Economics of food security, hunger and development

This study was carried out to determine the effect of lemon grass marinade (sample A), bay leaf marinade (sample B) and a combination of both spices (sample C) on the microbial load of stored smoked-dried Clarias gariepinus. Comparative analysis of the microbial load of each treated fish samples during ambient storage was done biweekly for six (6) weeks and then samples of each treatment were taken to the laboratory periodically. The fish samples were analysed using Potato Dextrose Agar and Nutrient Agar for fungi and bacteria respectively. The initial microbial load before storage showed that the highest number of bacteria counts occurred in smoke-dried Clarias gariepinus treated with bay leaf marinade (4.710 3) while the lowest was in smoke-dried C. gariepinus treated with lemon grass marinade (1.310 3). The highest fungi count was observed in smoke-dried C. gariepinus treated with the combination of both spices (9.510 2) while the least fungi count was in fresh fish sample (1.410 3), although the fresh fish sample had the highest Original Research Article Omoruyi et al.; AFSJ, 10(3): 1-10, 2019; Article no.AFSJ.50186 2 bacteria mean count (5.110 3) when compared with the treated samples. After 6 weeks of ambient storage, the result of smoke-dried C. gariepinus treated with bay leaf marinade was also significantly different from the mean population of smoke-dried C. gariepinus treated with lemon grass marinade and smoke-dried C. gariepinus treated with the combination of both spices. Smoke-dried C. gariepinus treated with bay leaf marinade again had the highest bacteria and fungi mean count of 1.710 5 and 2.310 4 respectively. Smoke-dried C. gariepinus treated with lemon grass marinade and smoke-dried C. gariepinus treated with the combination of both spices had similar bacteria mean count of 1.510 5 while smoke-dried C. gariepinus treated with lemon grass marinade had the lowest fungi mean count of 1.610 4. The study revealed that all three smoked-dried fish sample treatment had a relatively low bacterial and fungal count below the 5 x 10 5 cfu/g recommended by the International Commission of Microbial Specification for Food and Food Products (ICMS, 2002).

La crisis alimentaria mundial más reciente ha puesto de manifiesto la incapacidad del derecho a la alimentación para atender y prevenir este tipo de situaciones. Ahora es el momento hacer más fuerte y eficaz este derecho, pasando de directrices de cumplimiento voluntario a leyes vinculantes. Como todos sabemos, no hace mucho tiempo, la FAO patrocinó la creación de directrices para el cumplimiento del derecho a la alimentación. Su publicación fue ampliamente celebrada, y se consideró que era el texto más detallado y completo que hubiera existido para hacer que este derecho sea una realidad para millones de personas que padecen hambre. No hay duda de que estas directrices proporcionan un marco exhaustivo para la acción y ofrecen una cobertura detallada de los temas importantes. Sin embargo, las nuevas realidades que han surgido en los últimos años, tal vez con demasiada rapidez y de forma inesperada, han puesto de manifiesto la necesidad de una regulación más completa del derecho a la alimentación que la proporcionada por las directrices. Idealmente, por tanto, su texto debería ser modificado y actualizado.

El propósito de este libro es indicar algunas áreas y temas que tendrán un gran impacto en los próximos años en relación con la aplicación del derecho a la seguridad alimentaria y a los alimentos y que actualmente disponen de escasa o nula regulación. Estos son los nuevos retos a los que va a enfrentarse el derecho a la alimentación en el siglo XXI...

Se destaca la importancia de la soberania nacional como aspecto fundamental de la soberania nacional, muy ligado a la seguridad nacional y a la garantia de los derechos de los ciudadanos. Y se desmonta la consideracion exclusiva de los alimentos como un bien privado, tan propia del sistema capitalista industrial, para proponer su consideracion como bien publico multidimensional (necesidad, derecho, cultura y comercio) y que debe ser gobernado de manera diferente, no exclusivamente por leyes de mercado. El Estado podria proporcionar alimentos gratis para todos, lo alimentario ha de tener su propio tratado internacional fuera de la OMC y hay que prohibir la especulacion financiera con un bien esencial.

This report analyzes the effects of US and European unilateral measures (sanctions) imposed upon the Syrian economy since 2011 - more specifically, the impact on its agricultural, small and medium private enterprises (SMEs), and private banking sectors. The report does not address the unilateral measures imposed on individuals, but those related to state institutions and networks of the Syrian private economic sectors. The report assumes that the impact of unilateral measures on the Syrian economy and livelihood was unintended.
Through the analyses of each sector’s evolution since the early 2000s, the report attempts to distinguish between the various influencing factors, in order to demonstrate where the principle of “no harm to the population” was breached.

The socially-constructed nature of food as a purely private good shall be re-conceived as a common good, a necessary narrative for the transition from the dominating agro-industrial food system towards a more sustainable food system fairer to food producers and consumers. Food as a commons can be better produced and distributed by hybrid tri-centric governance systems implemented at local level and compounded by market rules, public regulations and collective actions. This consideration would bring enormous ethical, legal, economic and nutritional implications for the global food system.

Table of Contents

I. More Power to the IMF?
A. Mainstream IMF Reform Agenda
B. Other Reforms Being Debated
C. The World Bank Role in the Asian Crisis

II. 1997 World Bank-NGO Committee Meeting in Lima Peru

III. "Trigger Happy" World Bank in Ethiopia: Food Security To Be Sacrificed If Ethiopia Strays From Adjustment Path

Today business environment is highly dependent on complex technologies, and information is considered an important asset. Organizations are therefore required to protect their information infrastructure and follow an inclusive risk management approach. One way to achieve this is by aligning the information security investment decisions with respect to organizational strategy. A large number of information security investment models have are in the literature. These models are useful for optimal and cost-effective investments in information security. However, it is extremely challenging for a decision maker to select one or combination of several models to decide on investments in information security controls. We propose a framework to simplify the task of selecting information security investment model(s). The proposed framework follows the " Context, Content, Process " approach, and this approach is useful in evaluation and prioritization of investments in information security controls in alignment with the overall organizational strategy.

This Topic Guide has been compiled to provide an overview of undernutrition in the context of development. It covers the nature, scale and complex range of causes of undernutrition and summarises the evidence for what works to address the problem. The Guide covers direct nutrition interventions (or nutrition specific development as it is often termed), indirect interventions (nutrition sensitive), and the global coordination structures, governance and funding which are essential for an enabling environment within which undernutrition can be successfully reduced. The focus of this Guide is on undernutrition, defined as the outcome of insufficient (quantity and quality) of food intake (hunger) and repeated infectious diseases. Undernutrition includes being underweight for one’s age, too short for one’s age (stunted), underweight for one’s height (wasted), and deficient in vitamins and minerals (micronutrient malnutrition). This review does not focus on the other component of malnutrition, which is overnutrition.

Child malnutrition has been a cause for concern in Sub-Saharan Africa, so does poverty. Establishing the link between the two phenomena is however pertinent in achieving the key Sustainable Development Goals. The study examined the effects of household poverty on child nutrition in Rural Nigeria. National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS 2013) data sampled by National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) were used. Analytical tools adopted were: descriptive statistics, fuzzy set, body mass index (BMI) and multinomial logistic regression models. The multidimensional poverty index threshold was set at 30% with 81.85% of the entire rural households being poor. Also, 91% of the population of children, 5years and below was underweight. The regression analysis revealed that households" poverty had adverse effect on child nutrition. Poverty alleviation programs targeting the rural households need to be intensified in order to reduce household poverty, which would lead to the improvement of the nutrition of children.

Hunger is needlessly killing millions of our fellow humans, including 2.6 million young children every year. It condemns many others to life-long exposure to illness and social exclusion. This OPEX Memo argues that a binding Food Treaty would create an appropriate framework to end hunger, and other forms of malnutrition that cause premature death, no later than 2025. Those governments that are genuinely determined to end hunger - the coalition of the willing - could commit themselves to mutually-agreed binding goals, monitorable objectives and predictable funding within the Treaty framework. The paper presents objectives, provisions and a possible route map for the process. This path wouldshall involve civil society participation and include a Global Anti-Hunger Campaign during the negotiation process and beyond, so as to build a strong constituency of public support for hunger eradication.

Corporates and the business of nutrition
Author: Dr. Sylvia Karpagam, Public health doctor, 339, 7th main, 3rd cross, Viveknagar, Bangalore 560047/Phone: 9916509960/Email: sakie339@gmail.com
Acknowledgements: Right to food campaign, Karnataka and Dr. Veena Shatrugna, Former Deputy director, National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad
Abstract:
Biocon, one of India’s biggest pharma majors and based in Karnataka, along with two other corporates Jindal Steel Works (JSW) and Scania is supplying spirulina granules to undernourished and malnourished children enrolled in anganwadis under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), in direct contravention of a 2004 Supreme Court order which said, “Contractors shall not be used for supply of nutrition in Anganwadis.” and no approval of the product either as a drug or a nutrition supplement.  On the contrary, there is evidence to show that it is not safewith possibility of heavy metal and cyanotoxin contamination leading to neurological and renal complications.
Pre-school children require between 1,000 and 1,500 calories every day and must come from a variety of food sources so that children get all the nutrients such as proteins, vitamins and minerals. This means that pre-school children require 1 kg of cooked food from milk, rice, dal, eggs, meat, fruits and vegetables with an extra dose of oil/fat, and even sugar every day to meet their nutritional needs. However, since the distribution of spirulina has started, government agencies in Karnataka have become irregular in providing normal foods to children or doing routine health checks to monitor for malnutrition.
The fact that corporate firms have independently started distributing spirulina to undernourished and malnourished children enrolled in anganwadis since 2012 raises several disturbing questions. Can firms such as Biocon, Spirulina Foundation and JSW independently access anganwadis and unilaterally distribute spirulina? Will they be held liable in the event of adverse drug reactions, death or disability among children who consumed spirulina? Has there been any cost-benefit analysis of spirulina? Does Biocon have a formal permission from the ICDS to distribute spirulina to children, particularly to children who are malnourished and already
A report by the Supreme Court Commissioner’s office in November 2012 says that “the contractor-corporate lobby has a firm grip over the ICDS ration supply business, worth Rs 8,000 crore”, with specific reference to Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Meghalaya and Maharashtra.
This paper maps the influx of corporates in the nutrition ‘business’ and how it takes zero cognizance of the eating habits of communities and undermines the role of the state in ensuring that malnutrition is addressed and genuine steps are taken to address the serious issue of malnutrition in the state particularly affecting children from the most marginalized communities.
Key words: Corporate, spirulina, nutrition, anganwadis,malnutrition