Editorial Review | "More than two billion people suffer from a micronutrient deficiency of trace minerals and vitamins that has debilitating effects on their physical health, mental acuity, learning ability, and economic productivity. The 'cure' for a micronutrient deficiency is to be found in food production, dietary diversification, and food fortification. The global problem of micronutrient deficiencies is of serious concern to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Two of their staff, Brian Thompson and Leslie Amoroso, have collaborated to compile "Combating Micronutrient Deficiencies: Food-Based Approaches", a 256-page compendium of nineteen articles by experts in their fields, that has as its focus thematically appropriate, applicable, sustainable techniques, strategies, and practices to insure the production of safe, good-quality food as a means of successfully ameliorating micronutrient deficiencies anywhere in the world. Enhanced with bibliographic references and a comprehensive and exhaustive index, "Combating Micronutrient Deficiencies" is a significant and invaluable addition to professional and academic library Nutritional Studies reference collections."-- (03/01/2011) |
About the Author | , MSc in Human Nutrition, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK, is a nutritionist with over 30 years of international development experience. He is Senior Nutrition Officer in the Nutrition and Consumer Protection Division of FAO dealing with Nutrition Security and Policy. Working initially for ICRC, WFP and UNICEF with the NGO community in Asia over five years, he led nutrition surveys, provided clinical treatment, designed and evaluated emergency relief and recovery programmes including feeding programmes, supported health prevention and promotion activities and coordinated the provision of comprehensive humanitarian aid to refugees and other vulnerable communities. He joined FAO Headquarters in Rome in 1987 and advises Member Countries on the development and implementation of policies, strategies and plans of action for promoting and improving food and nutrition security in both emergency and development contexts. has a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning for Developing Countries with emphasis on food and nutrition security and livelihood issues from the Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia (IUAV), Venice, Italy. She has extensive international experience in food and nutrition security policy and programme-related activities, with childhood, gender and HIV/AIDS components, in Ethiopia, The Gambia and Nicaragua. Since 2007, she has been working as a Nutrition Consultant in the Nutrition Security and Policy Group, Nutrition and Consumer Protection Division, FAO, where she provides advice and support to policy, strategy, capacity building, advocacy and programme activities aimed at improving food and nutrition security among vulnerable population groups. Ms Amoroso also collaborates on several initiatives designed to strengthen linkages between food and nutrition security assessment and decision making at policy and programme level. |