Hunger rarely makes headlines

By Indeewara THILAKARATHNE

Although the issue of hunger has been conveniently put into the backburner of public discourse, it has become a focused area against the back-drop of drastic drop in food production and rising oil prices. In Sri Lanka, in plantation sector and pockets of poverty-ridden communities in urban areas have been identified as highly affected by hunger. In Asia-Pacific region, three major aspects of hunger are chronic which is caused by inadequate purchasing power, hidden hunger caused by malnutrition, deficiency of micronutrients and transient hunger caused by disruption in communication due to draught, flood and cyclone.

A media survey of seven developing countries in the Asia Pacific Region, carried out by Panos Institute Sri Lanka over a three-month period revealed the extent and quality of the coverage given to the issue.

"The survey of English Language newspapers in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand found that hunger was rarely the main focus of articles or editorials. It was reported as a side issue in stories about troubled economies, agricultural problems or natural disasters. There was little pro-active or investigative reporting of hunger and its underlying issues, The emphasis of the coverage was on statistics and strategies rather than the human face of hunger. Few newspapers gave real prominence to the issues of hunger on their front pages or in their influential editorial columns. The reporting of hunger across the region was inevitably marked by national variations and preoccupations. However, there were common threads. The majority of the 1,236 articles published in the 29 newspapers monitored were neither pro-active nor the result of independent investigation into underlying causes or the impact on individuals. Instead, stories were written as a reaction to events, relying on statements from international agencies or governments, announcements by experts, or organised events such as protests to prompt coverage.

Income disparity, poverty and change of food habits are some of the causes of hunger in Sri Lanka. Especially, in plantation sector and poverty-ridden urban areas, the major cause of hunger is inability on the part of impoverished population to purchase food in adequate quantities. In several instances, as household income is basically spent on education of the children, a very little attention is paid to their food requirements and the nutrient quality and quantity of the meals. The change of food habits due to busy life style has also contributed to this situation. " stated the report. Although Sri Lanka belongs to the middle level of countries in terms of hunger index, the issue needs attention on priority basis as there is a possibility to turn the situation worse with the on-set of global financial crisis. A seven point agenda based on global experience of hunger has been made by FAO and UNDP, spelling out seven elements of priority areas in combating hunger.

Focus on targeted interventions such as school feeding is one of the prioritized areas on the agenda. It has been found out such direct interventions have yielded duel benefits of providing nourishment and encouraging school attendance, especially of girls. In Sri Lanka, school feeding programme has been successfully implemented. It has also important to measure the outcome of development in terms of hunger impact. Although several Asia-Pacific countries have achieved impressive economic growth, there is little or no impact on hunger reduction. Reviving public investment in agriculture, at both national and international level has also been cited as an important measure. Between 1990 and 2007, on average, public investment on agriculture has been reduced by 1.5 per cen. However, the impact of National Drive for Local Food Production on hunger in Sri Lanka has not been counted for this. Public investment will have a catalyst effect on increase of productivity through a mix of quality extension services, farm to market road and substantial investments physical and infrastructure with application of latest knowledge to increase productivity. For the long term growth, it is also important to make substantial investments in Research and Development. Building a national and global coalition to combat hunger, making primary education mandatory, subsidies to consumers for staple-foods and reviewing global food policy to encourage farmers in low-income countries back to cultivations are some other priority areas on the agenda.

Inaccessibility to food, chronic poverty, change of food habits and life styles has contributed to increase hunger in Sri Lanka.