Miljø- og Fødevareudvalget 2017-18
MOF Alm.del Bilag 534
Offentligt
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Background for the
Global Parliamentary Summit against
hunger and malnutrition to be held in
Madrid on 29 and 30 October 2018.
Contents
I - Introductory Note
II - The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the world
III - The Role of Parliamentarians
IV - The Global Parliamentary Summit in Madrid
V - FAO and Parliamentary Alliances
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 MOF, Alm.del - 2017-18 - Bilag 534: Invitation til parlamentarisk topmøde om sult og fejlernæring den 29. og 30. oktober 2018.
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I - Introductory Note
On the 29th and 30th of October 2018 the Global Parliamentary Summit against Hunger and
Malnutrition will be held in Madrid. This Summit is a joint initiative of the Spanish Senate, the
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Spanish Agency for International
Development Cooperation (AECID) and the Latin America and the Caribbean Parliamentary Front
against Hunger. Its main goal is to advance the political will, as expressed by parliaments, to
achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG2) in order to face the fight against hunger in
a world where the estimated number of undernourished people increased to 815 million in 2016
1
and the epidemic of obesity and overweight, that particularly affects medium developed and
developed countries is on the rise, reaching more than 1.9 billion of adults overweight in 2016.
Of these over 650 million were obese
2
.
The Parliamentary Fronts against Hunger and Malnutrition were born in 2009 in Latin America in
response to the need for legislation on food issues and to ensure food security, as well as to
contribute to the SDG2 of the UN Agenda 2030. FAO seeks closer collaboration with
Parliamentarians, supporting and enhancing the creation of Parliamentary groups/alliances to
work towards meeting the mutual commitments on food security and nutrition. In this context,
it would be highly appreciated if you could inform the respective Parliament on the
abovementioned Global Summit and revert back to us by 02 July 2018.
The brief document below will provide updated information on the: (ii) The State of Food Security
and Nutrition in the world; (iii) the Role of Parliamentarians; (iv) The Global Parliamentary
Summit against Hunger and Malnutrition in Madrid and (vi) FAO and Parliamentary Alliances.
II. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the world in 2017
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Key messages
o
After a prolonged decline, world hunger appears to be on the rise again. The estimated
number of
undernourished
people increased to
815 million
in 2016, up from 777 million in
2015.
o
Much of the recent increase in food insecurity can be traced to the greater number of
conflicts, often exacerbated by climate-related shocks.
o
Even in some peaceful settings, food security has deteriorated as economic slowdowns
challenge access to food for the poor.
o
The worrying trend in undernourishment is not yet reflected in levels of chronic child
malnutrition (stunting), which continue to fall
–
but at a slower rate in several regions.
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http://www.fao.org/state-of-food-security-nutrition/en/
http://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
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http://www.fao.org/3/a-i7695e.pdf
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o
Despite the decline, in 2016
stunting
still affected
one out of four children
under the age
of five years, or
155 million children.
In some regions, stunting affects
one-third
of children
under five.
o
Wasting continues to threaten the lives of almost
52 million
children (8
percent).
o
Almost
one-third
(33
percent)
of women of reproductive age worldwide suffer from
anaemia, which also puts the nutrition and health of many children at risk.
o
Multiple forms of
malnutrition
are coexisting, with countries experiencing simultaneously
high rates of child
undernutrition
and adult
obesity.
o
Child
overweight
and
adult obesity
are on the rise, including in low- and middle-income
countries.
o
Worldwide, an estimated 41 million children under five were considered overweight in
2016, up from 5 percent in 2005.
o
The global prevalence of obesity more than doubled between 1980 and 2014. In 2014, more
than 600 million adults were obese, equal to about 13
per e t of the orld’s adult
population.
o
In 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults, 18 years and older, were overweight
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III
–
The Role of Parliamentarians
Evidence has shown that the improvement in food security and nutrition is principally due to
policies, programs and frameworks that are anchored in legislation. Parliamentarians, as
fundamental custodians of political commitments on food security and nutrition, are critical
partners in achieving food security and nutrition. They actually have an essential role in
promoting and/or enact as appropriate, legislative and other measures to address specific issues
on food security and nutrition; raising awareness on the aforementioned issues, including with
their constituencies; providing a dedicated space for dialogue and discussion; and promoting
dialogue and exchange of experiences with other Parliamentarians and Parliamentary bodies
around the world.
Several governments worldwide are considering interventions to improve Food Security and
Nutrition, among them for instance, the Chilean government has recently approved a regulation
la
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, ai ed at i pro i g o su ers’ k o ledge o the o te t of food produ ts’
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http://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
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 MOF, Alm.del - 2017-18 - Bilag 534: Invitation til parlamentarisk topmøde om sult og fejlernæring den 29. og 30. oktober 2018.
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nutrients, by including front-of-packages labelling in products high in sodium, total sugar, satured
fat, and energy.
The Law 20.606
establishes the conditions related to the production, import, processing,
packaging, storage, distribution and sale of food intended for human consumption, ensuring that
the process of food preparation observes good manufacturing practices and that the packaging
or labels specifies the ingredients contained. Furthermore,
the law 20.869
establishes provisions
related to food advertising. In particular, it is forbidden the advertising that encourages the
consumption of food labeled as high in calories or high in salt (according to the Law No. 20,606).
In line with this, it also establishes the following form of labeling: an octagonal symbol with a
black and white border and text "high" followed by "saturated fat," "sodium "" sugar "or"
Calories".
Another relevant example of parliamentary work is represented by the
Model Law on Family
Farming
of the Latin American and Caribbean Parliament (PARLATINO), developed with the
support of the FAO and the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation
(AMEXCID). The law is aimed at providing legal and technical instruments to the lawmakers so
that the importance of family farming is reconsidered, in terms of facing issues regarding hunger,
malnutrition, and obesity. The provided legal framework will serve the States to define and
implement policies and strategies on the preservation, promotion and development of family
farming. The model law consists of 31 articles including various elements such as the definition
and guiding principles up to the
State’s
obligations; representativeness and participation of civil
society; the monitoring and evaluation system; the necessary resources and the adequate
financing mechanisms to strengthen family farming.
IV - The Global Parliamentary Summit in Madrid, 29-30 October 2018
The aforementioned scenario makes it an imperative for all stakeholders to be involved in order
to achieve food security and nutrition and the SDGs as a whole. This includes governments,
Parliamentarians and non-State actors such as Civil Society and the Private Sector.
Parliamentarians are best placed to position the issue of food security and nutrition at the highest
level of the political and legislative agenda, given their legislative, budgetary and oversight
responsibilities, among others. In line with this the FAO has intensified its efforts to support
Parliamentarians to work towards meeting the mutual commitments on food security and
nutrition, including enacting good laws and advocating for the implementation of related policies
and programs that contribute to their effective implementation.
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 MOF, Alm.del - 2017-18 - Bilag 534: Invitation til parlamentarisk topmøde om sult og fejlernæring den 29. og 30. oktober 2018.
In this context, the
Global Parliamentary Summit against Hunger and Malnutrition,
to be held in
Madrid, aims to bring together parliamentarians from around the world to consolidate the
parliamentary political commitment in achieving the SDG 2 at international level, based on the
following specific objectives:
o
Highlight the specific role and the need for legislative bodies to achieve a world without
hunger by 2030;
o
Identify and share experiences of good policies and legislative practices, which are
fundamental in the fight against hunger and malnutrition;
o
Build a network of parliamentary alliances that contribute to the achievement of SDG2:
Zero Hunger, progress towards the commitments of the Second International Conference
on Nutrition (ICN2), and the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition, paying
particular attention to the most vulnerable people and territories.
V
–
FAO and Parliamentary Alliances
The Parliamentary Front against Hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC PFH) was
established in 2009 and until today 23 among regional, subregional and national fronts have been
established. It is a multi-partisan platform bringing together regional and national legislators
interested in the fight against hunger and malnutrition with the aim of positioning food security
at the highest level of the political and legislative agenda.
FAO recognizes parliamentarians as key stakeholders for implementing political commitments in
the area of food security and nutrition above all when it comes to drafting laws and approving
public budgets. Indeed, the FAO Partnerships Unit has enhanced its partnership with this sector
at regional and national level facilitating the establishment of more than 30 parliamentary
alliances covering several regions (Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean).
A program of technical cooperation with the Pan African Parliamentary Alliance for Food Security
and Nutrition (PAPA-FSN) has been developed encouraging the creation of national alliances in
Madagascar, Benin and the Republic of the Congo. In the European context, the partnership
between FAO and the EU has been strengthened through political dialogue with the
parliamentary committees and
the esta lish e t of the Parlia e tary Allia e
fight against
hu ger
inside the European Parliament. An Italian parliamentary alliance for food security was
also created.
Outreach efforts in the Asian region led to the establishment of the FAO Parliamentarian
Friendship League in Japan and a similar perspective in the Philippines.
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