Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

In November 2012, the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS) requested the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) to conduct a study on Food Losses and Waste in the Context of Sustainable Food Systems. Final findings of the study will feed into CFS 41 Plenary session on policy convergence (October 2014).

As part of the process of elaboration of its reports, the HLPE now seeks inputs, suggestions, comments on the present V0 draft. This e-consultation will be used by the HLPE to further elaborate the report, which will then be submitted to external expert review, before finalization and approval by the HLPE Steering Committee.

Click here to access the discussion space.

• The evidence showing how women’s and girls’ empowerment delivers on these outcomes 
• The costs of failing to invest in women's roles in high-nutrient-value food chains and of ignoring women's triple work burden (household, reproductive and market)
• The enabling environment - policies, rights, laws and incentives to empower women in food systems to deliver food security and nutrition

Panelists include:

Lynn Brown, Senior Economist, World Bank/GenRD and SecureNutrition

Susan Carlson, Women’s Committee Facilitator, World Farmers’ Organization (WFO)

Susan Kaaria, Senior Gender Officer (Policy), Gender, Equity and Rural Employment Division, FAO

Stanlake Samkange, Director, Policy, Programme and Innovation Division, WFP

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.

The Marie Curie Initial Training Network PUREFOOD1 project team will host a winter school and forum in Barcelona from 12-22 November. The forum will be a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary event, with the joint participation of the PUREFOOD research fellows and supervisory team, a diverse group of external Ph.D. students, and respected local and international scholars and practitioners. The forum will create an atmosphere of debate, exchange, and collaboration. The academic program will feature three distinct learning modes – expert-led discussions, peer-led paper review, and thematically integrated site visits – and will include modules oriented to some of the most prominent themes in agri-food system scholarship today.

Please note that the deadline for this call has been extended to 15 November

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is pleased to invite experts to submit abstracts for consideration for inclusion in the above-mentioned expert meeting that is to be held early 2013. Successful applicants will be asked to prepare, present and discuss papers on topics relevant to their expertise. A report of the meeting including all papers presented, will be published and disseminated. A synthesis paper will be prepared drawing on information provided by the papers and on the discussions of the papers in the meeting to help inform the debate at the ICN+21 itself.

This expert meeting will focus on the contribution the food and agricultural system makes to nutrition. The expert meeting will focus on the topics that are listed in the call looking at the impact the food and agriculture system has or potentially could have on malnutrition, both on under- as well as on over-nutrition in both developed and developing countries. While medical approaches and public health interventions are not the focus, a perspective from the health side will be provided.

The expert meeting on nutrition-sensitive food and agriculture systems will determine how food and agriculture systems can better provide the food and livelihoods that lead to improved diets and better nutrition, reducing levels of under nutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and over nutrition, including NCDs. This may be through improved production, trade, processing and distribution systems as well as policies which lead to increased availability, access to and consumption of foods of adequate quantity (calories) and quality (in terms of variety, diversity, nutrient content and safety).

The meeting will discuss policy, strategic, methodological, technical and programmatic challenges and document and present evidence, lessons learned, best practices, knowledge and tools which can mitigate and respond to these challenges. Areas of focus will include food and agriculture system-based approaches for improving diets and raising levels of nutrition; evidence-based recommendations for improved food, agriculture and trade policies and programme design, management and implementation; innovation in methodologies for evaluation of impact, efficacy and cost-effectiveness as well as strategies to promote better eating habits and positive health and dietary behaviours.

The expert meeting will raise the awareness of policy makers of the need to place more emphasis on these approaches if the MDGs are to be achieved. The meeting will serve as the basis for future dialogue, debate and information exchange and facilitate wider support for an international movement committed to the implementation of effective, sustainable and long-term nutrition-sensitive food and agriculture system-based solutions to hunger and malnutrition. The expert meeting outputs are expected to feed into the ICN+21 process thereby contributing to informing the post-2015 UN development agenda by helping to identify priority areas and sustainable development goals for nutrition, as well as the policies and plans and the investments required to improve nutrition.

On the basis of the discussions carried out during the Expert Meeting and issues raised, authors will further develop their papers within three months after the event for publishing in the Proceedings.

Abstracts may be sent to [email protected] and to [email protected].

The deadline is 15 November 2012.

For further information please visit the ICN+21 web site.