Eliminate Hidden Hunger Through Planned Diet

16 October, 2020. World Food Day.

On this day, We came up with Some Ideas to eliminate Hidden Hunger through planned Diet & smart solution.

HIDDEN HUNGER is one of the leading problems on the world. More than 2 Billion people suffer from Hidden hunger or Micronutrient deficiencies. 1 in 3 of the world's population suffers from it and it's related conditions because of insufficient micronutrient consumption. And more than 1 million children under five die every year from vitamin A and zinc deficiencies. Micronutrient deficiencies are a leading cause of intellectual disability in children, preventable blindness in children, a maternal death during child death. They can limit a person learn a living, or live a healthy life.

So, What is hidden hunger?

Hidden Hunger is a form of malnutrition caused by a lack of vitamins and minerals in the diet such as vitamin A, iron, Zinc, folic acids and iodine. When the consumption of the micronutrient is insufficiently drops, that called hidden hunger. Even if you are having a lots of foods but you lack of important micronutrient consumption, you may suffer from hidden hunger.

To eliminate hidden hunger, we came up with 4 simple Food-based solution on this WORLD FOOD DAY.

1. Food/Dietary Diversity:

It is said that, "Food is better than Medicine". So, increasing dietary diversity is the preferred way of improving the nutrition of a population because, it has the potential to improve the intake of many probiotics not just micronutrient simultaneously.

2. Home gardening:

This idea aims at identifying suitable vegetables and fruits to grow, training farmers and household using limited land and waste to ensure constant food production and food security.

And the problem we aim to solve by home gardening is to supply nutritious vegetables in adequate amount. With kitchen gardening, this will be solve by growing vegetables and nutritious food supply.

3. Bio-Fortifications:

Next solution is Bio-Fortification. Bio-Fortification means putting nutrients on a plants where normal plants wouldn't.

In this method where genes that create nutrients that a plant wouldn't otherwise be able to produce are inserted into a plant's genome. Here we can get extra nutrients by consume them.

4. Supplementation:

This is a technical approach to deliver nutrients directly to the desired population by syrup or pills. This syrups and pills are extracted by highly rich food source. This is the last stage to eliminate the hidden hunger.

As we strive as a species to eliminate hunger and poverty, we must take steps to eliminate suffering however we can. Smaller efforts to improve micronutrient status have a snowball effect as well-nourished children grow up to be stronger adults and can help pull their communities out of poverty. It will take a combination of efforts, including gardens, supplements, food preparation methods, fortification, bio-fortification, and more to reach all people in need. It makes no sense to reject any of the possible solutions in favour of one or the other. There is no silver bullet, but we have silver buckshot.

This is the simple idea generated by us. Thanks to all who works at this poster presentations. Especial thanks to Hosna Khan, Nusrat Rabab, Rifat J. Romel, Rihad Bin Haque, and Arnika Saha Puja.

Poster credit: Fuad Hasan

And wishing you a Happy World Food Day.

Sunanda Dewan.

FTNS -9th batch, NSTU-15 batch.

Dept. of Food Technology and Nutrition Science.

Noakhali Science and Technology University.