سلسله همایش های بین المللی کرامت انسانی

صفحه اصلی / سومین کنگره بین المللی حقوق سلامت ( حقوق تغذیه و امنیت غذایی )

Food Fortification as a Key to Achieving the Universal Right to Food: A Modeling Study

نویسندگان :

Mehran Zareian¹ Seyyed Reza Sobhani²

1- دانشگاه علوم پزشکی مشهد 2- دانشگاه علوم پزشکی تهران

کلمات کلیدی :

Food Fortification،Sustainability،Right to Food

چکیده :

Background: Access to essential micronutrients is a fundamental human right, yet economic constraints and environmental crises increasingly hinder the realization of the Right to Food. This study examines whether voluntary and mandatory food fortification strategies can enhance affordability and accessibility while minimizing environmental impact, ensuring equitable access to vital micronutrients—including vitamin D, calcium, iron, and zinc—at adequate calorie intake levels. Methods: Using data from the 2021 Household Income and Expenditure Survey, we applied linear programming via the Solver add-in in Excel to model three scenarios: No Fortification: Examining the financial and environmental burden of achieving sufficient micronutrient intake solely through unfortified foods. Voluntary Fortification: Assessing changes in affordability, calorie adequacy, and environmental footprint when market-available fortified foods are incorporated. Mandatory Fortification: Evaluating the potential benefits and trade-offs of enforced fortification policies guided by regulatory standards. Results: In Scenario 1, populations would need to rely on higher-cost food items with increased environmental impact, while consuming fewer calories. Scenarios 2 and 3 led to significant reductions in cost and calorie inadequacy; however, environmental outcomes varied, highlighting the complexity of fortification’s sustainability effects. Discussion: Fortification emerges as a promising intervention in securing the Right to Food, mitigating micronutrient deficiencies in vulnerable populations. Policymakers must balance economic feasibility, environmental sustainability, and public health imperatives to uphold food security as a fundamental human right.