HUNGER AND FOOD POLICY
Written Report / Handout / Reviewer prepared by Gen Gasatan, Eloisa Hamto, and Justin Herrera
Hunger is the most commonly used term to de-
scribe the social condition of people (or organisms)
who frequently experience, or live with the threat of
experiencing, the physical sensation of desiring food.
Malnutrition is a general term for a condition caused
by improper diet or nutrition, and can occur in con-
junction with both under and over consumption of
calories.
Famine is a widespread scarcity of food that may
apply to any fauna species, which phenomenon is
usually accompanied by regional malnutrition, star-
vation, epidemic, and increased mortality.
Starvation describes a "state of exhaustion of the
body caused by lack of food." This state may precede
death.
Food policy is the area of public policy concerning
the production, distribution, and consumption of
food. It consists of the setting of goals for food pro-
duction, processing, marketing, availability, access,
utilization and consumption, as well as the processes
for achieving these goals. The policy may be set on
any level from local to global.
Amartya Sen is an In-
dian economist who was awarded
the 1998 Nobel Prize in Economic
Sciences for his contributions
to welfare economics and social
choice theory, and for his interest in
the problems of society’s poorest
members. Sen was best known for
his work on the causes of famine,
which led to the development of
practical solutions for preventing or
limiting the effects of real or per-
ceived shortages of food.
Thomas Robert Malthus was
a British scholar, influential
in political economy and
demography. Malthus has
become widely known for his
theories concerning popula-
tion and its increase or de-
crease in response to various
factors. The six editions of
his An Essay on the Principle
of Population, published from
1798 to 1826, observed that
sooner or later population
g e t s c h e c k e d
by famine and disease.
“I think I may fairly make two postulata. First, that food is neces-
sary to the existence of man. Secondly, that the passion between
the sexes is necessary and will remain nearly in its present
state. These two laws, ever since we have had any knowledge of
mankind, appear to have been fixed laws of our nature, and, as we
have not hitherto seen any alteration in them, we have no right to
conclude that they will ever cease to be what they now are, without
an immediate act of power in that Being who first arranged the
system of the universe, and for the advantage of his creatures, still
executes, according to fixed laws, all its various operations. Assum-
ing then my postulata as granted, I say, that the power of population
is indefinitely greater than the power in the earth to produce subsis-
tence for man. Population, when unchecked, increases in a
geometrical ratio.”
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations is a specialised agency of the United Na-
tions that leads international efforts to defeat
hunger. Serving both developed and developing
countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all
nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements
and debate policy. FAO is also a source of knowledge and informa-
tion, and helps developing countries and countries in transition
modernise and improve agriculture, forestry and fisheries practices,
ensuring good nutrition and food security for all. Its Latin motto, fiat
panis, translates into English as "let there be bread"
Hunger in the Philippines
maintained, the likelihood of
meeting the 2015 target is high.
To accelerate the decline, a
progressive approach must be
applied to the 10 regions with
proportion of underweight chil-
dren exceeding the national
average, e.g., Ilocos Region,
MIMAROPA (Region 4-B), Bicol
Region, Western Visayas
(Region 6), Central Visayas,
Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga
The proportion of households with food intake per Peninsula, Northern Mindanao
person that is less than hundred-percent dietary energy (Region 10), SOCSARGEN, and
requirement was 69.4 percent in 1993 (see figure above). ARMM.
This figure decreased to 56.9 percent in 2003, represent-
ing a decline of 1.25 percent each year. The target is to Consistent with gender
bring down this indicator to 34.7 percent in 2015. This equality, proper nutrition is critical
requires an annual decline of 1.85 percent from 2003 for women during pregnancy and
forward. To achieve this, the progressive approach must be lactation, both for their own
applied to the regions exceeding 56.9 percent of which, health and for their children to have the best possible start.
there are eight, namely, CALABARZON, Bicol Region (Region It is estimated that 28.4 percent of pregnant women were
5), Central Visayas (Region 7), Eastern Visayas (Region 8), nutritionally at-risk in 2005, based on the weight-for-height
Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao (Region 10), index. In addition, about 40 percent of pregnant women
SOCSARGEN (Region 12), and the ARMM. were anemic, with even higher levels of 50 percent and
over in some provinces in Mindanao in 2006.
Concerning the prevalence of underweight preschool- The diet of pregnant women was also found to be
ers, the National Nutrition Survey (NNS) conducted by the grossly inadequate, with 78.4 percent adequacy level for
Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) showed a calories and low micronutrient levels. These conditions
decline from 30.6 percent in 2001 to 26.9 percent in 2003 increase the risk of both maternal mortality and the delivery
(see Figure 3). This declined further to 24.6 percent in of low-birth weight infants. The latter, in turn, are also at
2005. The target by 2015 is 17.25 percent, which requires risk of dying within their first year or of becoming under-
an annual decline of 0.74 percent. If the rate of decline nourished in their pre-school years.
between 2001 and 2005 of 1.5 percent each year can be
Winning the War vs. Hunger
The AHMP or the Accelerated Hunger to provide alternative food
Mitigation Plan aims to intervene in both sources.
the supply side or the production of food;
and the demand side, or the means of The DSWD also maintains the
people to obtain sufficient food. Self-Employment Assistance –
Kaunlaran (SEA-K) program.
Accordingly, the program’s strategies on Since 1997, 12,496 SEA-K
the supply side are: (a) the production of Associations consisting of
more food; and (b) the enhancement of 280,698 families were given
logistics and food delivery. For the de- seed capital worth PhP1.2 billion
mand side, the strategies are: (a) genera- to finance micro- and small-scale liveli- tions reported that 801,462 new jobs
tion of income and employment; (b) hood programs. Of these, 773 SEA-K were created through the microfinance
promotion of good nutrition; and (c) the projects worth PhP72 million served subsector during the past two years.
management of the population. 15,400 families in 2006. (Source: http://www.neda.gov.ph/devpulse/
pdf_files/hunger%20mitigation.pdf )
Many of the projects included in the In the area of nutrition, the DOH National
AHMP are already being implemented. Nutrition Center has embarked on an The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Pro-
For the supply side, there is the Food for information and advocacy program, gram (4Ps) is a poverty reduction and
School Program of the Department of including the development, printing and social development strategy of the Na-
Health (DOH). This is an immediate inter- dissemination of nutrition-related com- tional Government that provides condi-
vention that provides a daily ration of onemunication materials. The DOH, in part- tional cash grants to extremely poor
kilo of rice to families of Grade 1 pupils,nership with the local government units households to improve their health,
preschool and daycare center children. In (LGUs), has also been promoting respon- nutrition and education particularly of
2006, about 294,172 day care children sible parenthood to encourage family children aged 0-14.
and 609,252 Grade 1 children benefited planning. Moreover, the Philippine Re-
from the program. sponsible Parenthood Program (PRPP) 4Ps has dual objectives: Social Assis-
was revised to highlight natural family tance- to provide cash assistance to the
Another program is the Tindahan Natin planning, breastfeeding and birth spacing poor to alleviate their immediate needs
(TN) Project of the National Food Author- to aid the government’s population pro- (short term poverty alleviation); and
ity and the Department of Social Work gram. Social Development- to break the inter-
and Development (DSWD). A “tindahan” generational poverty cycle through invest-
sells low-priced but good quality rice and The government’s support of micro, small ments in human capital.
noodles and can serve 250 families. As and medium enterprises (MSMEs) is
4P Projects include the Conditional Cash
of December 2006, there were already another step in this direction and is
Transfers, Child Nutrition Programs,
2,394 TNs in operation, translating to aimed at promoting job creation. From
598,500 families served. July 2004 to September 2006, a total of Maternal Health Programs, Disaster
2.152 million MSMEs were established Mitigation and Preparedness and many
There is also the Gulayan ng Masa, or nationwide, requiring the release of others. 4P still runs to the present ad-
backyard gardening, as well as the Baran- PhP76.21 billion in loan assistance. ministration.
gay Food Terminal program of the Depart-
ment of Agriculture – both of which aim Various government and private organiza-