DILI, 17 october 2023 (TATOLI) – The daily average cost of a basket of minimum required, nutrient-adequate diet for a family of five has jumped from US$5.68 per household in 2019 to US$10.09 per household in 2023, according to the result of a joint food price survey carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livelihoods, Fisheries and Forestry, and the United Nations World Food Program – Timor-Leste (WFP-TL).
This marks a 78 percent increase since 2019 when the average daily cost amounted to US$$.5.68. It means that a household of five members has to spend, on average, US$4.41 more each day compared to four years earlier.
The research found that every month, households must spend over US$300 to cover their essential nutrient needs in 2023, more than double the national minimum wage of US$115, presenting a notable threat to household nutrition nationwide. In 2019, the average monthly cost was just above US$170.
There are considerable variations across different municipalities in the daily cost of a nutrient-adequate diet (highest in Covalima at USD 13.91/per day and lowest in Aileu at USD 7.15 days, as well as in the availability of nutrient-dense foods. For Example, widely consumed foods like maize and vegetables were cheaper in Bobonaro than in Covalima. Certain foods like eggs were also unavailable in some markets, but they are likely to be traded individually or produced at home.
Moreover, the documents highlight the risk that adolescent girls face of not meeting the minimum dietary needs, as iron-rich foods such as soybeans, kidney beans, fish, meat, and eggs necessary to support healthy growth at a formative time in their physical development, cost over two and half times more than the other foods items.
“The increased costs are making it difficult for thousands of Timorese families with an average income of less than US$2 per day to afford to eat a healthy diet,” said the Research Document.
Minister Cruz said: “The cost of the diet analysis delivers data that is vital to our understanding of the nutritional status and well-being of our population.”
“By qualifying the cost of a healthy diet, this document facilitates targeted interventions and policy formulation to ensure sustainable food systems and improved dietary outcomes for all,’’ Minister Cruz told reporters on the occasion of the celebration of World Food Day, in Dili, on monday.
He added under the title of the diet analysis in Timor-Leste, the document presents evidence-based figures to identify the most vulnerable populations and address issues related to food security and nutrition in Timor-Leste.
He made a call to continue efforts among different role players in favor of the country’s nutrition and food security: “Let us continue to work together to ensure a future where every Timorese has access to affordable, diverse, and nutritious diets, ultimately improving the health and well-being of our nation.”
WFP officer in Charge affirmed that WFP is committed to partnering with the National Government to eradicate hunger and enhance nutrition for the countless individuals and communities across Timor-Leste.
“Thus, the results presented in the Cost of the Diet Analysis serve as a valuable tool for all stakeholders working on nutrition and food security, providing us with the necessary impetus to address substantial food security and malnutrition challenges,” he said.
More than 45 percent of Timorese people are living in poverty, and this is the highest number in Southeast Asia, said WFP.
Although the country has made significant developmental progress, Timor-Leste still experiences some of the highest rates of undernutrition in the world. Forty-seven percent of children under five years of age are stunted, 8.6 percent suffer from acute malnutrition, and 23 percent of women of reproductive age (15 -49 years) are anemic.
According to WFP, Timor-Leste is a food-deficit country that imports 60 percent of its food, and agricultural productivity is low. The country is vulnerable to climate change and a range of natural hazards, ranking 16th on the World Risk Index in 2021. Disasters such as landslides, flash floods, tropical cyclones, earthquakes, and forest fires pose a threat to the livelihoods of more than 70 percent of the population who depend on rain-fed agriculture as a main source of income.
WFP will work alongside the Government and local partners to ensure that the most vulnerable people have access to nutritious food, strengthen the nation’s food systems and supply chains, and invest in disaster preparedness and mitigation measures. WFP is focused on aligning its work with the Government’s National Strategic Development Plan 2011–2030.
The result of the survey on the cost and availability of food in 51 markets in all municipalities was jointly launched on monday by the Vice-Prime Minister and Minister Coordinator for Rural Development and Community Housing, Mariano Assanami Sabino, Minister of Agriculture, Livelihoods, Fisheries and Forestry and President of KONSSANTIL, Marcos da Cruz, and WFP-Timor-Leste to mark World Food Day.
Journalist: José Belarmino De Sá
Editor: Filomeno Martins
