2017. Panorama of Food and Nutrition Security in Latin America and the Caribbean / 2017. Panorama de la Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutricional en América Latina y el Caribe

[Foreword]. The Panorama of Food and Nutrition Security in Latin America and the Caribbean 2017, published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), reports for the first time on the progress made by countries in the Region towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The new figures shows that, after years of marked improvement, progress in the eradication of hunger and malnutrition in the Region has stalled. After over a decade of substantive advance in the reduction of hunger, the Region first experienced a downturn in the 2011-2013 period, after which an increase in both the prevalence and the number of undernourished people has been observed. If Latin America and the Caribbean do not resume the positive trend soon, the SDG 2 target of ending hunger and all forms of malnutrition by 2030 will not be met. In addition, there is evidence of a constant and alarming rise in overweight and obesity, both risk factors for non-communicable diseases and the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the Region, which have a serious effect on the well-being of the population, leading to consequences that force States and governments to spend huge amounts of funds that could otherwise be used for other social needs...In view of the Panorama 2017 edition, FAO and PAHO urge countries to transform their food systems to stop the progress of hunger and malnutrition, with a special focus on the most vulnerable people, households and territories. Only through a huge regional effort will the current trend be reversed, returning to the path that turned Latin America and the Caribbean into an example of the fight against hunger and malnutrition in all its forms for the rest of the world.

Food trade, food security and health in the Caribbean

Trade and food security are tied together in the Caribbean through a variety of linkages rooted in the importance of exports and imports to their economies. On the one hand, export-oriented economic activity is a major source of foreign exchange and employment-based income-earning opportunities (linked to both the supply and accessibility dimensions of food security). On the other hand imports are equally critical to nutritional and stability dimension of food security, as most of these countries are net food importers. Further , much of the production for national, regional and international trade is dependent on imported inputs, thereby underlining the dynamic synergies between imports, exports and food security. The first section of this paper highlights trade and food security linkages in the Caribbean.

Food trade, food security and health in the Caribbean

Trade and food security are tied together in the Caribbean through a variety of linkages rooted in the importance of exports and imports to their economies. On the one hand, export-oriented economic activity is a major source of foreign exchange and employment-based income-earning opportunities (linked to both the supply and accessibility dimensions of food security). On the other hand imports are equally critical to nutritional and stability dimension of food security, as most of these countries are net food importers. Further , much of the production for national, regional and international trade is dependent on imported inputs, thereby underlining the dynamic synergies between imports, exports and food security. The first section of this paper highlights trade and food security linkages in the Caribbean.