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Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition in Europe and Central Asia 2020

Affordable healthy diets to address all forms of malnutrition for better health

Year of publication 2021

Place of publication Budapest, Hungary ;

Pages 140 p.

Author FAO, WFP, UNECE, UNICEF, WHO, WMO

Publisher FAO, WFP, UN, UNICEF, WHO and WMO ;

Product type Book (series)

ISBN 978-92-5-134139-1

Series title Europe and Central Asia – Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition

Series number 2020

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) This report consists of two main sections: 1) a situation analysis of Sustainable Development Goal 2 Target 2.1 (to end hunger and ensure access to food by all) and Target 2.2 (to end all forms of malnutrition) and analyses of the diets of children and of current food consumption patterns relative to dietary guidelines; and 2) a special look at the cost and affordability of healthy diets in Europe and Central Asia.The new estimates confirm that the prevalence of hunger at chronic or severe levels is relatively low in the ECA region. However, the prevalence of food insecurity at moderate or severe levels can be quite high. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to add people to the ranks of the food insecure. The ECA region is making progress overall in reducing malnutrition, but it is not on track regarding childhood overweight, adult obesity, anaemia and exclusive breastfeeding. Healthy diets protect against the effects of malnutrition, in all its forms, and promote better health.This report shows that healthy diets cost, on average, five times more than diets that meet only dietary energy needs, making them unaffordable for many people throughout the region. To increase the affordability of healthy diets, the costs of nutritious foods must be lowered. This report also shows that hidden costs are much lower with healthy diets than with current consumption patterns, meaning that adopting healthy diet alternatives could lead to large cost savings.

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FAO, WFP, UNECE, UNICEF, WHO, WMO. 2021. Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition in Europe and Central Asia 2020: Affordable healthy diets to address all forms of malnutrition for better health. Rome, FAO, WFP, UNECE, UNICEF, WHO and WMO. 

https://doi.org/10.4060/cb3849en

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Language English

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