58 UN Development Program (UNDP) provided support to Argentina for the development of programs targeting poverty elimination, promoting sustainable government practices, and strengthening national capacities. At the culmination of this project, it found that Argentina stopped all benefits after the conclusion of UNDP’s help, indicating that Argentina is in dire need of a strengthened developmental capacity. Food insecurity’s persistence and growth could create a cyclical negative long-term outlook if not treated with sustainable measures (UNDP, 2018). Possible Solutions Economic development does not depend solely on fiscal growth—human capital is just as important a contributing factor to the development of a country. As discussed previously, in Argentina’s case, the possible impacts from food insecurity on the citizenry could be detrimental to their potential intellectual growth, literally, as well as to the growth of the economy, in terms of both added health care costs and slower GDP growth rates than otherwise might be the case. As a result, policy makers should take appropriate measures to ensure food waste does not occur. Three possible solutions to Argentina’s food insecurity problem are food waste audits, food stamps, and changing social attitudes toward food waste. One important and valuable solution to food waste would be to conduct mandatory waste audits throughout the supply chain of the food industry, from the farms all the way to grocery stores. Specifically, at grocery stores, analyzing the trends of food that most frequently goes bad when on shelves would allow for more efficient ordering decisions. Instead of going to waste, this food, while still fresh, could be redirected, for instance, to food banks or schools. Without the businesses being aware of their waste issues, local markets will not drive efficiency in the larger markets. One way to implement food audits is through IBM’s Food Trust management system. This program utilizes blockchain technology through the supply chain to reduce food waste and improve handling. Through the ability to supply real-time data, including product location and temperature throughout transit, the IBM Food Trust is able to provide data on lost efficiency during inventory management. If implemented, Argentina’s food suppliers will be able to see where this waste is occurring and thus make changes that will save them money from lost inventory and at the same time increase the supply of food (IBM). In December 2019, Alberto Fernández, the president of Argentina, founded the Antihunger Program, which sought to provide needy families with food stamps. The initial implementation of this program was in response to the Minister of Social Development Daniel Arroyo stating, “there can’t be hunger in a country that produces food” (“Two Million…”, 2019). During the first month of its initial rollout, 66,499 food cards were issued by Chaco Bank in the northern province of Chaco. A direct transfer was thought to be most suitable, as this money would be recirculated throughout the province through increased demand to local producers, along with individuals having more disposable income. Those who were eligible for this program were families with children up to six years old who received the Universal Child Allowance (a conditional cash transfer program to needy families), pregnant women who received pregnancy support, and individuals who had disabilities and received the Universal Child Allowance. This card provided a fixed monthly allowance of 4000 to 6000 pesos per family per month, which is approximately $70 to $100 (“Argentina Anti-hunger…,” 2020). However, the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses calculated the basic food basket, an indicator of the cost per household to avoid destitution, as $881 per month for a family of four, indicating a still significant gap (Ardornetto, 2017). The team of officials overseeing this program did not meet between the initial distribution of these cards until August 2020, when it was forecast that 63% of children would be defined as poor in Chaco by the end of the year. There is little information on the next steps that were outlined during this most recent meeting. Even though Chaco was a trial program, the food card program clearly is insufficient and should be expanded, especially with COVID-19 exacerbating hunger across the country. The food card program should be made available
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