Jiwan Prava Lama, Acing Secretary, Office of the Prime Minister and Council Minister, Nepal
The High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) Reports On:
I would like to thanks the HPLE steering committee for choosing pertinent issues and providing this opportunity for
comment.
There has been tremendous increase in our population in the last twenty years. The grains of "Grain Resolution" have
been nullified in the process. The per capita availability of food has decreased in this period. There is an urgently need
t o conserve foods produced by reducing post harvest losses to desire maximum benefit from healthy produced.
Foods are complex mixture of many chemical compounds; i.e. Nutrients which varies with the growth, maturation,
harvesting, slaughtering, storage and handling. Food system right from the production and consumption (from farm to
fork) is also complex system. Attention should be required to prevent food from deterioration and to keep wholesome
until consumption.
Food production is also very much a part of the culture of the region. Each region has its own method of blending
flavor to bring about acceptable combination
1. How and why do diets change?
Diet changes are depends on many factors: Purchasing capacity, physical stages (Pregnant/Lactating/ dietary
restriction), lifestyle and urbanization, availability on the market, product diversification, cultural influence,
festival foods, industrialization and change in consumer's choice
Another reason is people get ill due to the consequences of nutritional deficiencies problems, their diet is modified and
changed from normal diets qualitatively as well as quantitatively to meet their nutritional requirements.
2. What are the link between diets, consumptions and consumer habits and food system?
There is a very close relation and link between diets consumption and habit as these all are associated factors of
malnutrition. Food consumption broadly link with tradition and inherent culture. There are so many positive and
negative impact of our socio-culture in the behavior of dietary pattern and these components reflect nutritional status
of a people in a community. For example some ethnics group is Non vegan where as some are strict vegetarian etc...
3. How do changes in food system affect changes of diets and therefore health and nutritional
outcomes?
Actually Food system is very broad addressing farm to fork approach. Even a component from chain alters; whole
system will get affected and results to threat in quality. A Change affects entire system such as productivity,
availability, affordability and accessibility to consumer level.
4. What are the determinants of the change in consumption?
There are so many determinants such as economic status, degree of awareness, health status of people in a community,
family size, tradition and culture, gender discrimination, productivity, land use and fertility and so on entirely affects
and carries change in food consumption.
5. How do the dynamics of food system drive consumption patterns?
Food dynamics highlights research on the analysis, organization, management, operation, and strategic
development of the food system and its actors and dependents (enterprises, chains, networks, institutions, policy,
and consumers). Every food has its own path from farm to industrial level or pre to post harvest level. Food
dynamics is a continuous improvement process in food chain that supports availability and accessibility of food so
that every stage of people from infants to old including pregnant and lactating woman would get sufficient health
food. Challenges of social, economic and environmental sustainability in a Nepal of increasing instability and
decreasing production base challenge the system's ability to serving consumers on a global scale with food that is
readily available, affordable and of the quality, safety, and diversity they do expect. This requires new dynamics
in the system, innovative developments, and research that provide the necessary support.
6. How to shape and to address pathways to healthy nutrition?
Food pathway should be shaped basically in accordance with food pyramid and RDA but there are many
dimensions to judge and measure consumption patterns such as physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and
occupational, intellectual that would determines and recognize healthy living.
7. What is the role of public policy in promoting healthy, nutritious and culturally appropriate food
for all?
Role of public policy reflects vision of Government's plan and future strategy. Tradition, custom, and belief are
often responsible for public policy. Public policy is designed even to address marginalized people thoughts and
sights which provides an opportunity to know and access what people exactly eat.
8. How to build on the diversity of the existing food system?
Diversification of food system is not possible unless integration of stakeholders is covered. Farmers, processors,
retailers, consumers, Governmental body and other stake holders are major components for research and
diversification of food from farm to industrial level. These all groups should have a common goal of Food safety
and nutrition security to address good nutritional status.
9. What is the practice the range of actionable solutions from farm to fork that enables better
nutritional outcomes of food systems?
The practice of actionable solutions can be the following-
a) Food safety approach
b) Quality Control approach along with systematic tools GMP /HACCP
c) Validity and auditing approach from authorized body
d) Promotional awareness program thorough Information, education and communication
e) Intra and inter relation build up to coordinate Governmental and Non governmental bodies
f) Advocacy from all stake holders in the favor of Food safety and security
g)
10. What action should different stakeholders, including governments, civil society and the private
sector take?
There should be check and balance action oriented mechanisms among different stake holders. Monitoring,
awareness, training and regulation to Food Business operators from Government site is vital where as civil society
should play important role to complement Governmental plans and policies. Private sector, Governmental body
and public partnership must be three eyes to acquired common goal of food and nutrition security.
Thank You