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As global nutrition problems escalate, so must our efforts to resolve them

by Eugene Cho, opinion contributor - 10/23/22 1:00 PM ET

FILE – Bagged lunches await stapling before being distributed to students at the county’s Tri-Plex Campus involving the students from the Jefferson County Elementary School, Upper Elementary School and Junior High School on March 3, 2021 in Fayette, Miss. As the country’s food charities struggle to keep up with rising inflation and demand, the White House will host a conference on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. For several months, the Biden administration has hosted listening sessions with hunger and nutrition groups, corporations, and federal agencies to help find ways to end hunger by 2030. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

After decades of global progress, food insecurity is again on the rise. The COVID-19 pandemic brought the economy to a halt, putting millions of people out of work and spurring historic inflation. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is disrupting international supply chains of staple foods and further pushing up the cost of grain, fertilizer and energy — all essential resources for getting food to the millions of malnourished children and families that need it.

The global system of food production and distribution is teetering. Already, one in 10 people do not know where or when they will get their next meal. We must understand that we are just one more crisis away from unprecedented rates of hunger in our modern world.

Defying the recent trend toward increased partisanship in the United States, lawmakers came together to pass the Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act (GMPTA), which was just signed into law by President Biden. The bill directly targets global malnutrition by providing the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with the resources they need to scale up its efforts. By authorizing USAID to coordinate with federal agencies, international governments and a large number of vested aid organizations, the provisions in this bill will bolster the existing programs in place at all levels.

It is heartening to see elected U.S. representatives, who are often in fierce opposition, come together to prioritize ending malnutrition. The health benefits of good nutrition for both expectant mothers and infant children are well documented. For instance, the first 1,000 days of a newborn’s life is a critical period for developing brains. Before the passage of the GMPTA, aid groups struggled to coordinate efforts to improve nutrition, leading to missed opportunities. For example, some maternal health clinics funded by USAID didn’t always provide maternal nutrition services, even though pregnancy is one of the most critical times for good nutrition. A lack of coordination between various U.S. government strategies often leaves major gaps unfilled. The GMPTA will strengthen essential coordination efforts across governments and non-profit entities to ensure women and children receive comprehensive nutritional resources when and where they most need them.

The passage of the GMPTA is an achievement worth celebrating, but it is also a sign that we can accomplish more in the future. Fortunately, this act provides a basis for expanding future aid. The provisions of this act provide an example to other governmental and humanitarian organizations for how to best analyze the overall effectiveness of these programs. Improved transparency and accountability will in turn incentivize these organizations to optimize and accurately report their progress and results. Goal setting and data collection requirements will also help program administrators measure the outcomes of their distributions.

It is more important than ever that we do not grow complacent in the face of this progress, and it is critical that we build upon the groundwork laid by the GMPTA and increase global nutrition funding to the programs guided by this new law. We have the means to have a meaningful impact and reach even more women and children with critical nutrition services.

With more coordination and accountability, we are better suited to prevent the disasters a destabilized world can bring. Still, we should not rely on our leaders to solve this issue alone. All citizens who envision a better, more peaceful world must take up the mantle to ensure that years of progress are not further erased. By targeting global malnutrition, we can make a direct and immediate difference in the lives of millions of young children and improve the futures of many millions more — there is perhaps no cause more noble than this.

Eugene Cho is president and CEO of Bread for the World, a nonpartisan Christian advocacy organization urging national and global decision-makers to help end hunger — in the U.S. and around the world.