10 Globalization , Trade , and the Nutrition Transition

The world is characterized by huge nutritional inequities. Undernutrition, especially among children, persists at unacceptably high levels, leading to poor health in the poorest and most vulnerable communities around the world. At the same time, a “nutrition transition” to energy-dense, poorquality diets is occurring, leading to obesity and diet-related chronic diseases (DRCD) among poor populations in middleand high-income countries (or developed and transitioning countries). This chapter begins with an overview of the double burden of malnutrition. It then identifi es and analyzes the role of processes of globalization within the food system that are linked to the increase of poor-quality diets: the rise of transnational food corporations (TFCs), international food trade, and the use of global food advertising and promotion. It also examines how these processes are changing diets through their interaction with changes in the social system such as household livelihood and income, shifting global demographics, and increasing levels of urbanization.