Keith, R. 2023. Can the Alma Ata principles of equity, governance and voice be used to balance the rising power of international corporations in global nutrition governance? in: Caraher, M. (ed.) Handbook of Food Security and Society UK Edgar Elgar Publishing. pp. 144-162
| Chapter title | Can the Alma Ata principles of equity, governance and voice be used to balance the rising power of international corporations in global nutrition governance? |
|---|---|
| Authors | Keith, R. |
| Editors | Caraher, M. |
| Abstract | This chapter is a challenge to all those who read it. It is rallying call to inspire health and nutrition stakeholders to rethink our global approach to addressing malnutrition in all its forms. Change is essential but it must come through an inclusive and critical reflection of our present solutions. We need to reflect on our approach to planning and implementing health and nutrition programmes, which predominantly focus on top down behaviour change communication, fortification and supplementation strategies and treating severe malnutrition, yet 823 million people still go to be hungry and over 2 billion people have experienced food insecurity in 2022. Only 20% of under five year olds with severe acute malnutrition are identified and treated. Levels of anaemia in women of child bearing age is not reducing despite establishing a Decade of Nutrition in 2015. Low birth weight infant targets are also stagnant. Our solutions are not working. We have spent decades telling people to eat a healthy diet while enabling corporations to sell ultra-processed foods cheaply, increasing inequities in health outcomes globally. Corporations are now involved in most global health and nutrition policy fora, while voices of marginalised communities are not be heard or addressed. Global strategies focused on large scale food production, increasing the availability of food for decades, moving finally to recognise the need to address nutrition not just food availability and accessibility. We have talked a lot about supporting the development of a sustainable, nutritious, and equitable food system, but this is not a global priority. Today food production is harming the health of our world and our communities. Evidence indicates that reducing inequities has been more successful in improving health and nutrition outcomes, when implemented through an intersectoral approach, which helps to break the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition. This chapter presents an adapted framework which combines addressing power imbalances with the core components of a health framework addressing equity, governance and voices of communities which are implemented through an intersectoral lens to reduce food insecurity in a more sustainable and equitable approach. |
| Keywords | Right to food |
| food security | |
| power | |
| equity | |
| voice | |
| governance | |
| corporate capture | |
| Book title | Handbook of Food Security and Society |
| Page range | 144-162 |
| Year | 2023 |
| Publisher | Edgar Elgar Publishing |
| Publication dates | |
| Published | Aug 2023 |
| Place of publication | UK |
| ISBN | 9781800378438 |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800378445.00026 |
| File | File Access Level Controlled (open metadata, closed files) |
| Web address (URL) | https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/handbook-of-food-security-and-society-9781800378438.html |