//  Focus on aflatoxins, fortification, nutrition-sensitive agriculture and gender perspective

Platform members stressed to address these major issues in 2013 within the work stream:

• Aflatoxins__  Represents a major problem for certain crops and nuts, and the emerging link to child stunting
• Diversification__  Not been addressed sufficiently enough, due to low economic interest
• Nutrition-sensitive agriculture and nutrition-sensitive interventions
• Enhancement of the gender perspective regarding nutrition which was seen as the key to success

//  Towards increased Platform engagement and participation at the global stage

Members agreed that the stream needed to consider ways of engagement and participation of the Platform at some of the mainstream agriculture conferences as well as some of the mainstream nutrition conferences.

Members on the call suggested that the Platform secretariat could be represented in important nutrition-related events to inform and update the group about latest developments or organise face-to-face meetings for Platform members in order to increase the social capital of the Platform's community of practice.

Following events in 2013 were identified as very important by the group members:

• 14-15 May, Paris: UNICEF International Conference Against Child Undernutrition
• 8 June, London: UK Hunger Event – "Nutrition for Growth"
• 15-20 September, Granada: IUNS 20th International Congress of Nutrition
• 23-25 September, Bonn: GCIAR Science Forum
• 07-11 October, Rome: 40th session of the Committee on World Food security (CFS)
• 13-15 November, Rome: International Conference on Nutrition+21

//  Work stream exchange fosters peer support and knowledge sharing

Platform members noted that the agriculture, food and nutrition stream was a good way to support one other and share information on what exactly needed to be done since nutrition and agriculture had finally entered international development agendas and discussions.

The group agreed to meet monthly to continuously discuss work plan implementation and next steps and exchange knowledge.

The Platform secretariat confirmed its function to keep the work stream updated and briefed on upcoming important events.

//  Download

24-04-2013 Meeting minutes__ PDF 

//  What is HANCI?

One of the reasons for insufficient progress in reducing hunger and undernutrition consists in lack of political will or political prioritisation. HANCI was created to provide greater transparency and public accountability by measuring what actions governments take, and what they fail to do, in addressing hunger and undernutrition. The index compares and ranks the performance of 45 developing countries based on 22 indicators of political commitment. The indicators are split between indicators of commitment to hunger reduction and indicators relating to commitment to addressing undernutrition. In both sets they are grouped under three themes:

• Legal frameworks
• Policies and programmes
• Public expenditures

//  Guatemala claims top spot

Guatemala has one of the world’s highest child stunting rates (48%), and high annually in GDP to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. While much remains to be done, hunger and nutrition outcomes in Guatemala are gradually improving. This is partially thanks to a range of efforts by the Government, which include:

• Ensuring high level of access to drinking water (92 per cent of the population)
• Ensuring good levels of access to improved sanitation (78 per cent)
• Promoting complementary feeding practices, and ensuring health care for pregnant women
• Investing substantially in health and having a separate nutrition budget line
• A Zero Hunger Plan to reduce chronic malnutrition in children by 10% in 2016

//  Guinea Bissau is worst performing country

Guinea Bissau shows the lowest level of political commitment to reduce hunger and undernutrition. This is worrying, because the country faces serious hunger and nutrition challenges. Child stunting rates are fairly high (28%), but the contrast in government commitment levels is very sharp. Guinea Bissau fails to invest in agriculture and while making modest investments in health, it is not yet setting aside budgets for nutrition. Its nutrition policies need substantial strengthening. Guinea Bissau also needs to reinforce people’s right to social security and enhance very weak economic rights for women.

//  Economic growth not necessarily translates into the combat of hunger and undernutrition

Despite the fact that many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia have achieved substantial and sustained economic growth over the last decade, the prevalence of hunger and undernutrition remains high. In addition, in cases of serious hunger and nutrition challenges, low aggregate and per capita wealth in a country does not mean that governments are unable to act on these. For instance, in Africa, several smaller economic powers (Malawi, Madagascar, The Gambia) are now leading the charge against hunger and undernutrition, leaving traditional African powerhouses (South Africa, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Kenya, Angola) in their wake.

//  A commitment to reducing hunger is different to a commitment to nutrition

A low correlation between the two commitments was found. This is demonstrated by the divergent performance of countries such as Nepal, South Africa and Mali on the two sub-indices. • Nepal ranks number three for nutrition commitment, but ranks only 34th for hunger reduction commitment. • Mali ranks 5th on hunger commitment and 29th on nutrition commitment. • South Africa shows 2nd highest commitment levels for hunger reduction, though ranks 36th for nutrition commitment

//  Download

2012 HANCI Report__ PDF

//  Source

HANCI website

//  E-discussion on mobilising agricultural extension services

Between 8-11 April, online participants from all over the world can contribute to a discussion to increase understanding of the important role that agricultural extension and advisory services can play in improving food security and livelihoods of the rural poor. Contributions can be posted at the online forum provided by GFRAS here.

//  Re-thinking agricultural extension services 

The following questions will be discussed at the forum:

• What approaches/methods/tools – traditional and newer – are available for delivery of advisory services and scaling up?
• What are the success stories?
• What are the current extension and advisory services priority needs on the ground?
• How are actors (governments, donors, private sector, NGOs) responding to those needs?
• What is the way forward to effective and coordinated development and implementation of advisory services?

//  Contribution of GFRAS and its members

The results of e-discussions will feed into the invitation-only session of GFRAS, MEAS, NIFA Symposium on 17 April in Washington. Participants can also join the session via webinar at: http://nifa-connect.nifa.usda.gov/gfras/.  

The session will discuss on how GFRAS and its members, MEAS, USDA/NIFA, USAID, the World Bank, INGOs, and IFPRI can jointly support mobilizing agricultural extension and advisory services.

For more information about the event in Washington please contact Andrea B. Bohn (This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) .

//  Sources

GFRAS e-discussion

GFRAS/MEAS/NIFA Symposium in Washington

On 14/15 March the new EU policy "Enhancing Maternal and Child Nutrition in external assistance: an EU policy framework" was presented at the SUN Movement meeting in Brussels. It aims at improving the nutrition of mothers and children to reduce mortality and diseases, as well as the impediments to growth and development caused by undernutrition. As a longtime supporter of SUN, the EC will continue its engagement in this movement, particularly with regard to the new policy.

//  Objectives of the policy__ reducing stunting

• Reducing the number of children under five years of age who are stunted by 7 million - low height for their age and impaired mental development
• Reducing the number of children under five years of age who are wasted - meaning that they are too thin for their height

//  Priorities__ addressing the root causes of undernutrition

• Allocating more funds for nutrition and food aid from the EU humanitarian and development budgets as well as to target this aid more effectively and accountably
• Addressing both consequences and root causes of undernutrition, e.g. through breastfeeding promotion, provision of micronutrients, investment in rural development, agriculture, public health and education
• Paying special attention to the first 1000 days of life
• Enhancing the collaboration with the private sector that can contribute to activities such as product safety control, fortification of food and awareness raising
• Strengthening the collaboration with partner countries, EU Member States and other bilateral donors, international organisations and global networks

This communication will complement the EU's existing food security policy, in particular the 2010 policy on food security, the 2011 policy on food assistance and last year's Communication on the EU Approach to Resilience.

//  Source

EU Press Centre

EU Action on nutrition and development cooperation

//  Downloads

Enhancing Maternal and Child Nutrition in external assistance: an EU policy framework__ PDF