The Ministry of Social Development implements a strategy for the structural improvement of the food system based on three axes: information, action and resources, informed Minister Martín Lema in the presentation of a national report on the prevalence of food insecurity in households. “It is the first time that the country has accurate information,” he stressed. The event included the presence of President Lacalle Pou.
Together with the president and the minister, they were present this Thursday 20th in the Executive Tower, at the presentation of the study carried out by the National Institute of Statistics (INE), the secretary of the Presidency, Álvaro Delgado; the Minister of Economy and Finance, Azucena Arbeleche; the undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Development (Mides), Andrea Brugman; the technical director of the INE, Diego Aboal; the director of the National Food Institute (INDA), Ignacio Elgue; the representative of the Ministry of Public Health, Virginia Natero; and the INDA representative, María Rosa Curutchet.
Lema stressed that this action is a great step towards the national food policy, within the framework of the objective of reinforcing the accessibility structure. “It is the first measurement in the country with the INE methodology”, he pointed out.
In addition, he indicated that in the first axis, the information will allow to focus and be more efficient in the management of resources for national policies.
Regarding the action plan, he highlighted that the coverage of the National System of Dining Rooms increased, with the incorporation of Lavalleja and Salto, and that there are a total of 57 dining rooms, 53 in the interior of the country, and reported that the device will be increased in Montevideo.
Lema also highlighted the support of the Feeding Rights program, which reaches 456 institutions, such as centers for children, the elderly and the disabled. The hierarch, valued the support of this program to people who are in a situation of economic and social vulnerability. “We are strengthening the arrival and quality of food,” he assured.
On the occasion, he reported that another line of action will be generated through the incorporation of food distribution points, which may be fixed or mobile, to distribute dynamically.
Regarding the third axis, economic resources, he specified that for the first time an increase of 155 million pesos in 2023 and 260 million by 2024 was requested in the Accountability, to strengthen the comprehensive plan of access to food for all citizens.
“Statistics identify faces, experiences and circumstances. With information, with a clear plan of action and with resources, we must continue working so that our country has greater food security,” Lema reaffirmed.
Prevalence of food insecurity in Uruguay
The survey, which was carried out for the first time in Uruguay, was carried out in 7,624 households throughout the country in the course of June 2022. It consisted of eight questions regarding experiences and behaviors related to food and difficulties in accessing food due to resource limitations.
The main results show that there are 15% of households with moderate or severe food insecurity; 16.5% of people in households with moderate or severe food insecurity; 2.6% of households with severe food insecurity; and 2.9% of people in households with severe food insecurity.
The study warns that 21.5% of households with children under 6 years of age experience moderate or severe food insecurity, as well as 13.9% of households with no children under 6 years of age. Meanwhile, 3.8% of households with children under 6 years of age suffer from severe food insecurity, as well as 2.4% of households with no children under 6 years of age.
Diego Aboal, for his part, highlighted the inclusion of new quality data in the ongoing household survey and the coordination that took place in the process of the first sample of this type.
He argued that the study revealed that, for every 1,000 households, about 150 had reduced the amount of food consumed due to lack of money or other resources, at least once, during the last year prior to the measurement.
In addition, it indicated that some 26 out of every 1,000 households ran out of food for the same reasons and that someone in the household had not eaten anything for 24 hours, at least one day in the last year.
