There is no denying that good nutrition is vital to having a stable foundation for socio-economic development. Over the past decades, unprecedented developments in the agriculture sector and the global food industry have taken place resulting in greater access to a wider variety of food. However, despite several improvements in the agri-food supply chain, the world continues struggling to end the issue of hunger and malnutrition. Countries across the globe are falling short of staying on track to attain the target of ending hunger by 2030 even before the onslaught of the pandemic as reported by the Food and Agriculture Organization.
Today, the road to achieving food and nutrition security is further threatened by the lingering economic and social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and relatively high inflationary pressures. In the Philippines, overweight and obesity is a growing health concern affecting nearly 27 million Filipinos along with micronutrient deficiency and underweight as part of the "triple burden" caused by malnutrition in the country.
Malnutrition is a complex and multifaceted problem necessitating multi-sectoral and comprehensive strategies to effectively and sustainably prevent and manage. The ECCP shares the same concerns of the government and health authority, and fully supports initiatives to combat the said health issue. It is to this end that the Chamber is hosting the second run of its nutrition event entitled, "Building a Healthier Philippines: Accelerating Joint Efforts to Advance the Nutrition Agenda" on 27 July, 1:00 - 5:30 PM at Dusit Thani Manila.
The physical event will feature updates on the nutrition agenda of the current administration as well as multi-stakeholder dialogues on innovative solutions to safeguard nutrition gains and improve nutrition outcomes.