Uruguay, a World Food Producer: Toward a Sustainable Production from a Food and Nutritional Security Perspective
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532 CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY IN THE AMERICAS: THE VIEW OF THE ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES Uruguay, a World Food Producer: Toward a Sustainable Production from a Food and Nutritional Security Perspective Young agricultural technician working at an experimental station of the Faculty of Agronomy, University of the Republic, Uruguay. Photo: Zulma Saadoun. URUGUAY CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY IN THE AMERICAS: THE VIEW OF THE ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES 533 Uruguay Summary Located in the Southern Cone, Uruguay is a country with a total area of 176,216 km2, and a population of 3,431,555 inhabitants (World Bank, [1] María Cristina Cabrera, 2015). Its population, living mostly in urban areas (over 95%), has a lit- [2] Laura Astigarraga, [3] Omar Borsani, eracy rate of nearly 99% and a low replacement rate. Uruguay has been [4] Gianfranca Camussi, [5] Pablo Caputi, classified as a high-income country by the World Bank, and is in the [6] Miguel Carriquiry, [7] Pablo Chilibroste, high human- development category according to the index used by the [8] Milka Ferrer, [9] Guillermo Galván, United Nations Development Program (UNDP, 2015). The country has [10] Fernando García Préchac, [11] Lucía Grille, abundant natural resources, arable soils, and available water and natural [12] Carmen Marino Donangelo, [13] Daniel Panario, meadows, which has contributed to its thriving agricultural and livestock [14] Ali Saadoun, [15] Pablo Soca, industries. Uruguay is a net exporter of agricultural products, with a ca- [16] Valentín Picasso, [17] Daniel Vázquez, pacity to produce food for its own population and the rest of the world. [18] Fernanda Zaccari It is the world’s seventh largest beef exporter (USDA, 2016), while its rice exports account for 2.1% of the rice sold worldwide. It has no significant risk of food and nutrition insecurity due to the abundance and variety of food, as well as the favorable conditions for producing them. However, micronutrient deficiencies coexist with overweight and obesity in young Uruguay, a country individuals, posing a major challenge for the years to come. with a high rate of human Low-cost production of commodities makes the country competitive. development and availability However, this specialization also makes it vulnerable to changes in the international market and climate or health events, impacting the popu- of natural resources, has the lation and decreasing the capacity for entrepreneurship and innovation. capacity to produce food Food and nutrition security in Uruguay is vulnerable to these chang- es, which cause the inequities that affect the sectors of the Uruguayan for its own population and population with the least resources. In recent years, actions have been the rest of the world. This launched using an integral point of view, to make agricultural systems gives it a unique opportunity more sustainable, environmentally-friendly and innovative. This will en- tail taking into account the added value, quality and safety of food items to address the enormous produced by the country, the social and human component, as well as challenge of improving the knowledge required to implement these changes. Actions are being taken from the new institutional framework to increase highly qualified agriculture, making it less human capital. Public and private research, development and innovation vulnerable to external programs have begun to focus on training human resources capable of changes, adding value innovating and achieving a major impact on value chains. The interdis- ciplinary approach to problem solving has been encouraged during this to chains through a new stage and will have a positive impact in the medium term. sustainable, sensitive approach to food and nutritional security, Introduction incorporating quality and Using an interdisciplinary approach, this chapter presents the main safety, and promoting equity aspects that determine the Food and Nutrition Security (FNS) status in the human and social of Uruguay, an agricultural cattle farming country, from its natural dimensions. resources to food production, including the human component. The academics and specialists participating in this collective study, invited by the Inter-American Network of Academies of Sciences (IANAS) and URUGUAY 534 CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY IN THE AMERICAS: THE VIEW OF THE ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES the Academy of Sciences of Uruguay, provide a 1.2 Demographic characteristics critical view of present and future scenarios. This and future trends chapter highlights the advances being made as Uruguay has a relatively stable population of a result of scientific research, and the evolution 3,286,314 according to the latest official census toward public policies that impact on FNS. (INE, 2012), with some estimates placing it at 3,431,555 in 2015 (World Bank, 2015). The Study Focus majority of the population (over 95%) is urban, Food production in an agricultural export country while the literacy rate is nearly 99%. Uruguay faces the challenges posed by changes in markets, has been classified as a high-income country quality and safety demands and the care of natu- by the World Bank, and is in the high human- ral resources such as soil, water and plant cover, development category according to the index in a changing climatic situation. With regard to its used by the United Nations Development own population, the challenge for the country is Program (UNDP, 2015). to streamline food systems, to provide a sufficient Its low replacement rates, emigration of quantity of food with nutritional quality and to con- young adults and a relatively high life expectancy tribute to the Uruguayan population’s food and nu- mean that Uruguay’s population is ageing trition. In each aspect, priority is given to a descrip- rapidly. Recent studies (Calvo, 2016) indicate that tion of the country’s opportunities, the obstacles trends in the age structure, which modify the to be overcome and the challenges to be faced in demographic dependency ratios, pose challenges order to achieve sustainable, high-quality food pro- on various fronts, from health care and the social duction, as well as nutrition-sensitive value chains security system, to labor markets and education. that are inclusive at the human and social level. Projections show that, given the limited natural increase in Uruguay’s population, the proportion of children will decline to match that of older adults by 2035, and that the latter will exceed 1. National characteristics the number of children thereafter. These changes will exacerbate certain socioeconomic challenges, Miguel Carriquiry1 such as increased health care and care costs in the context of today’s family structure, and labor- 1.1 Country area, arable land inventory, market demands, straining the retirement and environmental heterogeneity of the pension system (Calvo, 2016). landscape Uruguay comprises an area of 176,216 km2, 1.3 Proportion of the population suffering with a variety of natural resources that allow from food and nutrition insecurity and the the development of agricultural and forestry FNS trajectory activities in over 90% of its territory. Tradition According to data from the Food and Nutrition and the availability of natural resources are Security Observatory, the proportion of the among the main reasons behind the leadership population under the poverty line and indigence of the agricultural sector as a determinant of have declined over time, standing at 9.7% and economic growth (UNEP, 2015). Over 80% of 0.3%, respectively, in 2014. The same source the territory is devoted to livestock production, indicates that the fraction of the population while extensive crops and commercial forestry at risk of failing to meet the food demands occupy the majority of the remaining area. The associated with normal physical activity has establishments dedicated to livestock raising also fallen. This fraction dropped from 17.5% in are responsible for more than 75% of the area 1990 to approximately 10% in 2004, and has dedicated to livestock production. since hovered around 8%. Uruguay achieved the Millennium Development Goal of halving the 1. Full Professor, Institute of Economics (IECON), Faculty of number of people who were food-insecure ahead Economics and Administration, UdelaR. of time, in 2014. URUGUAY CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY IN THE AMERICAS: THE VIEW OF THE ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES 535 1.4 Agricultural production systems Map 1. Map of Uruguay showing political divisions The Uruguayan agricultural sector is extremely and agricultural production areas heterogeneous in terms of scale and productive practices, among other dimensions. However, particularly in the extensive agriculture sector, Artigas similarities are found with what UNEP (2011) defines as “industrial agriculture”, characterized by production practices based on the use of off- farm inputs. Salto Rivera Broadly speaking, most of the agricultural area is used for three activities: extensive agriculture; Paysandu livestock raising and commercial forestry. The Tacuarembo country has seen the rapid transformation of these Cerro Largo productive activities. There have also been signif- icant changes in agricultural activity, particularly Río Negro Durazno in terms of the total area dedicated to the mix of Treinta y Tres different crops and the seasons when these crops are grown. A key aspect of agriculture in Uruguay Flores Soriano is the significance