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Nutrition and Food Security

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Harsh climates and the difficult, often inaccessible, terrain combined with political and social marginality make mountain people vulnerable to food shortages. Now food prices are soaring worldwide and increased transportation costs to remote mountain areas mean that mountain communities are paying much more for their food. The problem of hunger in mountains is getting worse.

In 2008, the International Mountain Day was devoted to “Food Security in Mountains”. This provided an occasion to reflect on apt occasion on how hard it is for mountain people to consistently get adequate and nutritious food to lead healthy and active lives. It draws attention to the special food security needs of mountain communities that have to be taken into account in the development of mountain-specific strategies and policies. To read the relevant information note click here (link http://www.fao.org/mnts/intl_mountain_note_en.asp)

In 2002 On the occasion of the International Year of Mountains (2002), the Food and Nutrition Division of FAO commissioned a literature review, ‘Household Food Security and Nutrition in Mountain Areas — an often forgotten story’, to explore the nutrition situation of mountain people. This exercise confirmed the relative lack of literature addressing the issue. While there has been extensive discussion of agricultural systems and livelihoods in mountain areas, rarely are the implications of those systems on nutrition elaborated. Similarly, existing nutritional data is as a rule not disaggregated on a geographical, ecological or livelihood basis and literature on poverty, food insecurity or vulnerability does not consider the mountain context. Nevertheless, the scattered data that are available point to an alarming food and nutrition situation in some mountain areas. At the same time, there are also examples of positive change in other areas. To read the review 2002, click here.

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