Analysing nutrition governance in fragile contexts: lessons and implications
This Maximising the Quality of Scaling Up Nutrition Programme (MQSUN) Briefing describes lessons learnt and implications from a MQSUN assignment which main objective was to analyze the research and policy challenges for improving nutrition governance in a context of state fragility. Efforts to...
West Africa heads on to consolidate knowledge sharing in food security and nutrition
21 November 2013, Accra – Seven years after the launch of the Economic Community Of West African States Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP), food insecurity and hunger are still prevalent in West Africa. Acute food crises occurred in 2005, 2010 and 2012 in the region, hitting especially the Sahel. In 2012, 18.7 million people were affected by food insecurity.
Sharing knowledge and expertise on food security and nutrition is a key factor in the fight against hunger and malnutrition. Inclusive multi-stakeholder dialogues contribute significantly to the improvement of techniques and approaches for food and nutrition security of the most vulnerable populations.
Focus on West Africa Food Security and Nutrition Forum
Experts and practitioners in Food Security and Nutrition met on 20-21 November 2013, in the FAO Regional Office for Africa in Accra, Ghana, to discuss pressing Food Security and Nutrition (FSN) issues affecting the the Economic Community Of West African States.
Approximately 16 participants from West Africa attended a workshop dedicated to the FAO’s Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition in West Africa (FSN Forum), a worldwide network of experts and practitioners that take part in facilitated online discussions and knowledge sharing on food security and nutrition.
West African representatives from civil society, academy and research and government will identify key issues in order to support the further development of the West Africa FSN Forum and ensure its full ownership by regional actors.
“What is new is the focus on West Africa. The FSN Forum in West Africa will concentrate mostly on specific issues and concerns of the region”, said FAO Representative to Ghana and Sub-regional Office for West Africa, Mr Lamourdia Thiombiano, during the opening session. “It is particularly interesting that we are not reinventing the wheel here, but building on an initiative that has already proven to be successful at the global level and can be effective for the West African community, too”.
Thiombiano also observed that inclusive multi-stakeholder dialogues contribute significantly to the improvement of techniques and approaches for food and nutrition security of the most vulnerable populations. “These exchanges help in raising awareness and strengthen stakeholders’ support of policy processes”.
Building on existing initiatives
The Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition has been instrumental in building networks of stakeholders who can play a role in pushing forward the Right to Food agenda and in supporting the inclusion of diverse stakeholder groups into global food security and nutrition processes. The Committee on World Food Security (CFS), the High Level Panel of Experts of the CFS and the Post 2015 Development Agenda process feature among the FSN Forum collaborations.
"The FSN forum is ready to support the strategic objectives of FAO in the Region to reduce hunger and malnutrition", said Mauricio Rosales, Coordinator of the Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition, "the main challenge for the FSN is to achieve a greater impact at grassroots level".
The inputs obtained from this workshop will help establish a better forum for the West Africa region.
The FSN Forum nurtures a community of 7 000 members with one third of them from Africa. The new West Africa FSN Forum will aim at supporting policy formulation and processes by providing a channel for local, national and sub-regional West African stakeholders to actively contribute to existing initiatives, such as the new FAO/Germany supported "Zero Hunger” project of the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS), that seeks to unite the efforts of all regional stakeholders, including governments, parliaments, civil society and organizations of producers around eradicating hunger in West Africa.
Links:
Nutrition Commitment Audit for Nigeria
This Operational Research and Impact Evaluation (ORIE) Research summary highlights key findings from a Nutrition Commitment Audit (NCA) designed and applied in Nigeria in 2012 in order to examine national and sub-national level factors influencing the country’s commitment to addressing...
Nutritional status in northern Nigeria, prevalence and determinants: a review of evidence
This ORIE Research Summary outlines the approach, key findings and conclusions of a review of literature on the prevalence and determinants of child and maternal undernutrition in northern Nigeria, and direct and indirect interventions to tackle undernutrition, globally and in Nigeria, undertaken in...
A stakeholder map for nutrition policy and programming in northern Nigeria
This Operational Research and Impact Evaluation (ORIE) Research Summary highlights key findings from a stakeholder mapping carried out to increase understanding of nutrition context, policy and programming in northern Nigeria; map organisations, systems and practices for nutrition knowledge sharing...
Action on under-nutrition in Pakistan: opportunities and barriers
This Maximising the Quality of Scaling Up Nutrition Programme (MQSUN) Briefing is based on the study The Political Economy of Under-Nutrition in Pakistan. It highlights challenges faced for mainstreaming nutrition as an inter-sectoral development priority and provides strategic recommendations using...
The contribution of the private sector and civil society to improve nutrition
As part of the preparations leading up to the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2), this online discussion invites you to share evidence and exchange views on how the private sector and civil society can contribute to improving diets and raising levels of nutrition, particularly of the poorest and most nutritionally vulnerable.
Carbon incentive for physical activity: Conceptualizing clean development mechanism for food energy
The basic fact is that intense practitioners of yoga consume food only once a day while moderate practitioners of yoga consume food twice a day. With the normal consumption being around three times on a given day, the economic benefit or the reduction in food consumption due to yoga practice is two...
Nutrition-enhancing agriculture and food systems
Nutrition-enhancing agriculture and food systems are those that effectively and explicitly incorporate nutrition objectives, concerns and considerations, improve diets and raise levels of food and nutrition security. This online discussion is part of the preparations leading up to the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) and invites you to share evidence and exchange views on how to improve policies, programmes and interventions for making agriculture and food systems more responsive to nutrition.
The State of Food and Agriculture 2013
Food systems for better nutrition
Malnutrition in all its forms – undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and overweight and obesity – imposes unacceptably high economic and social costs on countries at all income levels. Improving nutrition and reducing these costs requires a multisectoral approach that begins with food and agriculture and includes complementary interventions in public health and education. The traditional role of agriculture in producing food and generating income is fundamental, but the entire food system – from inputs and production, through processing, storage, transport and retailing, to consumption – can contribute much more to the eradication of malnutrition.
Agricultural policies and research must continue to support productivity growth for staple foods while paying greater attention to nutrient-dense foods and more sustainable production systems. Traditional and modern supply chains can enhance the availability of a variety of nutritious foods and reduce nutrient waste and losses. Governments, international organizations, the private sector and civil society can help consumers choose healthier diets, reduce waste and contribute to more sustainable use of resources by providing clear, accurate information and ensuring access to diverse and nutritious foods.