FAO Director-General calls for collaboration to combat malnutrition, obesity

By Michelle Nurse On Mar 7, 2018

Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), José Graziano da Silva, has called for a multi-sectoral approach in combating malnutrition and obesity, which are on the rise in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

Speaking on day two of the FAO’s 35th Regional Conference for the LAC at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St. James on Tuesday (March 6), Mr. da Silva said there is a “disturbing change”, which has resulted in the prevalence of malnourished people increasing in countries of the Caribbean, South and Central American subregions.

“The prevalence of malnourished people increased in 2016. This includes here in Latin America and the Caribbean, where the numbers went up from 20 million to 42.2 million. So now it is time to take stock of the promise made, then find the reasons for this setback and draw conclusions on how to move forward to make sure that the numbers go down,” he said.