The State of Food and Agriculture 2024
- 13 Nov 2024
On 8th November 2024, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released a report, titled State of Food and Agriculture 2024. It revealed that India’s agrifood systems incur approximately $1.3 trillion in hidden costs each year, primarily from dietary risks tied to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) fuelled by processed foods and unhealthy dietary habits.
Key Points
- Impact of Unhealthy Dietary Patterns: The report attributes 73% of India’s hidden agrifood costs to unhealthy diets dominated by processed foods, low plant-based whole foods, and deficient essential fatty acids.
- Comparative Analysis of Global Hidden Costs: India ranks third globally, following China and the United States, for agrifood system hidden costs, indicating the need for dietary reforms.
- Contribution of Food Production to Environmental Costs: The food value chain, from production to processing, contributes significantly to GHGs, nitrogen runoff, and air emissions, aggravating environmental degradation.
- Breakdown of India’s Dietary Risk Costs: At 2020 purchasing power parity, overconsumption of processed foods alone accounted for $128 billion, while insufficient intake of whole foods and fruits contributed $846 billion annually to hidden costs.
- Thirteen key dietary risks, such as high sodium and red meat intake and low fruit and vegetable consumption, were identified as primary health cost drivers.
- Call for Agrifood System Transformation: The FAO’s report calls for value-driven reforms within agrifood systems to enhance sustainability, resilience, inclusivity, and efficiency.
