As the Russia-Ukraine crisis unfolds, the world is facing new threats to global food security which will exacerbate the dire situation caused by two years of COVID-19 pandemic and related economic recession. The 2021 UN State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World estimates that close to one third of the world’s population suffered from moderate to severe food insecurity in 2020, up by 320 million people in just one year. Food insecurity will have to continue to be a top priority for governments, at a time when resources to provide relief are dwindling. Simple yet reliable tools, metrics, and indicators to accurately measure food insecurity and to track, monitor, and assess the impacts of mitigation measures will be more important than ever to ensure that populations receive the support they need in these challenging times. The presentation will provide a brief overview of available indicators to measure different dimensions of food security and for different purposes, focusing on population level measurement.
About the speaker
Marie T. Ruel is Director of the Poverty, Health and Nutrition Division at the International Food Policy Research Institute. Dr. Ruel has worked for more than 35 years on policies and programs to alleviate poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition in low- and middle-income countries. She has published extensively on topics related to maternal and child nutrition, infant and young child feeding practices and related indicators, urban food security and nutrition, and on the linkages between agriculture, food systems, nutrition, and health. Dr. Ruel has served on various international expert committees, including with the National Academy of Sciences, the International Zinc in Nutrition Consultative Group, the Micronutrient Forum, and the WHO – STAGE on Maternal, Newborn, Child & Adolescent Health and Nutrition. Dr. Ruel received the American Society for Nutrition Kellogg Prize for lifetime achievement in nutrition in 2019. She holds a PhD in International Nutrition from Cornell University.
MiFOOD is hosting a series of webinars on various topics about migration and food security that highlight the progress of the project. These webinars include conceptual discussion, empirical findings and policy analysis. Through these webinars, we intend to build a community with various stakeholders for knowledge sharing, deepen the understanding of the complex intersections between migration and food security, and facilitate the discussion of effective policy interventions. Follow the MiFOOD Twitter (Moving on Empty), Like the MiFOOD Facebook page to be notified about upcoming webinars.
