Time to clear the polluted air

Multiple forms of malnutrition, especially those related to unhealthy diets and reduced activity, are important risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) that claim more than 70 per cent of global deaths (41 million) annually.

Indian statistics in this regard are quite disturbing — about 5.8 million die from NCDs each year. Our own national family health survey (NFHS-4) 2015-16, showed that only one out of 10 of India’s children (6-23-month age group) eats a diverse minimum acceptable diet.

The same survey also highlights that the number of obese people have doubled in India. Obesity promotes onset and progression of NCDs like Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cancer and premature death.

In addition, multiple forms of pollution, threatening our quantity and quality of life, are further adding to this menace. 

Reports indicate that the deteriorating air quality and escalating environmental degradation is reducing India’s average life expectancy by 1.7 years. India’s toxic air claimed 1.24 million lives in 2017 (12.5 per cent of total deaths recorded in the year).

A big part of environmental degradation in the form of adverse climate change is also attributable to food systems. A Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg has become a big name in the climate change talks because of her unbridled passion, focus and dedication to raising awareness across nations and also compel decision makers for action.

She warns policy makers of dire consequences and urges to act now, as if our houses are on fire. What we eat, what we waste and what we demand for, also drives the climate change process. 

In fact, a looming question is how will food systems nutritiously and sustainably feed 8.5 billion people by 2030?

Climate change on one hand has been projected to reduce yields of staples (by upto 10 per cent for every 1-degree rise in temperature). On the other hand, excess Co2 in the environment is and will be causing the dilution effect, which means more yield, but with decreased micronutrient content. This double whammy leads to exacerbation of hidden hunger and may produce nutritionally insecure unhealthy masses.

Climate change will affect the poorest and vulnerable people the most. This may push us further away from our vision of Ayushman Swastha Suposhit Bharat and stall our attainment of sustainable development goals.

Our fragmented health systems are not in the best shape so far; these challenges will thus only add to their burden.  

Another related aspect is the huge loss of biodiversity. When we compare with the 1960s, food supplies have become more homogenous.

Most countries grow around 12 of the same commodities. This decline in diversity of the diets also presents risks of climate change adaptation. If we’re growing less food and a lot of the same types of species, we’re not diversifying and spreading the risk out.

Further, besides the number of species that we’re growing and the number of species available in the overall food supply, we’re also seeing a decline in varieties within those species.

For example, globally about 500 varieties of cabbage existed in earlier times, which have been reduced to 20 in the current era.

We must recognise that there are several stakeholders in this value chain - right from farmers/sufferers to consumers/sufferers. So we can leave no stone unturned. Subsidies to healthier products, using taxation and other financial legal levers to nudge and steer people towards healthier food choices, are all ways to promote stronger safer and more nutritious food environment. 

Recent studies show that both for human and planetary health, one must consume more whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables and lesser meat and meat products. 

This will help raise demand for natural whole foods instead of currently catered (overpowering,omnipresent) ultra-processed junk food high in added sugars, salt or bad fats, which are neither good for us or nature and should be selectively phased out from our food systems. 

Guidance programmes and documents to leverage work done should be created. Crowdsourcing of available resources to facilitate multi-stakeholder dialogues related to food systems’ transformation and climate change, should be underway. 

Responsive and responsible leadership is urgently sought from all sectors to secure inclusive, sustainable, efficient, nutritious and resilient food systems.  

History has proved that initiatives turn into historic successes only when they become participatory people’s movement (Jan Andolan). This will need sustained awareness generation, capacity building efforts and empowerment to take charge of health, nutrition and environment. 

Since this space requires coordinated multi-sectoral action, leadership is of prime importance. Endeavours to support better research, high quality customised educational programmes, newer tailor made academic ventures and capacity building exercises to take on and tackle these mammoth problems, are the need of the hour.  

We need accelerated action to fix the seemingly far, but actually portending problems urgently. We must transform our short sightedness to unified vision for ultimately achieving public health and nutrition security along with ensuring planetary health. 

Let us hope we collectively add voice and power to this mission and act before it’s too late or irreversible. On days like this Earth Day dedicated to advocate for conserving environment, we need to engage and create multisectoral dialogues around influencing and integrating interdependent factors like nutrition security and public health.

Future generations are looking up to us for taking steps to ensure a healthy happy future for them. Let’s not disappoint them or ourselves.

Author is head nutrition research and additional professor, PHFI