Untapped potential - some data

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) boasts sufficient arable land and water sources to produce food well beyond its own needs, yet it has the world’s highest rates of malnutrition, as the following data illustrate:

80m: hectares of arable land.

90 percent: Proportion of arable land not cultivated, largely due to insecurity preventing access to fields and markets.

69 percent: Prevalence of under-nutrition in the DRC; up from 26 percent in 1990-92. Under-nutrition includes being underweight for one’s age, too short for one’s age (stunted), dangerously thin (wasted) and deficient in vitamins and minerals (micronutrient malnutrition).

61.1 percent: Proportion of preschool-age children suffering from a subclinical deficiency of Vitamin A.

50 percent: Proportion of the population suffering deficiency in nutrients such as vitamins B12 riboflavin, iron, Vitamin E, folate and zinc. 

48 percent: Cases of infant mortality due to malnutrition. 

45.8 percent: Children of low height for their age.

28.2 percent: Children underweight for their age.

14 percent: Children of low weight for their height.

10-18 percent: Acute malnutrition rates recorded in 53 of DRC’s 87 territories. Acute malnutrition is caused by a sudden, drastic reduction in nutritional intake.

544 kcal: Drop in food supply per capita per day comparing 1992 and 2007 (2,195 kcal and 1,651 kcal, respectively). The recommended calorie intake per person per day is 1,940 calories for women and 2,550 calories for men. For the average child, the recommended daily calorie intake ranges from 1,715 to 1,970 for boys, and from 1,545 to 1,740 for girls.

39.5 grams: Average daily protein intake in DRC. 

77 grams: Global average daily protein intake.

Sources: International Food Policy Research Institute, Resource-Rich Yet Malnourished; IFPRI’s Global Hunger Index; FAO; WFP; UNICEF 

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