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[Population, food production and nutrition in the Dominican Republic. Current situation and projections for 1985-2000].


 This report, based on recent studies of family budgets, agricultural development plans, health status and planning, and nutritional status in the Dominican Republic, examines the causes and correlates of widespread malnutrition in the country and the likely evolution of food and nutrition through the year 2000 if no changes are made. Among the sociodemographic aspects of the food and nutrition problem is the rate of population growth, which increased in the Dominican Republic to its maximum in 1965 and dropped to 2.6% in 1980. At the same time, the urban component increased to 52% of the population in 1981 from 24% in 1950. Extreme class differentiation in the rural sector, with 70% of the population receiving 45% of the income, is another factor. Agricultural production is growing at one of the lowest rates in Latin America, and much of the crop is still exported, to the detriment of domestic consumption. 14 nutrition surveys between 1962-80 showed rates of malnutrition in children under 6 varying from 30.4% to 75.4%. Per capita food consumption in 1980 was 519.0 kg/year, less than the 579.0 kg/year of 1964. Food consumption is negatively affected by the lack of an overall government policy to confront malnutrition, the dependence of food consumption on employment and income distribution, the health problems of the population which prevent full biological assimilation of food, and inappropriate food beliefs and prejudices. A comparison of the balance between projected food production for the internal market and projected food requirements to meet the nutritional needs of the population through 2000 shows deficits in the majority of foodstuffs. For cereals, only rice and maize production will exceed demand, while wheat is not domestically produced. Large deficits of tubers and roots, legumes, bananas, oils, and milk are expected. By the year 2000, the country may however be able to satisfy 88% of its overall food needs, but there may be no improvement in nutritional status if the access of the poorest population to food does not improve.
