Food security and nutritional vulnerability in Comoros: The impact of Russia-Ukraine conflict

Abstract

The Sustainable Development Goal 2 aims to eradicate hunger. However, many smallisland developing states (SIDS) face challenges in achieving this goal due to their relianceon the global market and susceptibility to crises. This paper focuses on Comoros, one of theleast studied SIDS located in the Indian Ocean, to examine its food security and nutritionalvulnerability. The findings reveal that Comoros experiences limited access to sufficient andnutritious diets, which are excessive in fat and deficient in key micronutrients. This situationis similar to other SIDS in the Pacific and the Caribbean, which also exhibit the convergenceof the malnutrition triple burden. This paper further assesses the impact of changing foodprices during the initial year of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on food security and nutrition inComoros, serving as a case study for SIDS. Using microsimulations, we estimate the effectson food access, sufficiency, and adequacy at the household level. The results indicate adecline in food access and purchasing power for all households, particularly the poorer andrural. Additionally, food sufficiency has markedly decreased, leading to an additional 5,000households (3.3% of all households) experiencing inadequate daily calorie intake. Thestudy also highlights a reduction in the consumption of organ meats, fruits, and vegetables,resulting in decreased daily iron and folate intakes. This is particularly concerning given thehigh prevalence of anemia among women in Comoros and other SIDS. To address thesechallenges, policies promoting the consumption of fresh, nutrient-rich foods with low fat content are crucial to mitigate the malnutrition triple burden and curb the increasing trend ofnon-communicable diseases in these countries.