Hi everyone:
After carefully reading each section, I think the report is fruitful but maybe includes too many dimensions. Following the Questions to guide this e-consultation, I want to share opinions on three points of Q1, Q3, and Q9.
>>> Q1
Do you find the proposed framework an effective conceptual device to highlight and discuss the key issues with regard to inequity and inequality for food security and nutrition (FSN)? Do you think that this conceptual framework can contribute to providing practical guidance for policymakers? Can you offer suggestions for examples that would be useful to illustrate and facilitate the operationalization of the conceptual framework to address issues relevant for FSN?
Comments:
The framework enriches too much knowledge to be operational. Focusing on two FSN issues at two scales (global and regional), I think it may be more beneficial for international and local policymakers to address two problems of urgent hunger and long-term hidden hunger.
(1) Urgent hunger issue at a global scale across countries
For poor economies facing hunger, establishing an UN-dominated information and operational platform is necessary to ensure enough food for the poor economies to avoid famine and starvation, especially in emergency situations such as COVID-19 shocks, military conflict, and serve droughts. Under such emergent conditions, a special DYNAMIC mechanism should be activated to enhance specific cooperation across multiple UN organizations, such as FAO, WFP, UNHCR, WTO, WBG, IMF, WHO, and WMO. This platform uses modern technologies, including remote sensing, GIS, and communication, to share timely information. Through this platform, the possible roles of each UN organization or agency need to be carefully designed to promote food trade at a lower price to reach countries with hunger issues. In hunger situations, considering too many dimensions of FNS is impractical.
(2) Long-term hidden hunger issues at the local scale within a country
For rich economies or rich communities, resolving hidden hunger issues needs approaches, such as considering urban planning and increasing the number of small food retailers to increase the food's physical accessibility and diversity to reduce the food desert. Unlike the urgent one, the hidden hunger issue should be resolved in the long run. Multiple dimensions have been fully presented in the current report. In terms of the win-win healthy and sustainable diet, I proposed a system framework covering individual, regional or national, and global scales. This framework may be helpful and attached; if needed, I can translate or improve the attached into English for the next report version.
>>> Q3
This report considers inequalities as well as inequities, and to facilitate this consideration it makes some choices and simplifications. The report adopts definitions of inequalities, inequities, injustice, unfairness, exclusion, marginalization, discrimination, patriarchy, racism, colonialism, ableism, empowerment…Acknowledging that agreeing on definitions of these complex areas is difficult, do these definitions work with your own interpretations of these concepts? Are there any controversial or incorrect issues in terms of these proposed definitions?
Comment:
I was confused by the two concepts of inequality and inequity, two easily confusing but essential concepts for potential readers to understand the FSN issues correctly. On page 24 of the report, I think it would be better to illustrate the two concepts by using the cartoon, as attached.
>>> Q9
Can you suggest success stories from countries that were able to reduce FSN inequalities?
Comment
For physical accessibility, promoting the free development of small food stores contributes to the inequality of food access. For example, Li et al. (2019) analyzed the inequality of accessing 28 food categories of 3724 residential buildings in Dalian, China. In this small region, a total of 625 food retailers were located, which is so convenient that 38% of residents required only 5-0 min to access the nearest supermarket, while 10% required more than 20 min. In addition, high-wealth neighborhoods had better food accessibility than low-wealth neighborhoods. However, medium-low-wealth households had the highest level of food accessibility. Thus, encouraging the development of small markets or food stores freely is an avenue to reduce the inequality of food accessibility.
Thus, I think it is essential to integrate food accessibility into regional urban planning to improve the physical accessibility of diverse and healthy food. If possible, it is worth further investigating how food accessibility changes over time across typical cities in rapidly developing economies, such as in rapidly developing China or developed economies. By remote sensing, GIS, and extensive data analysis, successful experiences and unsuccessful lessons would be generated for other economies’ reference. Besides, the role of aquaculture, such as seaweed farming, deserves in-depth investigation.
References:
Li, J.J., Song, G.B., Semakula, M.H., Dou, Y.J. & Zhang, S.S. 2019. Food access inequalities in Chinese urban neighborhoods: a case study of the Dalian development zone. Food Security, 11(): 1087-1099. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-019-00963-6.
Dr. Guobao Song