A new United Nations report warns that Latin America and the Caribbean have the highest cost of access to a healthy diet compared to the rest of the world.
The report is due for launch on Wednesday, January 18, at a virtual press conference.
Panorama 2022 is a regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The document analyses the cost of healthy diets.
In addition to warning that Latin America and the Caribbean currently have the highest cost of a healthy diet compared to the rest of the world, the publication highlights the challenges to improving affordability.
It also points to the relevance of addressing the high cost of a healthy diet in the region and dealing with rising hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition in all its forms.
The publication presents data and analysis of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises on food insecurity and food prices, as well as evidence of national policies that have increased economic access to nutritious food and improved food and nutrition security.
Headline photo courtesy Louis Hansel (Unsplash.com).
Vegetables here are still relatively cheap especially when in season. Fruits as well. You can see mangoes rotting by the side of the road. If people have expensive taste and want to buy imported fruits like grapes and apples then you pay that price. Buy in season, stick with local. Less pesticide to contend with. We have carbs in abundance. Protein tend to be very expensive though. Chicken and fish will soon be unaffordable. So they will tell you to eat bugs. All by design.
There has to be a way forward.
Perhaps faith-based groups, community-based groups, and PTAs can invite Registered Dietitians to address the issue by providing suggestions while handling the topic, How to Make Healthy Food Choices on a Tight Budget.