About 400,000 people living in Albania could not afford a healthy diet in 2021, the World Food Organization (FAO) reported. To provide such a diet, a person needs at least 4.4 USD per day.
This diet has nothing to do with the healthy food that most people aim for these days, but with the amount of calories a person needs per day.
The number of people unable to eat enough calories fell to 400,000 in 2021, from an estimated 600,000 in 2020, as pandemic restrictions worsened options for many individuals around the world.
The report notes that there is an ongoing effort to reduce the cost of a healthy diet to make it affordable for everyone, but government policies play a key role.
The structural deficit between production and consumption exposes Albania and other poor and developing countries to the uncertainties associated with global food commodity markets.
While many people do not have access to enough food, others are suffering from overnutrition, putting them at risk of obesity. Albania is facing an increase in overweight and obesity among young people, notes FAO.
Globally, policies continue to boost the production of grains and sugar, as cities increasingly abandon traditional diets such as the Mediterranean in favor of processed food.
More efficient value chains, better trade, and food safety and quality have the potential to reduce structural vulnerabilities and provide healthy, affordable diets for all.
Growing demand for food and agricultural products driven by population growth, rising incomes and urbanization, and in turn, resources are being depleted by soil erosion, declining water supplies and biodiversity. FAO foresees the growing problem of malnutrition and food security.
FAO calls for increased efforts to increase the consumption of nutritious foods by reforming food subsidy policies, raising awareness of healthy diets, promoting consumer protection systems, encouraging appropriate food trade policies and fighting losses from food waste./Monitor
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