Food Security and Nutrition

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In this month’s SPOTLIGHT we’ve got three big events to offer up. The line-up is as diverse as it is impressive. Food Security and Nutrition are among the most important issues we face now and into the future. Globally, 795 million people remain hungry today. Between now and 2050, the global population is projected to rise from 7 to 9.2 billion people, demanding a 60% increase in global food production.

Photo: Mercy Corps

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Photo: Food for the Hungry

DID YOU KNOW?

• Malnutrition is responsible for almost half of all deaths of children under the age of 5 (nearly 3 million every year) and for a large share of maternal deaths, too.
• 50% of malnutrition is caused by the lack of WASH – access to water, sanitation, hygiene. Chronic diarrhea (as well as intestinal worms -- a third of all school age children have them!), prevents the body from absorbing nutrients which leads to under/malnutrition.
• 159 million children are stunted due to chronic malnutrition and suffer lifelong physical and cognitive damage as a result; and 50 million children suffer from wasting or rapid loss of bodyweight due to acute malnutrition.
• The cost to the global economy could be up to 5% of GDP— that’s $3.5 trillion per year or $500 per person.

Children who get the right nutrition in their first 1,000 days are ten times more likely to overcome life-threatening childhood diseases. It’s the foundation for health and for prosperity. Investments in nutrition are cost-effective. Improving nutrition during the critical 1,000 days can boost a country's GDP by as much as 12% annually, and new studies show that every $1 invested in preventing stunting results in $18 in economic returns.

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JUNE 13-14 in Washington, DC is the U.S. Global Leadership Conference Summit. Headlining the impressive list of speakers is General David Petraeus and NBC’s Chuck Todd who will address today’s challenging global landscape and the critical role development, such as food security, plays in making for a healthier, safer and more prosperous world. More info at: http://summit.usglc.org/.

JUNE 17-19 at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore will mark Christian Connections for International Health’s 30th Annual Conference. This year’s theme, Sustainable Development from a Christian Perspective, will explore the enormous potential of the faith community to advance the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, and improve health and nutrition for millions across the globe. More info at: www.ccih.org/30th-annual-conference-june-2016.html.

JUNE 29:  Rounding out the month, three faith-based NGOs plus the Senate Hunger Caucus will host a Congressional staff briefing to discuss (and celebrate!) the role of the faith community in combating food insecurity and malnutrition. It's a terrific opportunity to further educate Members of Congress and their staff about public funding for global nutrition, food security, and agricultural development and how it is leveraged and enhanced by the American faith community.

FIA and the Interfaith Working Group for Foreign Assistance, in conjunction with World Vision, Catholic Relief Services and Lutheran World Relief, are pleased to join with Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Bob Casey (D-PA), Richard Durbin (D-IL), and Jerry Moran (R-KS). Learn more about these senators in this month’s Featured Members of Congress. For more info about the Congressional Briefing, please contact: Taylor Amos at tamos@bread.org

Photo: Sayora Khalimova for USAID