Article published in El Comercio , Monday April 5, 2010
By Eduardo Zegarra
The discussion focused on growth continues to dominate economic and political discourse in the country, hiding important dimensions development, such as inequality, lack of job security and the serious food and health problems faced by a huge proportion of the population. One of the paradoxes of this approach was observed in 2008, when the country grew by 10%, but there were more than 1.2 million Peruvians with caloric deficit, ie failure food.
is true that the international crisis is a major issue, but no less significant to assess the implications and lessons of that other crisis, which occurred at the dramatic rise in food prices in 2007-2008, which have not yet returned to their previous levels for many products. The other crisis is being ignored by the current government, which prefers not to see what bothers you somewhat, and has not articulated coherent policies in this regard.
But several figures on the deteriorating food during the years 2007-2009 are gradually appearing in the surveys. According to the DHS, for example, while child malnutrition have fallen of 21.5% in 2008 to 19% in 2009 (a modest decline, but important), when the figure is broken down the entire improvement has focused on three non-poor quintiles of the population, while 40% in poverty has been a dramatic increase in child malnutrition. This is consistent with the increase in caloric deficit of the population in 2008, which has impacted on the most vulnerable households.
The lack of food security policy, although the issue is of vital importance to millions of Peruvians, does not occupy much room in the governmental concerns.
As we reminded President Carlos Amat García at the recent meeting with the G64, it is advisable to further discuss only aggregate growth and global perspectives without putting in front the situation of vulnerable households. These homes, which could be estimated at 40%, are vulnerable because they have a very high relative spending power and are prone to nutritional problems and given the precarious health and lack basic services of a social safety net that limits impacts of economic or climatic shock becoming more frequent. It is time the Government and political parties put aside the blind eye growth (and cement), and focus more on food, education and people's health. More importantly, it is crucial that we seek to generate agreements to implement sustainable policies that promote inclusion and reduce the vulnerability of millions of households in Peru.
is true that the international crisis is a major issue, but no less significant to assess the implications and lessons of that other crisis, which occurred at the dramatic rise in food prices in 2007-2008, which have not yet returned to their previous levels for many products. The other crisis is being ignored by the current government, which prefers not to see what bothers you somewhat, and has not articulated coherent policies in this regard.
But several figures on the deteriorating food during the years 2007-2009 are gradually appearing in the surveys. According to the DHS, for example, while child malnutrition have fallen of 21.5% in 2008 to 19% in 2009 (a modest decline, but important), when the figure is broken down the entire improvement has focused on three non-poor quintiles of the population, while 40% in poverty has been a dramatic increase in child malnutrition. This is consistent with the increase in caloric deficit of the population in 2008, which has impacted on the most vulnerable households.
The lack of food security policy, although the issue is of vital importance to millions of Peruvians, does not occupy much room in the governmental concerns.
As we reminded President Carlos Amat García at the recent meeting with the G64, it is advisable to further discuss only aggregate growth and global perspectives without putting in front the situation of vulnerable households. These homes, which could be estimated at 40%, are vulnerable because they have a very high relative spending power and are prone to nutritional problems and given the precarious health and lack basic services of a social safety net that limits impacts of economic or climatic shock becoming more frequent. It is time the Government and political parties put aside the blind eye growth (and cement), and focus more on food, education and people's health. More importantly, it is crucial that we seek to generate agreements to implement sustainable policies that promote inclusion and reduce the vulnerability of millions of households in Peru.
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