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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 May 2009
The roots of malnutrition are found in economics, education, agriculture, and health. This multiple etiology requires that approaches to the problem engage many different institutions. These organizations can be viewed as constituting an International Nutrition Institutional Network. The functions of this system are collection and dissemination of information, provision of goods and services, financing, and coordination. Significant problems, however, have been identified in the performance of these functions. These are organizational: poor coordination, vague responsibility delineation, inadequate evaluation, people limitations, and internationalnational relationships. They are also political: policy vacuum, knowledge gaps, and priority conflicts. Unless these are rectified, the Network's effectiveness will remain severely limited.
1 The International Food Policy Research Institute estimated that 1974–75 cereal shortfall at 45 million tons, rising to 98–105 million tons in 1985; Meeting Food Needs in the Developing World: The Location and Magnitude of the Task in the Next Decade, Research Report No. 1, February 1976, p. 2. This is not to suggest, however, that the best way to meet nutritional needs is necessarily through grain trade or international food donations.
2 Austin, J. E. et al. , Urban Malnutrition: Problem Assessment and Intervention Guidelines, Harvard University, Report Submitted to International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, 09 1976Google Scholar. The calculation assumes a cost of $263 per ton including delivery system costs and the need to distribute 72 million tons to meet the calorie deficit, including 30 million tons which get drained off through leakages such as storage, consumption by nontarget group individuals, etc.
3 For further discussion see “The United States, FAO and World Food Politics: US Relations with an International Food Organization,” Staff Report of the Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs, 06 1976, Washington, D.C.Google Scholar
4 interview, August 1976.
5 The authorization was $500 million but was reduced by the Appropriations Committee.
6 “General Progress Report of the Executive Director,” UNICEF, E/1CEF/6422, 1976, p. 16Google Scholar; an additional $43.7 million was spent on child health (medical care, water supply and family planning).
7 “Report of the World Food Council,” United Nations General Assembly, Thirtieth Session, New York, 1975Google Scholar.
8 Weiss, Thomas G. and Jordan, Robert S., The World Food Conference and Global Problem Solving, (New York: Praeger, 1976), p. 143Google Scholar.
9 Ibid.
10 Senate Select Committee Staff Report, p. 11.
11 Personal communication, August 1976.
12 Personal correspondence, October 1976.
13 Martin, Edwin M., “Nutrition Problems of the World,” The Johns Hopkins University Centennial Symposium on Nutrition and Public Health, 11 11, 1976Google Scholar.
14 Interview, July 1976.
15 Personal correspondence, November 1976.
16 McKitterick, Nathaniel M., “US Diplomacy in the Development Agencies of the United Nations,” planning pamphlet No. 122, National Planning Association, Washington, D.C., 07 1965 p. 13Google Scholar.
17 Senate Select Committee Staff Report, p. 26.
18 Malstrom, Vincent H., “Roman Holiday: An Inside Look at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization,” Middlebury College Newsletter (Spring 1975), p. 31Google Scholar.
19 Shepherd, Jack, The Politics of Starvation (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, New York, 1975), p. xGoogle Scholar.
20 UNICEF, p. 9.
21 The New York Times, April 25, 1976, sec. 1, p. 7; note that the FAO budget also supports the country and regional field offices.
22 See Asher, Robert E., “International Agencies and Economic Development,” International Organization, Vol. 22, No. 1 (Winter 1968)CrossRefGoogle Scholar.
23 Senate Select Committee Staff Report, p. 2.
24 For example, UNICEF spent $5.9 million on child nutrition in 1971 and $15.1 million in 1975.
25 For example, the Nutrition Unit at WHO Headquarters consists of only about five professionals.
26 In 1976, nutrition loans or nutrition components of other loans were less than 4 percent of total annual agriculture and rural development lending.
27 Interviews, July and August 1976.
28 This is not to suggest that consensus is to be equated with success; the disagreements at Bucharest probably provided the dissonance to force a needed rethinking of approaches to the population issue. Nonetheless, post-Conference follow-up was complicated by the lack of consensus.
29 Interviews, July and August 1976.
30 There are likely few in the nutrition community who would opt for the food shortfall, but the realities of the political process do create a discouraging dilemma.
31 Waldheim, Kurt, “Keynote Address,” The World Food and Energy Crisis: The Role of International Organizations, Gardner, Richard N., ed. (Rensselaerville, New York: Institute on Science and Man, 1974), p. 4Google Scholar.
32 Jelliffe, D., “Comments on Bottlenecks in Implementation: Some Aspects of the Scandinavian Experience,” Eide, W., Jul, M. and Mellander, O., Human Rights in Health (Ciba Foundation Symposium Amstenlam, N. Y.) 1974, p. 269Google Scholar.