Humans Nutrition

In Asia, despite growth of irrigation,cereal production and availbility continue to have serious seasonal variations. Depressions from average production range from 5 to 14% due to weather vageries.Such shortfalls exacerbate problems of food avaiiability and hence of nutrition, especially in food-deficit low-income countries and more particularty among the economically weak sections of the society. For instance, in the past decade,weather aberrations, mostly droughts, in the years 1972, 1974, 1979, 1980 and 1982, reduced production of cereals in some countries by as much as 14 million tons in one season. Crop losses through flood damage caused of the region, often affecting millions of peoples. Moreover, cyclones, typhoons and volcanic irruptions are still causes of alarm in a number of countries of this region.Development of early warning systems is, therefore,a priority need of the region to avert misery caused by natural disasters.

Importance of equity in food distribution

For all developing countries, it is estimated that food production meets about 96% of energy requirments. The high number of undernourished is largely accounted for by an unequal distribution of the available food. Better nutrition for people cannot mean equating the aggregate demand with aggregat supply. There must be some well conceived socioeconomic measures included in the agriculture and rural development projects whice will alleviate disparities in the food distribution systems and be conducive to inareasing purchasing power of the poor.

It is through agriculture and socioeconomic development that food supply can be increased and the  disparities in its distribution can be reduced. However, such development programs and policics must essentially be directed towards the most needy groups of populations; otherwise, a country may be a net food exporter or may have a high rate of economic growth and still not succeed in combating the problem of malnutrition. The small farmers and fishermen, the landless laborers and the urban poor constitute the groups of populations which because of their meagre resources and incomes are considered to be most at risk from the point of view of nutrition. Efforts should, therefore, be made to increase their capabilies for producing or purchasing adequate diets for themselves and their dependents.