BRISTOL, United Kingdom — World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that 56 million people in rural China are living in poverty. In these areas, which are largely remote and mountainous, there are great disparities between the income and nutritional status of citizens, in comparison to those in urban areas. There are a huge number of people in poverty, but almost three times as many as malnourished ones, so it is not only the poorest in society who are lacking an adequate and nutritious diet. This is particularly true for those living in rural areas of China.
Malnutrition
In an interview with The Borgen Project, Manuel Hernandez from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), explains the existence of a “critical gap between rural and urban areas in China.” He describes how malnutrition is “not only a health issue” but something people must consider comprehensively, taking into account “economic factors, social factors, environmental factors and cultural factors.”
Hernandez describes the impact of migration from rural to urban parts of China, as one of the main reasons why the gap in malnutrition has become so large. Urbanization in China has resulted in a great number of people moving to the cities, and leaving their families and children behind in rural villages. These children have become “a new vulnerable group”, now facing several nutrition-related insecurities.
Implementing Nutrition Improvement Programs
In his paper with co-authors, Jingxi Wang and Guoying Deng, Hernandez concluded that after implementing nutrition improvement programs across rural China, there were only noticeable benefits for some children, and “the most vulnerable” experienced no difference in their nutrition.
Hernandez put this down to it being “already too late” to help the very poorest. He argues that in order to fight malnutrition in rural China, “you have to treat it oftentimes before the child has been born.” He explains this through the “window of 1,000 days” which spans from pregnancy to when the child turns 2 years old. By the time the child is in school, the odd free school meal is “not enough” to deal with the malnourishment that will inevitably ensue.
Malnutrition in rural China is similar to that of a chain reaction. Hernandez uses the example from Africa, which has implemented similar nutrition programs. At often times, when children were receiving a free meal at school, their parents would replace this meal at home by giving it to their other child or children. One nutritious meal at school was consequently not enough to bring these school-aged children out of malnourishment.
Finding a Solution
The most obvious answer to this problem in rural China is to improve infrastructure and provide more services, which will see economic growth and enable better connections between the rural and urban communities. But as Hernandez notes, “that’s going to take decades” and therefore is not a short-term solution to the issue. Instead, the government should pay more attention to the “very early stages of life, prior to school enrolment.” This involves more funding for programs that focus on children below 2 or 3 years old and includes pregnant women. Consideration must exist for the poorest households because without acknowledging them and making a change, it will be too late for the children once they start school.
Education is an equally important factor in addressing malnutrition. There are parts of rural China, for example, where parents know more “about the nutritional needs of their pigs than of their own children.” Almost three times as many parents had a better understanding of pig nutrition than baby nutrition.
What is clear, is that education alone is not enough to tackle the issue of malnourishment, especially among school-aged children in rural parts of China. So as Hernandez discussed, people should take a “comprehensive approach” towards the subject, and this includes education, but also funding for adequately designed nutrition programs and focused attention on pregnant women in these rural areas.
Help From Abroad
Through his work at the IFPRI, Hernandez has experienced working with US Government aid for developing countries. Although acknowledging the many programs funded by the USA in an effort “to fight against malnutrition and poverty”, Hernandez argues “it’s not enough”. These have included programs encouraging the empowerment of women and programs connecting farmers to markets in an attempt to generate income. But on their own, these programs aren’t enough and there are “cultural factors” to consider.
To give an example, the Rural Education Action Program (REAP), has worked to encourage education and health and nutrition policy across China since 2009. In doing so, it has helped children and young people increase their prospects and “overcome obstacles” which are placed in their way because of poverty, and restrictions from growing up in these more rural, secluded parts of China. Programs such as this are important to help them “escape poverty” and contribute to China’s economy.
Looking forward, Hernandez believes countries like the U.S. and the U.K., who are providing aid and assistance to places such as rural China, must “complement” each other, and “work together” if this aid is going to improve the current situation around malnutrition in rural China. Despite recognizing the existence of “a certain important amount of development funds,” Hernandez goes on to argue “there could be more” but accepts “resources are scarce.”
Hernandez ultimately notes that it is “important to keep fighting developing problems in developing countries.” Malnutrition in rural China is seemingly an issue that will need addressing on a continual basis with a combined effort from overseas nations to implement both nutrition-based programs and education.
– Bethan Marsden
Photo: Flickr