Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

Re: Open discussion on the first draft work programme of the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition

Dear Colleagues,

So many thanks for this opportunity to provide feedback on this very important document. Please find our comments below.  We look forward to collaborating with you to end malnutrition, in all of its forms.

Sincerely yours,

Ekin Birol, HarvestPlus

 

Dear UN colleagues,

We appreciate and wholeheartedly support your leadership and global vision to combat malnutrition in all of its forms.  We would like to congratulate you on a very well-written and -thought out first draft of the work programme and thank you for the opportunity to provide feedback thereon.

Here are a few comments and suggestions for your consideration:

  1. We really appreciate the thought you have put into the mechanisms for ensuring accountability for the commitments to be made.  The “carrot” approach of nutrition champions is especially positive and encouraging.  We suggest the selection of the champions to be as transparent as possible and to be based on the rate of progress a country makes towards reaching the targets to be set.  Otherwise the selection of champions may be questioned. We were wondering, in addition to the “carrot” approach would you also consider a “stick” approach (e.g., the World Bank’s recent naming and shaming of the countries that fail to prevent stunting in children).
  2. Related to the setting of the targets and measurement of the progress, we would recommend UNSCN to regularly validate the countries’ self-assessments (trust but verify) and we also recommend the methodology and the data behind the target setting, progress evaluation and validation checks to be vetted by international experts in nutrition and evaluation, and to be open to public discussion and access.
  3. Despite the thought you have put into the mechanisms for ensuring accountability for the commitments to be made, the commitments are still voluntary and there are no visible sanctions.  We recommend the UNSCN to consider Paris Agreement type global efforts to tackle global the global malnutrition problem and to set global and national/regional level targets and establish mechanisms and timelines for achieving these targets.  UNSCN could perhaps consult with the UNFCC on their learnings from such efforts and the effectiveness of implementing mechanisms such as the sustainable development mechanisms. International financial institutions could also be persuaded to couple national grants and loans to the level/efficacy of activities/policies/programmes a country is implementing to reach nutrition targets.
  4. Action areas identified are comprehensive and also caters for future changes (e.g., population growth, urbanization, climate change, changing food preferences).  Acknowledgement of trade as an area of action is most welcome, given that several regions of the world (e.g., sub-Saharan Africa) will not be able to feed their populations – even if productivity gains are realized as a result of adoption new technologies – in the future. 
  5. Two important issues/topics that we think are missing from the action areas are: (a) both in situ and ex situ conservation of agricultural biodiversity – which is crucial for the development of productive and nutritious varieties/breeds of crops and livestock that are adapted to ever-changing and agroclimatic conditions, and (b) biofortification, i.e., development and delivery of micronutrient-enriched staple food crops, which has been proven to improve vitamin A and iron deficiency status.  Both conservation of agricultural biodiversity and promotion of biofortified crops merit inclusion under action area 1 (sustainable, resilient food systems for healthy diets). UNSCN might consider consulting/collaborating with the Convention on Biological Diversity on (a), and with HarvestPlus on (b).  Both of these topics should also be included among the potential topics for the development of commitments and the establishment of action networks, listed in table 1.
  6. Table 2 (Page 15) lists the meetings/conferences where UN Decade of Action on Nutrition will be promoted in 2017 and 2018. You could also include in this list the third Global Conference on Biofortification, which will be held in India in Q2 of 2018.

Many thanks for your consideration. We would be happy to elaborate on/discuss any of the comments raised above.

Sincerely yours,

Ekin Birol