Author Archive for: UNSCN Secretariat

Open until 10 January 2019

UNSCN Nutrition is the flagship, peer-reviewed publication of the UNSCN, previously entitled UNSCN News. The 2019 edition will focus on food environments to enable healthy and nutritious diets.

On a daily basis, people acquire and consume food through their food environments. It is the link between diets and the wider food system. It considers the ability to access nutritious food affordably and conveniently. It is also shaped by external factors, such as the price and availability of food, as well as the taste, marketing and regulations that impact what is being promoted.

There are various ways in which the food environment has been defined. The 2017 HLPE defines it as “the physical, economic, political and socio-cultural context in which consumers engage with the food system to make their decisions about acquiring, preparing and consuming food”(HLPE 2017). Others have defined food environments more in terms of the foods themselves, as “all the foods which are available and accessible to people in the settings in which they go about their daily lives. That is, the range of foods in supermarkets, small retail outlets, wet markets, street food stalls, coffee shops, tea houses, school canteens, restaurants and all the other venues where people procure and eat food” (FAO), encompassing the aspects of availability, affordability, convenience, and desirability (Herforth and Ahmed 2015).

From local markets to megastores, food environments are changing rapidly as people move from rural to urban areas and as dietary preferences evolve. This evolution has also led to a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity and deaths from non-communicable diseases, especially in high income countries. Food labelling, product positioning, advertising, promotions and marketing are particularly influential, especially when children are the target audience. When designed effectively, policies and fiscal measures can positively influence what is available for consumers and lead to healthier choices. Efforts aimed at introducing greater nutrition into the supply chain, improving post-harvest practices and increasing the nutrient content of foods through, for example, food fortification, are also essential.

This Call for Contributions welcomes academically rigorous examples of the positive and negative effects of our current food environments on nutrition. Programs that increase consumer demand for healthy food such as consumer behaviour change communications, social marketing and nutrition education are also welcome.

KEY QUESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION

• What have national or local governments done to improve food environments?
• What has been the impact of price interventions on consumption?
• How can inherently nutritious foods be made more convenient for consumers? What is the role of private sector?
• What workforce development and training opportunities are needed to build the necessary skills and leadership capacity to improve food environments?
• What are some specific observations around how food environments are changing in LMICs?
• What are some examples of public procurement affecting food environments?

We welcome contributions on the following categories:

Feature articles: 3,000 words articles related to the general topic of the publication. The articles will be submitted to peer review and can include conceptual contributions or practical examples of policies and programmes.

Speaker's Corner: 1,500 words articles with the authors’ views regarding a hot topic in nutrition policy or programme. The section sometimes features a counterpoint by another author holding an opposite opinion to stimulate debate on important issues. Your contribution could also serve to share your food environment story and how that has impacted the health and well-being of your family and community.

Publications: recent publications of relevance to nutrition, including manuals, tools and guidelines that are usually not found in regular bookstores. Max. 200 words per submission.

Please send your contributions electronically to the UNSCN News to SCN@fao.org with the title “UNSCN Nutrition Proposal”. For editorial information, please refer to the UNSCN News Guidelines for Contributors available here.

Photo credit: FAO/Giulio Napolitano

Deadline: 10 January 2019

7 November 2018, 14:00 – 17:00 (CET), FAO HQ, Rome (Italy) 

On 7 November 2018, the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition will launch its new policy brief: "Preventing nutrient loss and waste across the food system: Policy actions for high-quality diets".

This brief argues that a reduction in food loss and waste, particularly in high nutrient foods, has the potential to yield substantial nutritional benefits, contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, and the advancement of the Decade of Action on Nutrition. It also argues why addressing food waste and loss should be a new priority for improving nutrition.

On the panel:

• Sir John Beddington, Co-Chair, Global Panel on Agriculture; and Food Systems for Nutrition.
• Prof K. Srinath Reddy, President, Public Health Foundation of India; and Global Panel Member.
• Rachel Kyte, CEO, Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All); and Panel Member.
• Prof Patrick Webb, Professor, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy; and Director, USAID’s Feed the Future Nutrition Innovation Lab.

If you wish to attend in person, the registration is compulsory. Please REGISTER HERE. 

Alternatively, you can watch the event live from the FAO 

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

This first edition includes:

GLOBAL UPDATES

• The Third High-level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of NCDs
• Nutrition in the 2030 Agenda
• Nutrition Outcomes from 45th Session of the Committee on World Food Security

COUNTRY UPDATES

• Multi-sectoral nutrition mapping exercise in the Democratic Republic of Congo highlights opportunities for reaching more vulnerable people
• Mapping exercise fuels multi-sectoral action to account for nutrition results in Mali
• Lesotho bridging the gap for better nutrition capacity
• ‘CAN’ helps sensitise the media about nutrition in Haiti

PUBLICATIONS and a CALENDAR OF NUTRITION RELATED EVENTS

You can access you copy here.

Food safety hazards are increasingly being recognized as a major public health problem worldwide, yet among developing countries, there is limited understanding of the wider-ranging socio-economic costs of unsafe food and the benefits of remedial or preventative measures. This limited evidence base has led many countries to underinvest in food safety, or invest inefficiently in reaction to serious outbreaks of foodborne illness, other food scares, or trade interruptions. For many countries experiencing rapid urbanization and dietary changes, the growing complexity of food safety hazards is outpacing if not overwhelming prevailing food safety management capacity-both in government and in supply chains.

This report strengthens the economic case for increased public investment and other policy attention on food safety in developing countries. It is directed primarily at policy-makers, although researchers, development practitioners and food safety specialists will also find its content of value. By synthesizing and interpreting the available evidence on the economic costs of unsafe food in relation to both domestic markets and trade, the report positions food safety as an integral part of economic development and food system modernization. It goes on to provide guidance on ways in which public policy and investment can improve food safety awareness and behavior from farm to fork.

You can access the publication here.

World Food Day 2018 will mark the 73rd anniversary of FAO’s founding. One of the most celebrated days in the UN calendar, events organized by FAO country offices, governments, local authorities and other partners in over 130 countries across the world will call for increased action to achieve Zero Hunger.

The official World Food Day (WFD) ceremony on 16 October at FAO headquarters will be an opportunity for leaders and key global players in the drive to achieve Zero Hunger and eliminate malnutrition, to remind the world that Zero Hunger is still possible if we can come together and take account of lessons learned, best practices and all evidence available. The campaign will raise the alarm over recently increased hunger figures and call on countries and other stakeholders to get back on track.

Working for Zero Hunger

After a period of decline, world hunger is on the rise again. Today, over 815 million people are suffering chronic undernourishment, according to the latest FAO report. Conflict, extreme weather events linked to climate change, economic slowdown and rapidly increasing overweight and obesity levels are reversing progress made in the fight against hunger and malnutrition.

Now is the time to get back on track. The world can achieve Zero Hunger if we join forces across nations, continents, sectors and professions, and act on evidence.

Zero Hunger moves beyond conflict-resolution and economic growth, taking the long-term approach to build peaceful, inclusive societies.

The World Food Day is a chance to show our commitment to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 – to end hunger and malnutrition. 

Visit the World Food Day website for more information about events and activities.