27% - that’s 1 in 4 - South African kids are now stunted. That means that due to poor nutrition in their formative years, they will be at a cognitive and physical disadvantage for the rest of their lives.
The sheer scale of the individual tragedy in wasted potential belies belief.
However, the national, social disaster in turns of squandered demographic dividend of our youthful population’s potential is also worth mourning. Economic as well as social collective consequences are an own goal of epic proportions in terms of national competitiveness, productivity, and flourishing.
Of course, this stunting tragedy trend tracks the de facto “Degrowth” of the South African economy in both nominal and real terms. Degrowth is simply not an option for a nation so far and so falling behind. Growth, very literally, begets growth - but there are different sorts of growth - the nominal, the destructive, and the real. We should aim for the sort that fills fields with food and is justly distributed to feed little bellies rather than mere bank statements and national balance sheets.
But what are your thoughts?
Where else are we stunting growth - literally and figuratively - with dire consequences?
Where else are inequalities so visceral as in sad signals like these?
And are we preparing - as states as well as companies - to find places for a future labour force where 1 in 4 of those future citizen-contributors will fail to reach their potential?
What does this mean for the spectre of future structural unemployment?
For the stability of our social security systems when our demographic dividend divides?
Is there any better ROI than nourishing our nations children? And how can we invest in that future dividend today?
Words fail me, but we’d better be prepared to make a welcome, safe place for these children we’ve failed.
Read more :
1 in 4… https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2023-07-26-childhood-stunting-and-malnutrition-are-critical-health-challenges-for-sa/
Bad accounting : https://whatthefuturenow.com/2023/01/16/assets-to-liabilities/
1 in 4 cut short