ARMENIA COMPREHENSIVE FOOD SECURITY, VULNERABILITY AND NUTRITION ANALYSIS (CFSVNA) April 2016* Revised: December 2017 ISBN 978-9939-831-98-5 © World Food Programme, 2016 ARMENIA COMPREHENSIVE FOOD SECURITY, VULNERABILITY AND NUTRITION ANALYSIS (CFSVNA) Foreword Food insecurity and a dual malnutrition burden remain major challenges in Armenia, hampering the realization of the full human and socio-economic potential of the population. Despite the economic growth over the last decade, the level of food insecurity has been stagnant over the past five years, and there is growing disparity between the food insecure and food secure. Hunger has many costs: child undernutrition negatively impacts the Gross Domestic Product of the country as a result of increased healthcare costs and lower productivity. It also adds to education costs: food-insecure households are less educated and allocate less of their overall income to education expenses. Poor nutrition causes irreversible damage to children. It affects brain and body development, and school achievement, as well as health and productivity later in life. Pregnancy and early childhood – the first 1,000 days – are especially critical. This underlines the importance of improving nutrition for mothers and young children. Access to nutritious food and awareness of its importance is crucial for a healthy, strong and produc- tive population in the future. Tackling food insecurity and child malnutrition requires new approaches to address the Sustainable Devel- opment Goals comprehensively, as they are all interlinked. The new food and food security systems, which include safety nets, need to play a bigger role in economic and social development. They must be inclusive, nu- tritious and healthy, climate smart, sustainable, business-friendly and productive. This report was jointly developed by the National Statistical Service of the Republic of Armenia (NSS RA), the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). It presents Armenia’s current socio-economic, poverty, food security and nutrition status, combined with trend analysis from 2008. It analyses data from the Integrated Living Conditions Surveys for the period 2008–2014 and identifies areas where measures could be taken, and areas where further investment would improve food and nutrition security and strengthen resilience to the risks that households face. The report conveys several key messages for decision and policy-makers: 1) education is critical for improved food security; 2) a dual burden of malnutrition exists across the country among children under 5, with large numbers of both stunted and overweight children; 3) volatility in global and regional economies impedes Ar- menia’s economic growth, and 4) the majority of the country‘s population is at risk of one or more natural hazards. The report suggests that with joint efforts and with a greater coordination among all stakeholders, it is possi- ble to develop and implement comprehensive national food security (in its three dimensions - availability, ac- cess and utilization) and nutrition policy along a life-cycle approach, which will help address the current food insecurity and malnutrition in the country. Mr Stepan Mnatsakanyan President of the National Statistical Service of the Republic of Armenia Mrs Pascale Micheau WFP Armenia Country Director and Representative Mrs Tanja Radocaj UNICEF Armenia Country Representative 3 ARMENIA COMPREHENSIVE FOOD SECURITY, VULNERABILITY AND NUTRITION ANALYSIS (CFSVNA) Acknowledgements This analysis was initiated by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Armenia and jointly developed with the National Statistical Service of the Republic of Armenia (NSS RA) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Armenia. The support of the key government ministries of the Republic of Armenia (Health, Education and Science, Labour and Social Affairs, Agriculture, Territorial Administration and Development, and Emergency Situations) was invaluable at all stages. The report was prepared by a team composed by Cinzia Papavero (WFP consultant), Eugenie Reidy (WFP consultant), Elmira Bakhshinyan (WFP/Armenia) and Janne Utkilen (WFP/Regional Bureau Cairo), with the guidance of WFP Armenia staff (Pascale Micheau, Luca Molinas, Eduard Shirinyan, Vanja Karanovic, and Grigori Grigoryants). Instrumental direction was provided by experts in the WFP regional office (Mariko Kawabata) and at Headquarters (Nadine Lombardo). Vital data, inputs and revision of drafts was provided by the partner agencies NSS RA and UNICEF Armenia. Other contributors included the FAO Representation in Armenia; Eleonora Dupouy, Food Safety and Consumer Protection Officer, FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia; Mauricio Rosales, Capacity Development Officer, FAO HQ; and Anna Jenderedjian, World Bank. The team wish to thank all those involved for their interest in, and contributions to, this study. It is hoped that this report will serve as a valuable resource for government and development actors throughout Armenia by improving the availability of updated information on food and nutrition security. For questions and comments concerning this study, please contact: National Statistical Service of the Republic of Armenia Mr Stepan Mnatsakanyan, President [email protected] WFP Country Office Armenia Mrs Pascale Micheau, Country Director and Representative [email protected] UNICEF Country Office Armenia Mrs Tanja Radocaj, Country Representative [email protected] Cover photo credits: from the left: WFP/Liana Kharatian; Ministry of Agriculture of the RA; UNICEF Armenia. Map designations used: The depictions and use of boundaries, geographic names and related data shown on maps and included in tables throughout the document are not warranted to be error-free, nor do they necessarily imply official endorsement or acceptance by the World Food Programme. 4 ARMENIA COMPREHENSIVE FOOD SECURITY, VULNERABILITY AND NUTRITION ANALYSIS (CFSVNA) Table of Contents Foreword ....................................................................................................................................................................................................3 Acknowledgements ..............................................................................................................................................................................4 List of Acronyms ...................................................................................................................................................................................7 Executive Summary ...........................................................................................................................................................................8 Conclusions and recommendations .................................................................................................................................... 10 Report Structure ............................................................................................................................................................................... 12 1. Background and methodology .......................................................................................................................................... 13 1.1 Rationale of the analysis ...................................................................................................................................................... 13 1.2. Country background ............................................................................................................................................................. 13 1.2.1 Political and socio-economic trends ........................................................................................................................ 13 1.2.2 Population trends ........................................................................................................................................................... 14 1.2.3 GDP trends and composition ..................................................................................................................................... 14 1.2.4 Public health ................................................................................................................................................................... 16 1.3 Methodology ............................................................................................................................................................................. 17 1.3.1 Food security and nutrition framework and concepts .......................................................................................... 17 1.3.2 Data sources ................................................................................................................................................................... 20 1.3.3 Limitations of the study ................................................................................................................................................ 21 2. Food insecurity trends and the profile of food-insecure households ........................................................ 23 2.1 Food insecurity trends .......................................................................................................................................................... 23 2.1.1 National trends ............................................................................................................................................................