Hunger, food security, and land use: Inquirer contributor

A major contributor to the problem of hunger in many regions of the country is the decline in local food production due to the increasing loss of agricultural land caused by uncontrolled urban growth and economic globalisation. - AFP

MANILA (Phlilippine Daily Inquirer/Asia News Network): The recent report of the Social Weather Stations on hunger in the country highlights not only the failure of government to address poverty, but also the relationship between people’s access to food, agricultural production, and land use.

The report cites that 11.8 per cent of Filipino households (about three million families) experience hunger and 33 per cent (around four million) of Filipino children under five years old are malnourished. Hunger results in undernutrition and malnutrition, which, in turn, lead to “high stunting” among children, which means they are unlikely to reach their full mental and physical potential.