The report, released by International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), is themed around ‘food systems for healthy diets and nutrition’.

• Malnutrition Remains a Persistent Global Challenge: While progress has been made in reducing undernutrition, overweight, obesity, and diet-related non-communicable diseases are on the rise worldwide, requiring a major transformation of current food systems.
• Healthy Diets Remain Unaffordable for Billions: Healthy diets cost more than $3.75 per person per day on average globally, putting them out of reach for an estimated 3 billion people.
• Policy Action is Needed Across Food Systems: Policies and investments are required across food production, processing, retail, and consumption to make healthy diets accessible, affordable, and attractive to consumers.
• Innovation and Technology Can Enable Healthier Food Systems: New technologies, business models, and digital tools have the potential to improve nutrition, sustainability, and equity across food value chains.

Recommendations:

1. Reorient Agriculture and Food Production: Shift subsidies, research, and extension to support diverse, nutrient-dense crops and sustainable production practices.
2. Improve Food Processing and Retail: Regulate unhealthy ingredients, promote nutritious products, and incentivize retailers to increase availability of healthy foods.
3. Empower Consumers for Healthy Diets: Implement comprehensive behavior change communication, food labeling, and social protection programs.
4. Strengthen Food System Governance: Coordinate cross-sectoral policies and multi-stakeholder partnerships to align food systems with health and nutrition goals.
5. Increase Financing for Nutrition: Significantly scale up domestic and international public and private investment in food system innovations for healthy diets.

Key Findings:

• Climate change and biodiversity loss can have complex and interconnected effects on diets, affecting food availability, diversity, etc.
• More than two billion people, many of them in Africa and South Asia, cannot afford a healthy diet.
• Around 38 percent of the Indian population ate unhealthy foods.
• As a result of poor diet, 16.6% of Indians suffer from malnutrition (2021).

About IFPRI: Established in 1975, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) is a research center of the Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers.

Nuclear technologies play a crucial role in ensuring food safety and advancing agricultural practices. Lets  look at how these technologies contribute across various domains:

1. Animal Health

Nuclear technologies, particularly Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests, are vital for diagnosing diseases in animals. PCR is a molecular technique that amplifies and detects specific DNA sequences, allowing for rapid and accurate identification of pathogens. This is essential for controlling animal diseases that could impact food safety and supply.

2. Soil and Water Management

Radioactive nuclides can be used as tracers to assess soil health and erosion rates. By measuring the presence of these nuclides, scientists can understand the movement and distribution of soil and pollutants, which helps in managing land and water resources more effectively.

3. Insect Pest Management

The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) uses ionizing radiation to sterilize insects before they are released into the environment. The sterile insects mate with wild counterparts, leading to a decrease in the pest population over time. This method is effective for managing agricultural pests without relying on chemical pesticides.

4. Food Safety and Control

Food irradiation involves exposing food to ionizing radiation to kill microorganisms and insects, which improves food safety and extends shelf life. This technique is used to reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses and spoilage, making food safer for consumption and reducing waste.

5. Plant Breeding and Genetics

Irradiation can induce genetic mutations in plants, leading to new varieties with desirable traits such as improved resistance to pests or diseases, better nutritional content, or enhanced growth characteristics. This technique accelerates the development of crops with beneficial attributes.

One Health Approach

Nuclear technologies complement the One Health approach, which integrates human, animal, and environmental health. By improving food safety, managing pests, and enhancing agricultural practices, these technologies contribute to a balanced and optimized health system that benefits people, animals, and ecosystems.

International Support

The role of nuclear technologies in food safety was underscored at the International Symposium on Food Safety and Control, organized by the FAO and IAEA in Vienna. This highlights the global recognition of these technologies' contributions to combating hunger, reducing malnutrition, and enhancing environmental sustainability.