Ending Poverty: The Role of Food and Nutrition to the Vulnerable

Abstract

Poverty is regularly defined based on money or income, and living on less than USD 1.25 per day in a country in a given year means to be extremely poor. Although in a real sense, poverty entails multiple deprivations of basic needs including infrastructures, social amenities, basic education, primary health, food and other agricultural products, shelter, clothing, and security. The poor are usually the most vulnerable group of people in any society. They lack the required assets or savings to respond to the issues of life. Such people if not assisted, may remain poor, become poorer, and those close to the poverty line are likely to fall below the line. Food poverty is another measurement of poverty. It is mainly influenced by income, and deprived access to affordable and nutritious food which negatively influences health, economy, and social and psychological life. Food and nutrition are ways of fuelling the body with the required energy and nutrients. They are important devices linking poverty to health. Inadequate or insufficient access to healthy and nutritious food has a significant consequence on a person's nutritional intake and subsequently on health, well-being, and wealth. The vulnerable are individuals or a group of people who are not capable of coping with or resisting series of forces from the environment. They are of different ages, in need of special care, support, or protection. These include young children (below age 10), adolescents (children in transition to becoming adults, 10-19 years), pregnant and nursing women, elderly people (ages 65 and above), and poor or malnourished people, who face burdens of life such as malnutrition, homelessness, poor housing, and poverty.