Overly processed food, poor in fruits and vegetables, too salty: bad habits have a hidden health cost of more than 8,000 billion dollars per year, according to the report of a UN agency, which calls for “urgent action” to transform agri-food systems.
These 8,100 billion dollars (7,076 billion francs) are linked to productivity losses due to diseases caused by our diet (diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, etc.), according to the annual report produced by the UN agency for Food and Agriculture (FAO).
This largely invisible cost comes on top of already known and well-identified health costs, particularly medical expenses. Enough to double the real health bill for our food.
“To say that this doubles (the bill) is an order of magnitude that is reasonable,” confirms David Laborde, director of the Agri-Food Economics Division at FAO.
Refined products
This impact on health represents globally 70% of all hidden costs of food production, which also has environmental, social costs, etc.
Responsible for half of this health cost: a diet low in whole grains (in favor of refined products, a widespread phenomenon except in certain African countries or India), diets low in fruit (which concerns the entire globe), and diets high in salt.
Then come diets rich in processed meat (sausages, cold meats, etc.), red meat, low in vegetables, etc.
Up to 10% of GDP
Depending on the country, this hidden burden represents up to 10% of GDP, particularly for certain emerging states, notes the report, which covers 153 countries and 99% of the world population. This estimate is a minimum, because the calculation does not include the phenomena of undernutrition, which are also costly, underlines the FAO.
What to do? The FAO highlights “the need for more ambitious national commitments” and sees a role for everyone, from producer to consumer.
Helping farmers
The organization warns against the risk of placing these changes mainly on farmers, placed “on the front line”. On the contrary, we must “get out of the current trap (…) where we tend to transfer these costs to the farmer”, with the immediate consequence of demonstrations like those seen in Europe last winter and ultimately a decline in vocations. .
Agricultural producers must have access to technologies, be paid for their ecosystem services, and certifications (organic, fair trade, etc.) are a tool for better income, lists the report.
>> Read also: To appease agricultural anger, the European Parliament adopts a revision of the CAP
Necessary political will
“Agribusiness and investors have an important role to play,” also insists the FAO. Finally, consumers form “the last, vital piece of the puzzle”, by choosing healthy and sustainably produced foods.
For this, “financial incentives, information campaigns, regulations can support change, particularly for the most vulnerable households”, when “in many countries, populations bear the double burden of undernutrition/overweight or illness”.
“The international community can always hope that innovation will solve the problems of agri-food systems, but innovation alone will probably not lead them towards sustainability: their governance must change thanks to political will,” insists the FAO.
ats/mera
