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Context

A recent FAO report, "Tracking Progress on Food and Agriculture-Related SDG Indicators 2025," indicates that 56 countries will miss the low hunger target by 2030 if current trends continue. The report also introduces the Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD) for women as a new measurement tool.

What is Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women (MDD-W)?

A new key indicator measures progress toward SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) by assessing diet quality and the risk of micronutrient deficiencies.

Definition: MDD-W measures the proportion of women of childbearing age (15-49 years) who have consumed food from at least five out of ten predefined food groups within the previous day. The 10 Food Groups:

1. Grains, white roots and tubers, and plantains
2. Pulses (beans, peas, lentils)
3. Nuts and seeds
4. Milk and milk products
5. Meat, poultry, and fish
6. Eggs
7. Dark green leafy vegetables
8. Other Vitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables
9. Other vegetables
10. Other fruits

Achieving this minimum diversity is a strong indicator that a woman's diet is adequate in essential micronutrients required for her health, well-being, and productivity.

Highlights of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Report 

A Global Deficit

• Only 64.7% of women of childbearing age globally achieved minimum dietary diversity between 2019 and 2023. 
• One-third of women worldwide are at risk of malnutrition due to inadequate diets.

Stark Regional Disparities

• Sub-Saharan Africa: Only 43.6%
• Central and Southern Asia: 47.7%
• Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand): 61.3%

Regions with Better Performance

• Eastern and South-eastern Asia: 84.05% (close to the target)
• North America and Europe: 78.97%
• Latin America and the Caribbean: 77.47%

A Trend of Deterioration

The report reveals a concerning trend: the world is failing to meet its nutrition goals, with dietary diversity generally declining over time.

Link to Systemic Failures

Low dietary diversity is linked to agrifood system failures, including the scarcity of nutritious, affordable food and ongoing food insecurity.

Drivers of the MDD Crisis

Cost and Affordability

Economic downturns and rising food prices make nutrient-dense foods (fresh produce, eggs, meat, milk) unaffordable for the poorest households.

Availability of Nutritious Foods 

Current food systems prioritize large-scale production of staple crops (rice and wheat), leading to imbalances in the market and supply of diverse, nutrient-rich options.

Conflict and Climate Shocks

Ongoing conflicts, economic instability, and the impacts of climate change (droughts and floods devastating diverse crops) contribute to the lack of progress in improving dietary diversity since 2016.

Way Forward 

The FAO emphasizes that achieving the 2030 targets requires urgent, coordinated action across multiple sectors.

Implement Nutrition-Specific Actions: Promote initiatives like dietary education, fortification of staple foods, and providing micronutrient supplements to vulnerable populations.

Strengthen Nutrition-Sensitive Systems: True progress depends on broader systemic changes:

• Reduce Poverty and Inequality: Implement robust social protection systems (like cash transfers and food assistance) to ensure the poorest can afford healthy diets.
• Transform Agrifood Systems: Promote the production of diverse, nutrient-rich foods (like fruits, vegetables, and pulses) and ensure they are accessible and affordable.
• Empower Women: Focus on programs that increase women's income and control over household resources, as this has been shown to directly improve family nutrition.

Invest in Data and Monitoring: Continue to invest in collecting high-quality data on dietary diversity to track progress, identify hotspots of malnutrition, and design evidence-based policies.

Conclusion

The FAO's 2025 report highlights the critical need for diverse, nutritious diets for women to achieve sustainable development and Zero Hunger by 2030. Without global food system changes and reduced inequality, the health crisis facing millions of women and future generations will persist.

Source: DOWNTOEARTH