Nutrition and development

International Symposium
30 November 2000
Basel, Switzerland

Background

“Swiss men don't like salad” and “little fruit, lots of alcohol” – such was the echo in the media to a representative study about present nutritional habits in Switzerland.

In Africa, South America and Asia, malnutrition has another side. Furthermore, it has been estimated that about 800 million people don't have enough to eat on the whole. In a world which technically could nourish all of mankind sufficiently, hunger is a scandal. The right to food is one of the fundamental human rights.

What is the scope and what are the consequences of under-nourishment and malnutrition in economically weak countries? How do the poor themselves perceive their situation? Which political shortfalls contribute to the situation as it presents itself today? To what extent are women especially affected? Does the key to improvement lie in politics, for example in land reforms, in the empowerment of the poor, in bio-agriculture or in genetic engineering?