Managing stress through nutrition
Rachel Marshall of Fonterra explains the connection between food and mood, as she examines the current state of consumer mindsets and the shift towards holistic health.
The World Health Organisation defines overall health as a “state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. In the same vein, consumers no longer think of health as only physiological and realise that mental wellness is just as much an integral and essential part of wellbeing. People have become more cognisant of the things that can impact stress levels and mood, resulting in consumers increasingly focusing on balanced lifestyles and spending time on themselves.
Safeguarding people’s health has been the global priority amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. In Bhutan, emerging lessons show how nutrition and other aspects of health are intricately related to the management of food security during the current crisis, and beyond. The country’s leaders have used moral suasion alongside policy measures to demonstrate that good nutrition need not be a luxury.
Attribution: Om Bhandari, “Safeguarding Food Self-Sufficiency in the Time of COVID-19: Lessons from Bhutan,”
ORF Issue Brief No. 429, December 2020, Observer Research Foundation.
INTRODUCTION
Global trade was already facing disruptions before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, owing to weakened growth and heightened US-China tensions; agriculture commodities were being disproportionately affected.
Excess food disposal: hope in post-Covid Pakistan
Pakistan suffers from a shocking level of hunger (88 out of 132 countries) as per the Global Hunger Index 2020
Food wastage is a serious concern across the globe in terms of economic, environmental, and social aspects. According to a recent UN Environment Programme report, roughly one-third of the global food, approximately 1.3 billion tonnes, is wasted annually.
Pakistan is no exception in this regard. Roughly 36 million tonnes of food is wasted annually with 40% occurring in weddings, parties, and hotels. Alongside, Pakistan suffers from a shocking level of hunger (88 out of 132 countries) as per the Global Hunger Index 2020. According to a 2018 National Nutrition Survey (NNS), 60% of Pakistanis face food insecurity and 15% of children under five suffer from acute malnutrition. About 44% children under five are underdeveloped, 32% are underweight and majority two-year-olds consume less than half their daily energy requirements. T