2023-07-22 23:42:45
Montás cites data from the FAO.
SANTO DOMINGO.- In the period between 2020 and 2022, the prevalence of undernourishment in the Dominican Republic rose to 6.3%, which means, according to Temístocles Montás, that during the current administration of the Government, more people go hungry.
He said that three years following the start of the administration headed by President Luis Abinader, one would have to ask what has been the direct impact of the Government’s policies and achievements on the population.
The vice president of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) made the statement in the work entitled “Three years of the PRM government plus food insecurity,” published this Saturday.
Full text of the article by Montás:
“In a few weeks, it will be three years since the start of the Government of the Modern Revolutionary Party, headed by Luis Abinader. It is to be expected that both the president and his highest-level officials try to sell the government’s work as successful and it cannot be ruled out that lies are spread to present achievements or achievements as extraordinary.
The first thing that should be asked is what has been the direct impact of the Government’s policies and achievements on the population.
Have the material conditions of existence of Dominicans improved? In terms of food, is the population facing severe food deprivation greater, the same, or less today than it was before Luis Abinader took office? During these three years, has your protein intake increased or decreased? The right to adequate food is vital for achieving a dignified life; and without the guarantee of this fundamental right it is not possible to ensure the rights to life and health.
That is a task of the first order for any government that is truly concerned regarding the fate of its people. Without adequate nutrition, the development of people’s physical and mental capacities is not possible.
In scenarios of economic volatility, when food prices tend to become more expensive, the need for government action to guarantee the population’s food security gains strength. This is when policies to support agriculture and local food production are needed, as well as the strengthening of assistance programs for the most vulnerable sectors.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) provides interesting statistics on food security in the countries of the world. Regarding the statistics on the prevalence of undernourishment (understood as the inability of people to consume enough food to meet dietary energy needs), the aforementioned entity reports that, in the period between 2013 and 2019, undernourishment in the Dominican Republic fell from 8.4% to 5.7%. However, in the period between 2020 and 2022, the prevalence of undernourishment rose to 6.3%.
This means that the number of undernourished people went from 600,000 in the 2017-2019 triennium to 700,000 in the 2020-2022 triennium. What that means is that more people are going hungry today. But where the dietary collapse has been extraordinary is in the average protein supply.
According to the FAO, this indicator grew from 58.7 grams per person per day in the 2013-2015 triennium to 66.7 grams per person per day in the 2017-2019 triennium.
However, the FAO statistics show that in the 2020-2022 triennium protein consumption fell drastically in our country, standing at 22.4 grams per person per day, a drop of more than 66%. What that means is that today we eat less chicken, beef, pork, fish, less eggs, milk, cheese, beans, seeds, and others.
Food has deteriorated significantly in the country. To understand the seriousness of the situation regarding protein consumption, it must be borne in mind that, for an average adult, it is recommended to consume at least 0.85 gram of protein for each kilogram of body weight, so that a 70 kg adult should aim to eat at least 58 grams of protein every day.
From this it follows that the PRM and Luis Abinader have led the country to consume significantly less protein than is recommended internationally.
What has been said makes it very clear that the Government’s agricultural policy has not been effective and that its most concrete expression is that today we are immersed in a context of increasing food insecurity. Supermarkets, markets and grocery stores are the places where daily Dominicans endure having to see the result of government policy.
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