuk at the University of Toronto.

Researchers looked at data from the Canadian Community Health Survey 2005-2017 on more than half a million (510 010) adults in Canada. They categorized people as food secure, or marginally, moderately or severely food insecure. By the end of the study period, 25 460 people had died prematurely, with people who were severely food insecure dying 9 years younger than their food-secure counterparts (59.5 years old versus 68.9 years).

The average life expectancy in Canada in 2008-2014 was 82 years; deaths at or before that age were considered premature in this study.

Severely food-insecure adults were more likely to die prematurely than their food-secure counterparts for all causes except cancers. Premature death by infectious-parasitic diseases, unintentional injuries and suicides was more than twice as likely for those experiencing severe versus no food insecurity.

Previous studies have examined the relation between inadequate food and death, although none looked at causes of death.

"The significant correlations of all levels of food insecurity with potentially avoidable deaths imply that food-insecure adults benefit less from public health efforts to prevent and treat diseases and injuries than their food-secure counterparts," write the authors.

Policies to address food insecurity have the potential to reduce premature death.

"The markedly higher mortality hazard of severe food insecurity highlights the importance of policy interventions that protect households from extreme deprivation. In Canada, policies that improve the material resources of low-income households have been shown to strengthen food security and health," says Dr. Men.

###

"Association between household food insecurity and mortality in Canada: a population-based retrospective cohort study" is published January 20, 2020

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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People with inadequate access to food 10% to 37% more likely to die prematurely

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Adults with food insecurity (i.e., inadequate access to food because of financial constraints) are 10% to 37% more likely to die prematurely from any cause other than cancer compared to food-secure people, found new research in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) .

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31% of people in Bangladesh live in poverty

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31% of people in Bangladesh live in poverty

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https://www.wfp.org/countries/bangladesh
Bangladesh is one of the most populated countries in the world and around 50.000.000 of them live in poverty, not being able to purchase sufficient food and gaining the necessary nutrients. The World Food Programme  launched a emergency
operation providing food to around 800.000 refugees
: By the World Food Programme

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Poor child forced to eat unripe lime to survive

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More than half the people in South Sudan are suffering from food insecurity, around 6.5 million people.

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20 February 2020, Juba - Some 6.5 million people in South Sudan - more than half of the population - could be in acute food insecurity at the height of this hunger season (May-July), three United Nations agencies warned today.

The situation is particularly worrying in the areas hardest hit by the 2019 floods, where food security has deteriorated significantly since last June according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report released today by the Government of South Sudan, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

Particularly at risk are 20,000 people who from February through April will be suffering from the most extreme levels of hunger ("catastrophe" level of food insecurity or IPC 5) in Akobo, Duk and Ayod counties that were hit by heavy rains last year, and need urgent and sustained humanitarian support.

Hunger is projected to get progressively worse between now and July, mainly in Jonglei, Upper Nile, Warrap and Northern Bar el-Ghazal, with over 1.7 million people facing an "emergency" level of food insecurity (IPC Phase 4) due to the impacts of devastating floods and low levels of food production. Thirty-three counties will reach an "emergency" level of food insecurity during the hunger season, up from 15 in January

Overall, in January, 5.3 million South Sudanese were already struggling to feed themselves, or were in "crisis" or worse (IPC Phase 3 and above) levels of food insecurity.

"Despite some seasonal improvements in food production, the number of hungry people remains dangerously high, and keeps rising. On top of that, we are now faced with Desert Locust swarms that could make this even worse. It is important that we maintain and scale up our support to the people of South Sudan so they can resume or improve their livelihoods and food production, and boost the government's capacity to respond to the locust outbreak," said Meshack Malo, FAO Representative in South Sudan.

Hunger is expected to deepen as of February due mainly to depleted food stocks and high food prices. Overall, the cumulative effects of flooding and related population displacement, localized insecurity, economic crisis, low crop production and prolonged years of asset depletion continue to keep people hungry.

"The food security situation is dire," said Matthew Hollingworth, WFP's Country Director in South Sudan. "Any kind of improvement which had been made was counter-balanced by the floods at the end of 2019, particularly for the hardest to reach communities. But this country is at a pivotal moment. This Saturday, the government of national unity should be formed, and the gun silenced permanently. We will have to do more to meet the urgent needs of the most vulnerable as well as ensure communities across the country can recover so that in the future, they can withstand inevitable climatic and foods shocks."

The report also notes that the country's relative peace and stability have led to some improvements in the overall food security situation, with the upcoming lean season expected to be slightly less severe compared to last year's, when 6.9 million people were in "crisis" or worse food insecurity.

For example, since the signing of the Revitalised Peace Agreement in September 2018, cereal production has increased by 10 percent, and a more stable environment allowed some of the farmers to resume their livelihoods, which combined with favorable rains has led to increased food production.

1.3 million children malnourished

The report also estimates that 1.3 million children will suffer from acute malnutrition in 2020.

Between 2019 and 2020, the prevalence of acute malnutrition among children slightly increased from 11.7 to 12.6 percent across the country, but the increase has been considerably higher in flood-affected counties - from 19.5 to 23.8 percent in Jonglei, and from 14 to 16.4 percent in Upper Nile. This can be attributed to less food being available, and high morbidity - mainly due to contaminated water and an upsurge in malaria from stagnant water.

"Over the years and with support from donors we have become good at treating malnutrition. With support from UNICEF and its partners, 92 per cent of all children suffering from severe acute malnutrition received assistance and more than nine out of ten recovered. Yet, these children shouldn't be malnourished in the first place. Access to enough food, the right food, water, sanitation, hygiene, and health services are human rights and key to preventing malnutrition. There is a need for a paradigm shift with a multisectoral approach to malnutrition, ensuring we get just as good at prevention as we are at treatment," said Mohamed Ag Ayoya, the UNICEF Representative in South Sudan.

Responding to the crisis

FAO, in 2019, provided emergency livelihood support - including seeds, farming tools and fishing kits - to over 3.5 million people in South Sudan, and treated or vaccinated some 8 million animals. FAO also supported over 60,000 flood-affected families to help them reboot their livelihoods. This year, FAO aims to increase food production and protect livelihoods by distributing seeds, farming tools, fishing and vegetable kits, and providing cash assistance to people most in need. FAO is also carrying out livestock vaccination and treatment to protect over 3 million animals from diseases and malnutrition. FAO appeals for $75 million for its 2020 response programme.

In 2019, UNICEF and its partners helped an unprecedented number of children in the country - over 200,000 children - recover from severe acute malnutrition. For 2020, there is a need for a paradigm shift with a stronger inter-sectoral approach to change the course, through timely nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions at critical points in children's lifetimes to reduce malnutrition dramatically. UNICEF appeals for $253 million to treat more malnourished children and intensify prevention efforts through intersectoral interventions in areas of nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, health and communication for development.

In 2020, WFP plans to assist some 5 million people, providing life-saving food to the most vulnerable, food assistance to communities to build or rehabilitate their assets, school meals and special nutritious products to prevent and treat malnutrition among children and pregnant or nursing women. WFP urgently needs $208 million over the next six months to meet immediate needs and boost people's resilience. WFP plans to pre-position 190,000 metric tons of food in over 60 warehouses before the onset of the rains in May to save lives and reduce costs, making expensive airdrops unnecessary when many areas become unreachable by road.

/Public Release. View in full here.

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Hunger threatens over half of population in South Sudan

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20 February 2020, Juba - Some 6.5 million people in South Sudan - more than half of the population - could be in acute food insecurity at the height of this hunger season (May-July), three United Nations agencies warned today.

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https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/20/health/global-food-waste-higher/index.html

Global food waste twice as high as previously estimated

Twice as much food

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Venesuala Food Crisis

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Food insecurity and food deserts in Texas

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Food insecurity and food deserts in Texas

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1 in 7 people living in Texas are experiencing food insecurity. This is mostly due to “food deserts” . This term refers to areas where there is little to no supermarkets to provide nutritional food for people living in that area.

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By Isobella Harkrider

When H-E-B opened its MacGregor grocery store in Houston in December, it changed lives.

The storefront is a new beginning for area residents who previously had limited access to supermarkets and now have more food options after a nearby Kroger closed in 2017. The residents of the historically predominantly African American neighborhood can now purchase their fresh produce and other grocery needs with ease. Unfortunately, simple grocery shopping for healthy food in 2020 shouldn't be such a difficulty, or a wait, but it is in Texas.

"Food desert" is a term that has grown in popularity over the years, for areas where there's a grocery store shortage, or when a grocery store shuts down and causes limited access to nutritious food, which affects the health of the community, especially for those without an automobile.

Feeding Texas CEO Celia Cole weighs in, "Texas has the greatest number of people living in 'low-income and low-access (LILA)' areas - at 5 million - and ranks sixth in the nation for the highest percentage of its population living in LILA areas at 20 percent."

Sadly, one in seven Texans experiences food insecurity, according to Feeding Texas, a nonprofit formerly known as the Texas Food Bank Network. Texas is also one of 15 states with higher food insecurity than the national average.

In reference to the grand opening of MacGregor market, Scott Packard, Houston Health Department Chief Communications Officer told Reform Austin, "we consider the H-E-B MacGregor grocery store to be a great success. The reaction from the community seems to be overwhelmingly positive. Many people in this community have transportation barriers that make it very challenging, sometimes impossible, to make it to a grocery store many miles from home."

When asked about other recent changes to communities in Houston without access to grocery stores, Packard said, "our department has conducted a few recent community assessments in the Kashmere Gardens and Fifth Ward communities. These communities also experience challenges with access and proximity to healthy food options. It's difficult to predict where food deserts will become better or worse. To predict forward, we would have to analyze trends in community developmental patterns, housing cost, displacement, wages and other social-economic factors."

An estimated 724,750 food-insecure individuals live in the Greater Houston area, according to the key findings from a 2019 research report from the Kinder Institute for Urban Research on food insecurities. Potential remedies arising from the research include, "funders, government policies, the mindset of altruism and backbone organizations that require them to adopt to policies, processes and mindsets that encourage collaborations, promoting flexibility of operations and adopting more behavioral metrics while eschewing competitive actions."

Packard said that addressing food deserts takes a collaborative approach between the public and private sectors, and there are companies in Houston doing great work like building gardens in communities that don't have access to fresh produce.

Food Deserts Are a Public Health Issue in Texas

Today the phrase "food desert" is well-known because it describes a big public health issue. Usually the closest food source is what influences an individual's or family's food choices, and limited access to nutritious food causes concern for health issues and illnesses, with the greatest negative health effects happening to the elderly and children. In Texas, 14.3% of children live in food-insecure homes.

Regarding the importance of healthy eating habits for children especially, as what children eat when they are young can become a foundation for their eating habits throughout their life, the Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller told Reform Austin, "Texas agriculture is fundamental when promoting local foods."

"The goal is to not only provide locally sourced and healthy meals for school lunches but to pass those healthy lifestyle changes along to students for each meal they choose," Miller said. "I want all Texans to make health conscious decisions that will sustain local economies and build a healthier future for the great state of Texas."

What we eat and the access to healthy foods can greatly affect our lifespan, Shelby Massey, Government Relations Director for the American Heart Association, told Reform Austin, "When people lack access to healthy, affordable food, they are at a higher risk of developing chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Texas and in the United States, but is eighty percent preventable by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Access to healthy, affordable food close to where a person lives greatly impacts their ability to make healthy choices."

Packard pointed out an economic effect.

"The lack of fruit and vegetables can manifest as chronic diseases in young children, families and the elderly. Managing diseases, prescribing medications and related sick days from work all affect the economic productivity of a community," he said.

"From a well-being standpoint, we envision a community where people are free from the impacts of chronic diseases, it begins with creating an environment where making the healthy choice is feasible and easy to do for families in Texas."

Nourishing minds and bodies can also inspire advocacy in areas prone to food deserts.

This past fall, data in a report called the Community Health Needs Assessment, by the Parkland Health & Hospital System and the Dallas County Health Department identified the geographic areas and populations that experience the most significant health disparities and most unhealthy locations of the city.

The Dallas Morning News reported the next step is to tackle the issues of health disparities piece by piece, "with a more specific focus on chronic illnesses and other ailments such as pediatric asthma, breast cancer and mental health."

On the topic of food deserts reflecting a community's health, Feeding Texas' Cole adds,"Texans living in food deserts face significant barriers to healthy eating, including a lack of financial resources. This can lead to diet-related illnesses and poor health outcomes and drive up state health care costs."

Solutions to Food Deserts

Not every food desert will get a gorgeous 90,000-square-foot H-E-B for their grocery demands.

"Large-format grocery stores can be extremely helpful in making food more accessible for folks, but they aren't usually universally sufficient solutions for food access problems," said Shelley Parks, the senior public information specialist at the City of Austin.

"For example, if the store isn't accessible for someone because they don't have reliable access to a vehicle or it isn't served by transit, we can't say we've solved their food access problem," she said.

There is where Parks said smaller, neighborhood-scale stores can be extremely helpful in serving these kinds of areas.

"Austin has a history of inequality and disinvestment in neighborhoods historically populated by people of color, and the current food retail environment reflects that history. The City of Austin is working now to support grocery store expansion in underserved areas, but that work is also part of a broader portfolio of food access work," Parks said.

Understandably, grocery stores want to make a profit and serve as many people as they can. However deciding where or where not to open a store can help or drastically hurt a community. Several years ago when the City of Dallas offered $3 million to any store that would open a large full service grocery store in food desert areas that really could use it, the city received no takers.

In 2017, during Texas' 85th Legislature, The Texas Grocery Access Investment Fund, HB 164, failed to pass, it would have provided funds to encourage companies to open grocery stores, mobile markets and farm stands in low- and moderate-income areas to increase access to healthier foods.

When it comes to finding a solution to food deserts, Packard, of the Houston Health Department, said, "Strategies that can make a difference in these areas include alleviating transportation barriers, improving food incentive programming, increasing culturally appropriate health options. These are ideas and best practices that should be integrated into a comprehensive approach to equitable food access."

Cole, of Feeding Texas, shared with Reform Austin that numerous solutions to get food into these deserts are being piloted and some of the more effective are coming from grassroots initiatives working directly with the communities they serve.

"In Texas, food banks have adopted these primary approaches to improve access to healthy food and move the needle on healthy eating," Cole said.

These include Feeding Texas, which administers a state grant called "Texans Feeding Texans" that rescues surplus produce from Texas growers that would otherwise go to waste and distributes it to needy families.

Cole explained that food banks operate "mobile markets" that deliver healthy foods directly to people living in food deserts. Last year, Texas food banks distributed over 42 million pounds of produce to families in need.

Nowadays convenience stores and gas stations sell fresh fruit and vegetables, and when located in a lower-income area, these hubs can be a major force to provide more nutrients to people who live nearby.

For some areas where the option of a supermarket or walkable farmers markets is slim, it's taking do-it-yourself nonprofits to fill a void. In southern Dallas, a local nonprofit, Feed Oak Cliff, in a neighborhood that lacks fresh groceries is providing healthy options, and it started with the founder's own desire for more salad spots in her neighborhood. Previously she had driven twelve miles to get a salad. Imagine carrying and trekking your groceries back home on foot. How many bags could you carry for a mile? Imagine driving over ten miles or more just to get a simple fresh salad or fresh fruit that every Texan should be able to enjoy and be nourished from.

Back in the Bayou City, Packard provides a view of how a grocery store can become the heart of a neighborhood that needs it most.

"This new H-E-B store is right there in the community, more accessible to more people. In terms of community health, a grocery store in a community has countless benefits. The anticipated benefits could range from improved quality of life, increased access to foods, increase social connectedness, and improvements in many other health indicators. A grocery store is a part of the fabric of a community, the benefits will be more pronounced three to five years down the line."

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Texas Has a Serious Food Insecurity Problem - Reform Austin

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By Isobella Harkrider When H-E-B opened its MacGregor grocery store in Houston in December, it changed lives. The storefront is a new beginning for area residents who previously had limited access to supermarkets and now have more food options after a nearby Kroger closed in 2017.

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Between November 2019 and April 2020 over one million people 20% of a population were suffering from food insecurity. It was caused by a drought which then lead to limited food availability which caused food prices to go up.

Author: unknown
Publication: OCHA

https://reliefweb.int/report/united-republic-tanzania/tanzania-acute-food-insecurity-situation-overview-rural-urban-and

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- no rain since september 2019
- affecting areas androy and anosy
- 730,000 people facing food insecurity

https://www.afrik21.africa/en/madagascar-drought-drives-730000-people-to-food-insecurity/

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1 of Every 3 Venezuelans Is Facing Hunger

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1 of Every 3 Venezuelans Is Facing Hunger

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https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/02/23/business/ap-lt-venezuela-food-insecurity.html

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Locust storm in South Sudan / Spread across east Africa 

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Locust storm in South Sudan / Spread across east Africa 

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Peter Beaumont February 20th 2020, this source provides information on the recent outbreak in locusts in South Sudan, of which is already struggling due to hunger and years of civil war. The locust outbreak provides a threat because they ravage crops and grazing lands which can li it food sources. The appearance of the locust has been followed by many extreme weather conditions such as floods.
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/feb/20/huge-locust-swarms-raise-fears-of-food-shortages-in-south-sudan
Fox News
Bradford Betz February 20th 2020
https://www.foxnews.com/world/food-crisis-horn-of-africa-what-to-know
The source provides more information as to wear the locusts have swarmed, these areas are : Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia and most recently South Sudan, as well as Eritrea and Djibouti. 76 million dollars has been funded to provide a cure to the outbreak of these pesticides. Even before the outbreak because of serious flooding and droughts 20 million faced high levels of food insecurity across east Africa
National Geographic
Madeline Stone
February 14th 2020
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/02/locust-plague-climate-science-east-africa/
This sources provides information as to why the locusts have appeared, these specific locusts (desert locusts) thrive following periods of heavy rainfall and unfortunately for these countries they have been swooped with such rainfall. Because of the three cyclones in 2018 this enabled extreme breeding of locusts. Ove r 1e million people who have been effected by this problem are suffering from server acute food insecurity , by June thee number will increase dramatically
CNBC
Elliott Smith
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/20/plague-of-locusts-threatens-east-african-economies-as-un-sounds-alarm.html
20th of February 2020
The FAO have estimated that 70,000 hectares of crops in Kenya and 30,000 hectares in Ethiopia have been infested.

Photo of person being swarmed by Locusts

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Lesotho is experiencing a major food security crisis as a result of the El-Niño induced drought. The situation is increasing due to successive years of crop failures, low incomes and high food prices
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/jan/30/drought-leaves-tens-of-thousands-in-lesotho-one-step-from-famine
-the guardian
30/1/20

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Huge swarms of desert locusts are wiping out food supplies for millions of people in East Africa. These locust creatures are large tropical grasshoppers that have power in flight. These grasshoppers are shredding apart villages and destroying thousands of hectares of farmland, and food sources for millions of people.

By Pat Brewer. February 11th 2020
https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/how-climate-change-driving-food-insecurity

These locust storms are ripping through mainly East Africa places such as: Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Yemen. The worst locust invasion in Africa in 25 years was recorded last July. The swarm emerged in Yemen and moved through Somalia and Ethiopia.

One recent swarm in Kenya was 40 kilometres long and 60 kilometres wide. That swarm would of had the capacity to devour the amount of food 82 million people rely on each day. But they not only eat crops, they devour animals’ food sources. This causes food insecurity because people are being left starved and helpless from grasshoppers destroying food sources and farmlands. To add to food sources being wiped out when farmlands are destroyed people are left with no job which means no income or money. Which makes it worse for them because they can’t pay for food.

https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.abc.net.au%2Fnews%2F2020-01-26%2Flocust-plague-in-east-africa-united-call-for-international-help%2F11901468&psig=AOvVaw0MtNLOF5SgZ1PxHp9rWPFO&ust=1582599757851000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCLD7g9qZ6ecCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAO

These photo is showing a swarm of locusts in action