The State Logistics Agency has provided nutrition-enriched rice for pregnant women and malnourished children in West Kalimantan to o reduce the prevalence of underweight toddlers due to chronic or recurrent undernutrition.
The agency disseminates information on the importance of nutrition and conducts nutrition-enriched rice-based cooking classes to encourage the community to pay attention to nutritional needs.
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More on rice and nutrition:
Development of healthy and nutritious cereals: Recent insights on molecular advances in breeding
Malnutrition is linked with heavy dependence on monotonous cereal staples without much dietary diversification or nutrient supplementation. Even though significant efforts have been made over the last six decades to improve production and productivity in most food crops, it lacked associated nutritional improvement. Biofortification of cereals with elevated levels of essential micronutrients, vitamins, and reduced levels of toxic elements helps to address malnutrition and is a cost-effective approach in reaching target groups, especially rural populations.
Food imperatives in the context of the agriculture, nutrition, and environment nexus
Food systems are at the nexus of food security, nutritional health, ecosystems, climate change, and prosperity. The Green Revolution enabled countries in South Asia to move from food deficit to self-sufficiency, particularly in cereals. In the process, millions were lifted out of poverty. Despite this, we find ourselves dealing with the “triple burden” of undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and overnutrition. Levels of stunting in children under 5 years of age and anemia in women remain shockingly high across South Asia. In addition, climate change is already having an impact on agriculture with the increasing frequency of extreme weather events.
Staple cereals remain the key to solving global hunger
Global chronic hunger has declined faster than hidden hunger thanks to large-scale food security programs around the world. This is a testament to the power of development-driven research, unwavering level of commitment, science-based foresight, and global cooperation and investment. While there is still a need to eradicate chronic hunger in many areas, renewed investment efforts on nutrition-driven programs need to be made to also get rid of hidden hunger.
