Notes and Comments

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LX, Issue 19, 10 March 1939, Page 4

Notes and Comments

AN UNDERFED WORLD

The latest survey of national nutrition policies, published by the Economic Section of the League of Nations, states that the broad foun-

dations of a knowledge of the problem have now been securely laid. The study began some three years ago, according to the Times, with an inquiry that had a double directionto find out the extent to which national physical standards were being maintained and to discover whether agricultural depression could be relieved by raising the universal standard of living. Research and the pooling of experience at Geneva have led,to the unexpected conclusion that the greater part of even the civilised populations of the world are undernourished. It is useless to preach the doctrine of "keep fit" unless it is accompanied by a sane and healthy food policy. This is largely an economic problem, in which wide questions of agriculture, tariffs, imports, and distribution are involved. It is seen that in agricultural countries there is need for a more diverse system of cultivation. The evils of what is called in Prance "monoculture" were long ago recognised. Though the potential food production of most countries is high in relation to the population there is a very low average in diet. Even in a country like the United States it is found that some families have too little money to buy a fully adequate supply of food, however carefully they select it.