No improvement in food nutrition in Tanzania says UN

Dar es Salaam. Despite huge investments in agricultural-related-infrastructure like irrigation schemes, roads and storage, a UN report shows that Tanzania is yet to improve food dietary diversity, affordability, and access to healthy diets.

This is according to a report dubbed ‘The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022: Repurposing food and agricultural policies to make healthy diets more affordable,’ which was released on Wednesday as an annual flagship report jointly prepared by UN agencies.

The study suggested that while the said investment was commendable, it doesn’t necessarily guarantee success as it will need to be accompanied by other measures which include extension services, support for food and agricultural marketing and promotion of nutritious foods.

“Even though support to the fruit and vegetable value chains increased the country’s exports of those produce, it did not expand fruit and vegetable supply in informal markets,” reads part of the report which targeted policy-makers, international organisations, academic institutions, and the general public.

Hence, repurposing existing public support is advisable as it may not only help to increase the availability of nutritious foods to consumers, but also may contribute to making healthy diets less costly and more affordable all, a necessary way though not enough for healthy diets to be consumed.

The report further emphasised that when repurposing public support to make healthy diets less costly, policymakers have to avoid potential inequality trade-offs that may emerge if farmers are not in a position to specialise in the production of nutritious foods due to resource constraints.

The government is required to increase and prioritise expenditure on provision of services that support food and agriculture more collectively, as it is crucial to bridge productivity gaps in the production of nutritious foods and enable income generation to improve the affordability of healthy diets.

According to the report, infrastructure is essential to fostering dietary diversity, food availability, affordability, and food safety and that appropriate infrastructure can increase both the quantity and quality of foods available in markets, especially for perishable foods such as fruits and fresh fish.

“This is needed to diminish food loss and waste, to reduce economic losses and pressure on the environment, and to build resilience in the face of climate change, increasing infrastructure at all stages of the value chain also plays a central role in food safety,” the report further reads.

For instance, the report illustrated: “Proper and reliable drying and storage infrastructure is key to reducing aflatoxins in grain, nuts and related dry staple foods; capital-intensive cold chains that meet food safety standards are needed for the distribution of perishable aquatic food.”

According to the authors, the report is meant to inform on progress towards ending hunger, achieving food security, and improving nutrition and to provide in depth analysis on key challenges for achieving the said goal in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.