Title: Iran Refocuses Food Security Strategy: Subsidy Reforms Prioritize Health and Nutrition
In a significant policy shift aimed at enhancing public health and food security, Iranian officials have detailed the implementation of a national strategy that includes revising subsidy allocations. The move is part of a broader, science-based plan to ensure sustainable and healthy nutrition for all citizens.
A National Blueprint for Food Security
The foundation of this new approach is the “Knowledge-Based Food Security Document,” a comprehensive policy framework approved two years ago by the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution and the Supreme Council for Health and Food Security. This landmark document outlines 221 specific actions across various domains of food safety and security, representing a concerted national effort.
“The successful implementation of this document requires the cooperation of all responsible bodies as well as public participation,” stated an official involved in the process. A key initiative within the plan is the development and promotion of whole-grain bread, which offers superior nutritional value and health benefits due to its bran content.
Overcoming Implementation Hurdles
Despite the clear strategy, officials acknowledge challenges in its execution. While approximately 80 flour mills in the country now produce whole-grain flour and around 600 bakeries bake whole-grain bread, major urban centers like Tehran, with a population of 8-9 million, still lack access to even a single such bakery.
Officials point to coordination gaps between different sectors and institutions as a primary obstacle. “When we get into the details, we see that obstacles, such as opposition from some unions, including the bakers’ union, hinder the expansion of this initiative,” the official explained. Multiple meetings have been held to resolve these inter-departmental coordination issues, which remain a key focus for the council’s secretariat.
Subsidy Reallocation: From Sugar to Sustenance
A pivotal and practical change emerging from this policy is the proposed restructuring of the government’s commodity subsidy program, often referred to as the “aid package.” The rationale is to steer consumption patterns towards healthier options.
The head of the secretariat for the Supreme Council for Health and Food Security clarified the logic behind this reform. “My proposal in the economic commission of the Ministry of Labor was that items like sugar and oil should be removed from the commodity subsidy list,” the official said. “These items have high consumption, and reducing them contributes to the health of the people.”
The official argued that including such items in past subsidy packages inadvertently encouraged their consumption. Instead, the proposed policy recommends reallocating the budget towards more essential and currently under-consumed goods, such as dairy products, whose consumption has sharply declined due to high prices. This strategic reallocation is presented not as a cost-cutting measure, but as a cost-neutral intervention with significant potential benefits for public health at a macro level.
A Unified National Mission
Echoing the importance of this mission, the Head of Tehran University of Medical Sciences emphasized that access to safe and healthy food is a fundamental human right. This year’s World Food Day slogan, “The Right to Access Food for Life and a Better Future,” was highlighted as being perfectly aligned with Iran’s national goals.
The official stressed that sustainable and adequate food is not only a guarantee for a society’s survival but a prerequisite for the growth and improved quality of life for future generations. “We must place strengthening food security and diversifying the nutrition basket, relying on knowledge, research, and new technologies, at the forefront of our mission in the health sector,” the Head stated.
The path forward requires overcoming challenges, including poor dietary habits and the need for enhanced public education, especially concerning child nutrition. Officials affirm that strengthening inter-agency coordination, as facilitated by the Supreme Council for Health and Food Security—which is chaired by the President—is crucial for achieving the ambitious goals set forth in the national food security strategy.
