Investment for Nutrition: Question and Answer

POLICY SEMINAR
Investment for Nutrition
Co-Organized by UNSCN and IFPRI

Speakers
Stineke Oenema, United Nations System Standing Committee on Nutrition (UNSCN) Coordinator
Preeti Ahuja, Practice Manager for Agriculture in the Latin America and Caribbean Region, World Bank
Rachel Nugent, Vice President, Global NCD Initiative, Research Triangle Institute International
David Laborde Debucquet, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI
Moderator
Marie Ruel, Division Director, Poverty, Health and Nutrition Division, IFPRI

Today, nearly 1 in 3 persons globally suffers from at least one form of malnutrition – undernutrition, micronutrient deficiency, overweight or obesity – and a large part of the world’s population is affected by diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The impacts of malnutrition on development, society, health, economies and well-being are serious and lasting, for individuals and their families, for communities and for countries.

The Sustainable development goals call for the elimination of all forms of malnutrition and the Framework for Action of the second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) gives insights in what action can be taken. The current food system does not deliver healthy diets, whereas still many investments in the food system, including agricultural production do not take nutritional outcomes into account.

This event aims to raise attention to the many entry points the food systems offers as well as the numerous opportunities for investments to positively impact nutrition. The UN General Assembly declared 2016-2025 the Decade of Action on Nutrition and called on all actors to join forces to improve nutrition and eliminate all forms of malnutrition.

The policy seminar will focus on the discussion about how investments can be best nudged to improve nutrition:

1. Healthy food system investments tailored to specific contexts

2. Nutrition sensitive agricultural investments