Food and Nutrition - The context.

Equitable and stable access to adequate, safe, and nutritious foods and beverages that meet dietary needs, promotes general community well-being, prevents and even treats disease, thus promoting the prosperity and posterity of communities.

The food and nutrition challenges is largely result of Climate Change, especially among the developing countries, severely impacting mainly low income persons, the vulnerable and marginalized communities and children in general. Food and beverages quality and quantity tend to be degraded by frequent weather events such as extreme temperatures, altered rainfall patterns and disastrous environmental events such as droughts, floods and landslides.

A local evening market with a variety of vegetables, fruits and tubers that can be locally grown in homesteads thus improving domestic food security due to food adequacy, food quality and financial frugality

 How it applies to our context.

In our context, food security refers to adequate and nutritious food that is well balanced to provide all the nutrients necessary for sustenance of life. Our interventions will largely dwell on awareness creation regarding nutrition and food security, on top of promoting and encouraging encouraging home gardens and farms for foods such as fruits, vegetables, root tubers, poultry and small ruminants, among others. 

Food security and nutrition are interconnected but distinct concepts; Food Security focuses on the availability, accessibility, affordability, stability, and utilization of food, on the other hand Nutrition focuses on dietary diversity, nutrient adequacy, food quality, and balanced consumption necessary for healthy growth and development. Effective interventions must therefore address both quantity (enough food) and quality (nutritious food).

A balanced diet requires appropriate intake of the following components:

·       Carbohydrates – Primary energy sources (e.g. cereals, roots, tubers)

·       Proteins – Essential for growth and repair (e.g. beef, pork, chicken, fish, eggs, milk, legumes)

·       Vitamins – Support immunity and body functions (e.g. fruits and vegetables)

·       Minerals – Support bone health and metabolic processes (e.g. salt, vegetables, legumes)

·       Fats and Oils – Energy and nutrient absorption (e.g. vegetable oils, animal fats)

·       Water – Essential for digestion, nutrient transport, and overall health

In many communities, diets are heavily skewed toward carbohydrates, with insufficient intake of proteins, vitamins, and minerals, largely due to cost, limited awareness, cultural habits, and seasonal availability.

Incidences of famine, starvation and malnutrition are still rampant in Uganda, Karamoja region in particular is regularly hit with drought and famine causing displacements we often see on the streets of cities such as Mbale, Jinja and Kampala. Also displacements from disaster prone areas of Elgon and Ruwenzori regions, and most urban wetlands often cause food insecurity and malnutrition mainly due to loss of food, loss of sources of income or access to adequate and nutritious food.

On the other hand, marginalized/ vulnerable persons and slum communities in particular, tend to be disproportionately food insecure and malnourished, especially due food unaffordability, limited access to good food and general ignorance about nutritional issues. Food security and malnutrition have profound Socio-Environmental impacts and is therefore a concern for the entire community. This will prevent illnesses that arise from malnutrition, especially among children, the elderly and the sick, as well improve general productivity due to elimination of hunger. Also vices such as food thefts, street begging, prostitution, and over exploitation of the environments, will be

Some of the known Socio-Environmental Challenges that affect food and nutrition include;

•          Climate-induced crop failures and livestock losses

•          Poor post-harvest handling and storage leading to food waste

•          Limited access to affordable protein-rich and micronutrient-dense foods

•          Weak market linkages between producers and consumers

•          Inadequate nutrition education and dietary diversity awareness

•          Environmental degradation affecting soil fertility, water availability, and biodiversity

These challenges contribute to malnutrition, stunting, anemia, obesity, and diet-related non-communicable diseases, especially among children, pregnant women, and the elderly.

Urban and peri-urban communities tend to face high food prices, limited access to fresh produce, and dependence on informal food systems, while rural communities face production risks, limited storage, and poor market access.

On the other hand, disaster-prone and emergency settings require rapid food assistance, nutrition-sensitive interventions, and resilient food systems to prevent hunger and malnutrition, meanwhile women, children, and the elderly require targeted nutrition support due to higher vulnerability.

These are specific are of intervention that requires support individual, community and institutional support.

To improve food and nutrition outcomes in the target group, SELLMARK shall engage the affected communities to jointly identifying food and nutrition challenges and leverage local knowledge, crops, and dietary practices, among others.

SELLMARK emphasizes the following:

• Integrated farming systems composed of various enterprises (crop–livestock integration)

• Improved post-harvest handling and storage technologies

• Domestic food production, preservation and storage practices.

• Community education on proper food preparation and adequate nutrition.

• Promotion of locally available, nutrient-dense foods

• Infant and young child feeding education

• School feeding and nutrition programs

By promoting environmentally responsible, socially inclusive, and economically viable food and nutrition solutions, SELLMARK contributes to healthier communities, improved livelihoods, long-term resilience and Socio-Environmental stability.