Dear Colleagues,
With compliments to the HLPE FSN team for the draft of Report on Reducing inequalities for Food Security and Nutrition (FSN), following comments and suggestions are offered on Sl. No. 1. , Conceptual Framework, Sl. No. 2. Coverage of FSN dimensions and Sl. No. 5 on layers of structural drivers.
- In the subject theme of inequality, the aspect of measurement of inequality in FSN context is equally important, if not more, along with characterisation of inequality and inequity and the Scope of FSN in its expanded six-dimensional. Though the aspect of FSN measurement is sparsely reflected in the draft report, it may be meaningful to have a section on measurement of FSN inequality with its accentuating needs, key methodological features, constraints and complexities in current and future context.
- The measurements of inequality with application of tools like Gini Coefficient depend on specific parameters on the scale of time (point or period of time), domain and territory (such as rural and urban and degree of urbanisation). In my analysis, distinct relations were observed between Undernutrition, Obesity and Dietary Energy Supply with degree of Urbanisation and Economic Conditions (per capita GDP) and corresponding synthesis of inequality may lead to distinct policy perspective. Thus, the specificity in measurement of inequality is relevant for prompt decision support and interventions for FSN, that is expected to be more exigent for those in vulnerable periphery of its iniquitous space.
- Such parametric specificity is apparently more in measurement of nutritional aspects (e.g. undernutrition, stunting, wasting and obesity). However, for the complexly and diversely characterised domain of Food Security and its inequality, there is need to review specificity of convergent measurement and awareness of appropriate use in policy and decision making.
- The earlier four-dimensional conceptual framework of Food Security (Availability. Access, Utilisation and Stability) could possibly be more convergently related to an integrated measures of dietary energy supply and demand, balanced food basket and prices on time and territory. The expanded framework of Food Security with dimensions of Agency and Sustainability add to the complexity of measuring inequality of FSN.
- The Agency, as is understood to be socio economic dimension of choice and preference of food production and consumption by sections of society, may have differentiated significance on layers of inequality, less food secured segments may have less options of choice of food produced and consumed. The aspect of sustainability will be more on food system on longer time scale.
- This also invite a reference to objective forecasting the plausible trends of inequality and early warning and vulnerability mapping, a situation that has been experienced in Covid-19 pandemic.
With best compliments and greetings for a very happy year 2023 to FSN fraternity.
Rajiv Mehta
Dr. Rajiv Mehta