(16 January 2014) – Oxfam has compiled a global snapshot of 125 countries indicating the best and worst places to eat. It is the first of its kind and reveals the different challenges that people face depending on where they live. So where in the world is the best place to eat? The Netherlands, of course!
Around the world, one in eight people go to bed hungry every night despite there being enough food for everyone. Overconsumption, misuse of resources and waste are common elements of a system that leaves hundreds of millions without enough to eat.
The Good Enough to Eat Index asks four core questions and refers to two measures to help ascertain the answers using the latest global data available. These are:
- Do people have enough to eat?
- Can people afford to eat?
- Is food of good quality?
- What is the extent of unhealthy outcomes of people’s diet?
The Netherlands, scoring 6 points, closely followed by France and Switzerland with 8, are joined by Austria, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden (10 points), as well as Australia, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg and Portugal (11 points). The top 12 scored top marks for their lack of malnutrition and undernourishment and for access to safe water. The Netherlands makes top place thanks to relatively lower food prices and diabetes levels, and better nutritional diversity than its European rivals.
At the other end of the scale, Chad is the worst performing country overall, scoring 50, with Ethiopia and Angola following closely behind on 49 points. Chad’s score for the cost of food (94 points) is among the worst.
When it comes to unhealthy eating, Saudi Arabia is the worst scoring country in Oxfam index with 57 points. It ranks the worst for diabetes, with 8% of the population being diabetic, while a third of Saudis are obese.