On 18 March 2024, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) conducted a technical training session on ‘Global Governance and Partnerships’ for Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture (NSA) at the international training program on ‘Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture for Addressing Global Malnutrition’ from 6-19 March 2024 in Hyderabad. The international program was organized by the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE) in collaboration with the Indian Technical & Economic Cooperation (ITEC) of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.

FAO’s technical training session was led by Vinay Singh, Food Security and Nutrition Expert at FAO. It was attended by 30 international delegates from 22 countries which included Nepal, Lebanon, Mozambique, Tanzania, Tunisia, Ghana, South Sudan, Turkey, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Laos, Vietnam, Nigeria, Eritrea, Uzbekistan, Bhutan, Malawi, Ethiopia, Honduras, Syria, Argentina, and Tajikistan.

The training was carried out in a participatory mode provided an overview of the current global scenario of food security and nutrition, and highlighted various nutrition-sensitive interventions which are crucial for addressing all forms of malnutrition. It also emphasized the crucial importance of NSA on a global scale to address issues related to child development and maternal health, food security and resilience, economic prosperity, and livelihood. Global governance and partnerships are crucial for tackling complex international challenges beyond the scope of individual countries, and facilitate cooperation, coordination, and collective efforts among nations for effective and equitable solutions, and improved nutrition governance. The training session facilitated discussions and created an enabling environment for strengthening global governance and partnerships for NSA.

A valedictory session was also organized as part of the international programme on 19 March 2024 and was attended by Dr P Chandra Shekara, Director General of MANGE and Dr Konda Reddy Chavva, Assistant FAO Representative in India (Programme), as Chief Guests. Dr Chavva, during his keynote address, emphasized the global perspective of NSA by FAO and its significance in addressing malnutrition issues worldwide. He also expressed gratitude to MANAGE for institutionalizing the FAO initiative of the NSA and continuing efforts to scale up NSA activities in India and globally. At the valedictory session, Vinay Singh, discussed the inception of the NSA initiative in India, a collaboration with MANAGE.

In India, FAO in collaboration with MANAGE, introduced the NSA initiative as a pilot program in 2020. The initiative trained approximately 75 participants, which included mid-senior level (MSL) extension advisory service (EAS) providers and field level staff (FLS) EAS providers across 26 Indian states in NSA. These participants then disseminated their knowledge to their respective states, conducting similar training sessions for extension advisory service providers and implementing NSA activities on the ground. This initial effort is now expanding to 22 countries, marking a significant achievement for the joint efforts of FAO and MANAGE.

FAO's mandate encompasses elevating nutritional levels, improving living standards, and eradicating hunger by promoting sustainable agricultural development and poverty alleviation. By providing direct development aid and advisory services to governments, FAO aims to enhance the efficiency of food and agricultural production, distribution, and consumption. FAO also serves as an international platform for discourse on food, nutrition, and agriculture matters, gathering, analysing, and disseminating vital information.

Image credit: MANAGE