Nutritional Crisis in Iran

According to a report by the Central Bank, the average food expenditure for an urban Iranian household in 2014 was slightly over eight million tomans. Households in the lowest income bracket, which fall into the first decile, spent only two million and 33 thousand tomans on food and drink. Households in the higher income deciles spent 17 million and 892 thousand tomans on food in a year. What do these figures reveal about the nutritional status of the Iranian people? What generation will we face in the future in terms of physical health? Can these figures indicate class disparity in Iran? Is the nutritional problem in Iran a result of income inequality? The meager table of low-income households, considering the average size of about 3.5 people in urban households in Iran, shows that the average food cost for individuals in low-income households or the first decile is about 580 thousand tomans annually and 48 thousand tomans monthly. With 48 thousand tomans a month, an individual must sustain themselves and their family members with rice, bread, noodles, a little cheese, eggs, and possibly some seasonal vegetables and fruits in three meals, leaving no money for meat, milk, and many fruits. When one kilogram of beef or lamb with bones costs about thirty thousand tomans, a meat portion of about 100 grams for one person costs about two thousand tomans (the average price of red meat, fish, and poultry), making it impossible to eat meat with a budget of 48 thousand tomans a month for a household (about 1600 tomans a day). This is also true for many types of fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. Now, considering the average urban household expenditure, let’s look at the table of households representing about 70 percent of the country's population (urban dwellers) (the situation for the rural population is not better). With a figure of eight million tomans annually, the average food expenditure for an urban individual in Iran amounts to about 190 thousand tomans per month. Even with 190 thousand tomans (about three thousand tomans a day), it is impossible for individuals to receive all components of the food pyramid (meat, vegetables, fruits, and dairy). The minimum amount of food (based on the food pyramid) required for each person per day and the minimum price (average minimum price of various types) in the fall of 2015 has been provided in the table below: With the mentioned prices, the average food cost necessary for each individual is about three times the average amount currently spent on food in urban Iranian households for each individual. For this reason, families are forced to reduce their consumption of milk, fruits, and meat or eliminate one or two of them altogether. According to the figures in the above table, the necessary food cost for each individual is about 270 thousand tomans per month. Individuals in the higher income deciles mainly incur higher costs due to eating out, and it is unclear whether their consumption exceeds the norm because with an annual expenditure of 18 million tomans for a household, each individual's share per month would be about 428 thousand tomans (150 thousand tomans above the minimum). Thus, only the top two to three income deciles (about 30 percent of society) can afford the minimum necessary food costs for a human being. Health officials are aware of this issue, but no policies have been adopted to address the problem. The Deputy Minister of Health states, "78 percent of the country's population has poor nutrition. The main nutritional problems are the low consumption of fruits and vegetables." (IRNA, December 4, 2015) He, however, has omitted meat and dairy from this discussion. Thus, the problem is not in the choice of food among the people but rather that the circle of choice is very limited. One of the main reasons for the decline in population growth in the country is the inability of parents to feed their children. Parents who feel ashamed of their children's nutrition will naturally reduce reproduction. The 8.8-fold disparity in food and drink costs between the highest and lowest income deciles does not indicate excessive food consumption among the higher income deciles but rather signifies the severe deprivation of about 70 percent of the population from necessary food items. If the wealthy in a society have access to food close to the minimum or slightly above the minimum, this does not indicate their extravagance but rather the bankruptcy of nutritional management in that society. The nutritional problem in Iran is not the extravagance of one class and the deprivation of another but rather the severe deprivation of the majority of the population from various necessary food items. One of the fundamental problems in Iranian households for obtaining necessary food items is that, on average, about 34 percent of household income is spent on housing (house plus water, electricity, gas, and sewage) in Iranian cities. This amount increases to about 40 percent for low-income households that are renters. Households that are forced to pay rent must cut back on food expenses since clothing, tobacco, healthcare, and clothing costs cannot be eliminated. In rural areas, this share is lower, but the problem in rural areas is less work and lower income. For this reason (in addition to the water crisis), we witness about 15 to 18 million marginalized individuals who have left their homes in small towns and villages and sought refuge on the outskirts of cities. The direct consequence of the nutritional crisis is the emergence of a generation that will struggle with various diseases, significantly increasing healthcare costs in society. The policies of the Islamic Republic regarding population have been primarily quantitative. Officials want to increase the country's population to enhance their political power in the region but have paid little attention to the quality of this population.