المنتدى العالمي المعني بالأمن الغذائي والتغذية

Sustainable and resilient global food security and nutrition systems must provide consumers access to diverse diets with adequate amounts of nutritious foods that are safe and affordable on a regular basis. Each of these components are essential in their own right, but no single component is sufficient to overcome food insecurity.The HLPE report should address these inter-linkages. 

The HLPE report should address the nexus of nutrition in global food security systems. It should underscore the long neglected recognition of nutrition and the necessity to embed nutrition specific interventions and nutrition sensitive policies, program and initiatives throughout food systems-- from production to consumption.

The value test of global food systems will not be whether more food is produced for the already well fed, but whether critical deficiencies in food systems can be reshaped from farm to fork to eliminate poverty and provide vulnerable populations sustainable, regular access to nutritious, affordable, safe and wholesome food products. Until this goal is achieved, hunger and malnutrition will likely remain the number one global health and national security threat, killing more people every year than HIV/AIDs, malaria and tuberculosis combined. While some progress has taken place, the current status of malnutrition in the world remains unacceptable.

The report should point to the need for cooperation with related disciplines, in particular within the following areas: health, agriculture, education, environment, finance, gender, diversity, and development studies. The report should also address the need to implement nutrition-specific interventions and to embed nutrition in multi-sectoral nutrition-sensitive strategies within national and local government plans and initiatives.

The PSM believes that key considerations are:

·       Effective nutrition policies must be developed using evidence-based science in order to address all forms of malnutrition

·       Effective and efficient nutrition policies require coordination across government ministries with input from the research community, private sector and civil society

·       Food systems should place emphasis on food safety, quality, and assurance across the food supply chain

·       Protection and conservation of natural resources to sustainably continue to grow healthy and nutritious food is necessary, in particular considering the impacts of changing climates on nutrition

·       Emphasis should be put on the empowerment of women and girls as they health is directly linked to the health and nutrition of future generations

·       Nutrition education is fundamental in triggering changes in nutrition, cultural practices and diets over the long term as such programs increase public awareness of the important of eating well for good health.

·       The private sector as a producer, processor and provider of food has a fundamental role to play to achieve a more nutrition-enhancing food system by innovating and investing in the food and agricultural sector

·       Addressing issues that impact a community/s or population’s ability to thrive economically such as poverty, gender equality, water access, and sustainable agriculture. 

·       The private sector would welcome the opportunity to share good practices and case studies to demonstrate the private sector’s contribution to improving nutrition at all points along the food supply chain