Entries by UNSCN Secretariat

E-consultation on the V0 draft of the HLPE report “Food security and nutrition: building a global narrative towards 2030”.

During its 45th Plenary Session (October 2018), the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) requested the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) to produce a brief report titled “Food security and nutrition: building a global narrative towards 2030” that takes stock of HLPE contributions “with a view toward informing future CFS actions on FSN for all in the context of the 2030 Agenda”, with analysis that takes into account the perspective of those most affected by food insecurity and malnutrition. The overall aim of the report is to: “elaborate in a forward-looking perspective a global narrative on FSN, enlightened by previous HLPE publications and considering recent developments in the FSN sector” in order to provide strategic guidance towards the achievement of SDG2 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The report will be presented at CFS 47th Plenary session in October 2020.

The HLPE is organizing an online consultation to seek inputs, suggestions, and comments on the present preliminary V0 draft. The results of this 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.

For more information, please visit the web page in English, French or Spanish to read the full introduction to the consultation.

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Policy Seminar – Food Systems Dashboard: How it will work

Monday, 27 January 2020
12:15 pm to 1:45 pm (EST)
IFPRI (Washington, DC)

IFPRI, CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH), Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), and Johns Hopkins University (JHU) are pleased to invite you to the seminar Food Systems Dashboard: How it will work

Our food systems are bankrupting our health systems, accelerating climate change and using natural resources in an unsustainable way.  Most people agree they need to be transformed to change this.  But how?  Food systems are complex and offer many entry points for change.  In addition, the data to describe food systems and their performance is scattered and not interoperable.  In effect we are flying blind in our journey to change food systems for the better.

The Food System Dashboard, developed by GAIN and Johns Hopkins University in collaboration with iTech Mission, University of Michigan, and Euromonitor, responds to this challenge. It brings together extant data from public and private sources to help decision makers diagnose their food systems and identify all their levers of change and the ones that need to be pulled first. Following presentation of the Food Systems Dashboard, commentators will reflect on data and indicators as well as on implications for developing countries.

Speakers

  • Jessica Fanzo, Bloomberg Distinguished Associate Professor of Global Food & Agricultural Policy and Ethics; Director for Johns Hopkins Global Food Ethics and Policy Program, Johns Hopkins University (JHU)
  • Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)

Discussants

  • Inge Brouwer, Associate Professor of Food and Nutrition Security, Wageningen University & Research, and A4NH Flagship Leader of Food Systems for Healthier Diets

  • Olivier Ecker, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI
  • Gina Kennedy, Theme leader, Diet Diversity for Nutrition and Health, Bioversity International

Moderator

  • John McDermott, Director, CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH)

Register here

Live webcast and post-event viewing available here

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Webinar: Cost-effectiveness of anaemia prevention interventions

23 January 2020, from 15:00 to 16:00 CET

Register here

Right in the middle of the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016-2025), and as countries make commitments towards achieving UHC, all policy-makers will be confronted with the same question: which interventions should be included in the national health system?

This requires careful prioritization across all potential health interventions and maximizing health outcomes within the available budget. Countries are encouraged to prioritize health interventions that are both cost-effective and serve the poorest and most vulnerable groups first so that no one is left behind.

Many nutrition interventions, including supplementation in pregnancy and food fortification, are highly cost-effective to prevent disease and mortality.

This webinar is organized by the Accelerated Reduction Effort on Anaemia (AREA) Community of Practice (CoP).

More information available here.

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UNSCN Discussion Paper Urban-Rural Linkages for Nutrition

The nutrition challenges facing the world of today are daunting. One out of three people suffers from at least one form of malnutrition, and current trends suggest this may increase in the coming years. Every country in every region in the world is affected. The causes of malnutrition are multisectoral, and so reaching global and national goals requires addressing numerous underlying and structural factors as well as securing the concerted attention of a broad range of actors. 

Although the multisectoral nature of nutrition is well known, how nutrition is affected by linkages across the rural–urban continuum is not. Increased attention to the impact of changes in food systems, urbanization and rural transformation has highlighted the importance of territoriality and urban governance in addressing nutrition. Nutritionists now need to better understand how urban–rural linkages shape the factors that affect nutrition (factors that are often embedded in complex, non-health-related systems) and how these broader policies and programs are designed and governed.

This paper provides, first, an overview of nutrition and the urban–rural context and how, in general terms, this relates to integrated territorial governance and development. The discussion is then situated in the context of the global development agenda, particularly initiatives dealing with nutrition, urban settlements and urban–rural linkages. The paper then explores how the Guiding Principles for Urban–Rural Linkages (URL-GP) and Framework for Action (FfA) developed by UN-Habitat relate to nutrition actions. Recognizing that the links between urban-rural linkages are not direct, but mediated by other systems and factors, and noting that experiences with applying a territorial  approach to nutrition policies and programs are still limited, the paper concludes by outlining initial steps towards promoting more integrated territorial planning for nutrition, while also encouraging further thinking, initiatives and research in this direction.

The paper has been translated in all 6 UN official languages; pre-design language versions will become available in the week of 10-14 February. 

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Making urban food environments fit for children

All children have the right to adequate nutrition and good health to reach their full potential within their cities and communities. Urban food environments need to provide children, their families and communities with permanent access to nutritious food that is healthy, affordable and sustainably produced.

Together, EAT and UNICEF are seeking to improve urban food environments for healthy and sustainable diets among children and adolescents, to the benefit of entire communities. The content in this brochure highlights the vital elements of a child rights approach3 to creating healthy food environments that are so important to securing healthy diets for all, now and in the future.

 

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Food Systems and Diets Handbook

Published by the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition, this handbook offers a summary of evidence and concrete policy recommendations for countries to provide healthy diets for all. 

The Handbook is an accumulation of the Global Panel’s policy briefs to date, and aims to provide a body of knowledge on how food systems can influence the production and consumption of safe, affordable and healthy diets. 

Produced as an interactive PDF, the Handbook focuses on providing key facts, policy examples and recommendations to stakeholders working across the food system. The target audience for this tool is government policymakers in low- and middle-income countries, technical experts in government, non-government organisations, civil society and the private sectors, students, and academics.

Access the Handbook here.

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Nutrition News Issue 4

In an effort to present nutrition related news at the global and country level, UNSCN and the UNN Secretariats are teaming up to deliver Nutrition News providing a comprehensive overview of recent developments supported and/or coordinated by the UN system.

You can access your copy here.

The fourth issue for 2019 includes:

  • Update on the Mid-term Review of the Nutrition Decade
  • UN Highlights from the SUN Global Gathering
  • Food Systems Updates
  • Urban-Rural Linkages & Nutrition
  • UNN-REACH Facilitator as Knowledge Broker
  • Nutrition at the CFS46
  • Putting the Spotlight on School Feeding
  • Madagascar Mapping Exercise
  • Global Nutrition Report Country Profiles
  • Latest Publications and Nutrition Related Events

 Sign up for UNSCN E-Alerts and E-Newsletters here.

 

Photo Credit: ©FAO Andrew Eseibo

 

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The Double Burden of Malnutrition Symposium Proceedings

Symposium proceedings from the recent IAEA-UNICEF-WHO Symposium on the Double Burden of Malnutrition (DBM) have now been published. The symposium took place in Vienna, Austria from December 10-13th and aimed to strengthen understanding of how to tackle the DBM by sharing recent research findings as well as experiences with the implementation of relevant interventions, programmes and policies.

 

 

Particular focus was given to the role of stable isotopes in addressing gaps both in the measurement of malnutrition and in assessing the impact of interventions. The symposium also promoted double-duty actions, new assessment tools, considerations for policies and action plans to support Member States in achieving their defined nutrition commitments within the Nutrition Decade.

You can access all conference materials – including pictures and presentations at the IAEA’s Human Health Campus. This includes poster presentations and media features.

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The Double Burden of Malnutrition: Lancet Series

The Lancet series on the Double Burden of Malnutrition is now available. The double burden of malnutrition is the coexistence of overnutrition (overweight and obesity) alongside undernutrition (stunting and wasting), at all levels of the population—country, city, community, household, and individual.

This four paper Series explores how this coexistence is affecting low-income and middle-income countries. Malnutrition in its many forms has previously been understood and approached as a separate public health issue, but the new emergent reality is that undernutrition and overnutrition are interconnected and, therefore, double-duty actions that simultaneously address more than one dimension must be implemented for policy solutions to be effective. In addition to policy recommendations, the Series includes a focus on both historical and biological contexts, and new economic analysis.

 

UNSCN was pleased to join 18 other experts from leading organisations in the call for new stakeholders to join the nutrition manifesto. Recognizing that in the Nutrition Decade a new global nutrition movement is emerging that needs to take the lead in demanding food systems change.

Summary brochure and policy brief

Expert Commentary

A new nutrition manifesto for a new nutrition reality

Francesco Branca, Alessandro Demaio, Emorn Udomkesmalee, Phillip Baker, Victor M Aguayo,Simon Barquera, Katie Dain, Lindsay Keir, Anna Lartey, Gladys Mugambi, Stineke Oenema, Ellen Piwoz, Ruth Richardson, Sudhvir Singh, Lucy Sullivan, Gerda Verburg, Patrizia Fracassi, Lina Mahy, Lynnette M Neufeld

 Series papers

1) Dynamics of the double burden of malnutrition and the changing nutrition reality

Barry M Popkin, Camila Corvalan, Laurence M Grummer-Strawn

2) The double burden of malnutrition: aetiological pathways and consequences for health

Jonathan C Wells, Ana Lydia Sawaya, Rasmus Wibaek, Martha Mwangome, Marios S Poullas, Chittaranjan S Yajnik, Alessandro Demaio

3) Double-duty actions: seizing programme and policy opportunities to address malnutrition in all its forms

Corinna Hawkes, Marie T Ruel, Leah Salm, Bryony Sinclair, Francesco Branca

4) Economic effects of the double burden of malnutrition

Rachel Nugent, Carol Levin, Jessica Hale, Brian Hutchinson

 

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Accelerated Reduction Effort on Anaemia Webinar

26 November 2019 from 15:00 to 16:00 CEST ( 09:00-10:00 EDT)

On Tuesday November 26th the Accelerated Reduction Effort on Anaemia (AREA) Community of Practice (CoP) is hosting the webinar: Simultaneous implementation of interventions to prevent anaemia. Are there any risks?

The webinar will explore this topic through a discussion with Professor Stanley Zlotkin and Dr Reina Engle-Stone.

More information can be found at the WHO Nutrition website here

Registration can be found here

Simultaneous implementation of interventions to prevent anaemia. Are there any risks?

Nutritional anaemias co-occur in various population groups. Thus, it is desirable to implement a combination of essential nutrition actions to address this public health problem, but it may lead to potentially excessive intakes of one or more micronutrients. This is especially relevant in settings where multiple stakeholders work to deliver public health interventions such as fortification of staple foods, biofortification and iron supplementation.

The excessive consumption of iron could have harmful consequences on the health and development of individuals and populations. They range from mild gastrointestinal side effects to increased risk of preterm delivery.

As interventions to reduce anaemia scale-up, several questions arise: Are the safety concerns justified? Is it possible to estimate the risks of delivering multiple interventions? If so, how?

Join the webinar to discuss this topic by registering here. You can also register to become a member of the AREA CoP, by clicking on the following link:

The Community of Practice (CoP) aims to support members of the global community dedicated to improving and scaling up existing methods and strategies for anaemia reduction in a holistic and cohesive manner; to build consensus for engagement in AREA at the global, regional and national level and commit to the achievement of the Global Nutrition Targets 2025 endorsed by the 65th World Health Assembly.

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IFPRI Seminar – Food System Transformations: National Actions in a Globalized World

Thursday, November 14, 2019 
12:15 pm to 1:45 pm (EDT)
IFPRI, Washington, D.C. 

Food systems in developing countries are undergoing a rapid transformation shaped by global and regional events. But country actions will be critical in shaping future food system outcomes. 

Some countries are taking a systemic approach to assessing and acting on food system transformation—considering consumption and food environments, food supply and sustainability, health, and socioeconomic outcomes.

This seminar will introduce this approach, and representatives from Nigeria and Viet Nam will discuss the challenges, opportunities, and trade-offs they encounter in enabling food system actors in their countries. A panel will share insights into how food systems can develop in a healthy, sustainable, and equitable way.

Live webcast and post-event viewing available here.

Register here

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