Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Fonio: enhancing collaboration for sustainable agriculture and improved livelihoods

29 November 2023. Fonio: enhancing collaboration for sustainable agriculture and improved livelihoods

Fonio is one of the oldest cereal crops in Africa, and among all species of millet, it is the world’s fastest maturing cereal (60-70 days). In many Western African countries, fonio plays an important role in household food security and income generation and holds a vital place in cultural identity. Fonio is valued for its high nutrition, ability to grow in areas of drought and high temperatures. Also known for its low-fat content, low glycaemic index, and for being gluten-free, it has the potential to ramp up space in the global market as a functional food suitable for feeding people affected by obesity, diabetes, and celiac disease among others.

IYM2023 provides an unparalleled opportunity to promote fonio as a globally important crop for the future, and bring together researchers and practitioners from different countries and disciplines to share their work and join forces to promote its use for sustainable agriculture and improving local livelihoods.

This webinar showcased current research covering key areas, including taxonomic diversity and distribution, seed science and conservation, uses and livelihoods, genetics, nutrition, cultivation, and value chains. This capitalizes on expertise from across institutes, ranging from the diversity of different landraces, diversification of farming systems, economic implications for fonio, and future genetic transformations.

Untapped Potential: An analysis of international public climate finance flows to sustainable agriculture and family farmers

Climate Focus (2023) Untapped Potential: An analysis of international public climate finance flows to sustainable agriculture and family farmers # 14 p.

This report conducted by Climate Focus and published by the World Rural Forum sheds light on inequities in funding to address climate change. Despite family farmers producing a third of the world's food, only a mere 0.3% of the international climate finance has been directed to them.

The detailed analysis, conducted by Climate Focus in collaboration with the said organisations, the FFF and the FFORA, reveals an alarming situation: despite their crucial role in global food security, most family farmers lack adequate financial support to adapt to climate challenges.

Within a context of the dramatic impact of the climate crisis on family farming production systems in many territories, this report highlights the need to reorient international climate finance to facilitate the transition of family farming towards more sustainable and agroecological agronomic practices. Which, in turn, will help them to overcome family farmers’ vulnerability to extreme weather phenomena by investing in available assets, while strengthening public policies specific for family farming. READ THE FULL REPORT

44% drop in climate finance to small-scale agrifood systems reveals need for action

New data reveals that global climate finance for small-scale agrifood systems is strikingly low, at an annual average of just USD 5.53 billion in 2019/20, 1 equivalent to just 0.8% of total climate finance tracked across all sectors.
This also marks a 44% drop on flows to small-scale agrifood systems in 2017/18.
This must change, given the vital roles of small-scale farmers and agrifoods businesses, who channel 65% of food in developing economies.

Food Security and Agrifood Trade in Latin American and the Caribbean

28 November 2023. Food Security and Agrifood Trade in Latin American and the Caribbean by IFPRI and FAO

Intraregional food trade in the LAC region offers untapped opportunities for expansion. Currently, 60 percent of LAC food imports come from extraregional suppliers, despite a high degree of complementarity in the production of food products across LAC countries. Expanding LAC’s intraregional trade could improve access to, availability, and diversity of food, and ensure more stable food supplies in the face of growing risk of shocks, such as economic crises, extreme weather events, conflicts, and epidemics.

Report Presentations

Agustín Tejeda Rodriguez, Content Director at the Southern Producing Country Group (GPS) and consultant on agricultural policies, trade and international negotiations
Nelson Illescas, Director of the International Agricultural Negotiations Institute Foundation (INAI)

Discussion

Mônica Rodrigues, United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, UN-ECLAC
Moisés Mérida, Director of Partnerships for Development of the Guatemalan Exporters Association (AGEXPORT)
Concluding Remarks Valeria Piñeiro, Acting Head of the Latin America and Caribbean Program and Senior Research Coordinator, IFPRI

Resource:

FAO e IFPRI. 2023. La seguridad alimentaria y el comercio agroalimentario en América Latina y el Caribe. Santiago. 120 p.

Innovating for Sustainable Food Systems Transformations

23 November 2023. Innovating for Sustainable Food Systems Transformations: Scaling Success Stories Beyond Technology

Concept Note: English

Innovation goes beyond technology. It must incorporate social, economic, institutional, behavioral and organizational processes that facilitate integrative policies, business models and sustainable financing.
This webinar presented success stories to illustrate how a broader definition of innovation must be used to advance equitable and sustainable food systems transformation.

Gladys H. Morales, Senior Officer, Global Head of Innovation, IFAD
Vivien Bodereau, Mission Lead Net-Zero Food Systems, EIT Food
Emmastella Gakuo, Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer, Savanna Circuit

Thursday, November 23, 2023

Report: Operationalizing USAID’s Climate Strategy to Achieve Transformative Adaptation and Mitigation in Agricultural and Food Systems

A new report from the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development (BIFAD) recommends actions to achieve transformative climate change results across USAID agricultural and food system investments. The report, Operationalizing USAID’s Climate Strategy to Achieve Transformative Adaptation and Mitigation in Agricultural and Food Systems, was published and shared with USAID Administrator Samantha Power on Friday, November 17th.

Read the Full Report Here

The report presents six detailed operational and technical recommendations and targets for adaptation, mitigation, and finance for agrifood systems that align with those of USAID’s 2022–2030 Climate Strategy. These recommendations are intended to help accelerate USAID’s achievement of its ambitious Climate Strategy goals within agrifood systems programming.

The recommendations stem from multidisciplinary evidence gathering and independent expert consultations led by the BIFAD Subcommittee, in addition to broad feedback at BIFAD public meetings.

Here's a glimpse of what the report has to offer, structured around three strategic elements:

Targets: The report recommends specific agrifood system targets aligned with the Climate Strategy, focusing on adaptation, mitigation, and finance. These targets aim to improve the climate resilience of millions of people reliant on agriculture, reduce emissions, and mobilize substantial finance for climate change adaptation and mitigation.

USAID Operational Changes: To effectively operationalize the Climate Strategy within USAID's agricultural and food security portfolio, the report presents five organizationally tailored recommendations. These changes will better position USAID to achieve Climate Strategy objectives. They include setting, measuring, and reporting on climate targets; integrating climate objectives into the program cycle; building climate expertise; increasing climate investment; and funding climate research.

High-Potential Leverage Points: The report identifies high-potential leverage points within agrifood systems to drive transformative shifts toward net-zero emissions and climate-resilient pathways while achieving food security goals.

Empower Women, Youth, and Other Underrepresented Groups to Drive Locally Led, Climate-Resilient Agrifood Systems
Increase Finance for Climate Adaptation and Mitigation and Expand its Inclusivity
Enable the Use and Sustained Provision of Weather and Climate Services
Partner with and Strengthen Local Research and Development Systems
Expand Integrated Soil and Water Resources Management
Expand Integrated Forest and Agricultural Land Management
Reduce Livestock Emissions while Increasing Production Efficiency
Reduce Food Loss and Waste

Wednesday, November 22, 2023

Global food security summit

20 November 2023. London. Global food security summit

The Global Food Security Summit focused international attention on the deepening global food security crisis and help boost efforts to achieve Zero Hunger and end malnutrition (SDG 2). It galvanised support for lasting solutions that turn the tide and prevent famine, wider food insecurity and malnutrition. Seeking to shift the dial on progress across four action pillars, it will shine a particular spotlight on UK-funded cutting-edge science and innovation. The Summit will showcase practical action achieving real, lasting improvements in people’s lives, delivered by UK expertise, partnerships and science.

Extract of the agenda

Plenary: Opening Session

The Rt. Hon Andrew Mitchell, Minister for Development, United Kingdom – Welcome remarks
The Rt. Hon Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister, United Kingdom
HE Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia
HE Mariam Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, UAE
Sir Chris Hohn, Chair of Board, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation
Bill Gates, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (pre-recorded video)

Session 2: Harnessing science and technology for food security

This session showcased collaborative science and research partnerships in action,
accelerating progress towards greater food security and nutrition, including cutting edge
British science and leadership. It galvanised further joined-up action to tackle some of the
thorniest problems facing the world today, including harnessing emerging technologies
including digital and AI, and finding scalable solutions that support nutrition, productivity,
climate resilience and protect nature.

Setting the scene: Science and Technology for Food Security

Dr Qu Dongyu, Director General, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations
Dr Beth Dunford, Vice President, African Development Bank
HE David Ernest Silinde, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Tanzania
HE Dr. Girma Amente, Minister of Agriculture, Ethiopia

Role of National Research and Innovation Systems and Partnerships

Esther Penunia, Secretary General, Asian Farmers’ Association
Dr Juergen Voegele, Vice President, World Bank
Dr Rob Bertram, Chief Scientific Adviser, USAID
Prof Dame Ottoline Leyser, CEO, UK Research and Innovation

Lead discussants

Prof Bhavani Shankar, Professorial Research Fellow in Food and Health, University of Sheffield
Dharshan Wignarajah, Director, Climate Policy Initiative

Harnessing Science and Technology for Food and Nutrition Security

Dr Agnes Kalibata, President, AGRA
Prof Lindiwe Sibanda, Board Chair, CGIAR
Rodger Voorhies, President of Global Growth, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Lead discussants

Dr Daniel Elger, CEO, CABI
Dr Appolinaire Djikeng, Principal of the Centre for Tropical Livestock and Genetic Health and Director General of the International Livestock Research Institute
Dr Jon Styles, Director, Assimila
The Rt. Hon Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Minister for Indo-Pacific, United Kingdom

Tuesday, November 21, 2023

Tackling obesity and NCD in Mexico

21 November 2023.

Tackling obesity and NCD in Mexico: a policy approach by IFPRI

The 33rd Annual Martin J. Forman Memorial Lecture feature Dr. Simón Barquera, the Director of Nutrition and Health Research Center at the National Institute of Public Health of Mexico (INSP) who addressed the growing obesity epidemic and alarming rate of diet-related noncommunicable diseases in Mexico.

Outlining the INSP’s initiatives and policy recommendations, Dr. Barquera spoke about the Mexican government’s efforts to improve food environments in Mexico, as well as the response of the food industry to these efforts.

While focused on Mexico, the lecture provided recommendations for other countries struggling with rising obesity and non-communicable diseases.

Johan Swinnen, Managing Director, Systems Transformation, CGIAR and Director General, IFPRI
Kenan Forman, Son of Martin J. Forman
Kellie Stewart, Chief, Nutrition and Environmental Health Division, United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Dr. Simón Barquera, Director, Center for Research in Nutrition and Health, National Institute of Public Health, México. President Elect, World Obesity Federation
Moderator: Purnima Menon, Senior Director, Food and Nutrition Policy, CGIAR and IFPRI

11/02/2017. The New York Times Spyware’s Odd Targets: Backers of Mexico’s Soda Tax

All were vocal proponents of Mexico’s 2014 soda tax, the first national soda tax of its kind. It is aimed at reducing consumption of sugary drinks in Mexico, where weight-related diseases kill more people every year than violent crime.

The links sent to the men were laced with an invasive form of spyware developed by NSO Group, an Israeli cyberarms dealer that sells its digital spy tools exclusively to governments and that has contracts with multiple agencies inside Mexico, according to company emails leaked to The New York Times last year.

AU Specialized Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment (ARDWE)

14-17 November 2023. Fifth Ordinary Session of the Specialized Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment (ARDWE).

The objective of the meeting was to review progress made in the implementation of AU and STC Decisions, provide policy guidance, and adopt reports, frameworks, Guidelines, and programmes, as well as recommendations that will be presented for consideration by the Executive Council of the African Union. It was organized by the African Union Commission through its Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (DARBE), which is responsible for the Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment thematic area.

Experts Session on Agriculture and Rural Development (14-16 Nov)

This Sectoral Session included, RED, AFSA, SAFGRAD, IAPSC and CAADP (Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme); Animal Resources (IBAR, PANVAC, PATTEC)

Experts Session on sustainable Environment and Blue Economy (14-16 Nov);

This Sectoral Session included: Blue Economy (Biological and Non-Biological Resources; Ocean Governance) and Sustainable Environment (Biodiversity, Forestry and Wildlife; Climate Change and Meteorology; Disaster Risk Reduction; Sustainable Land Management; Water and Environment (including Sanitation)

High Level Ministerial Session of the 5th ARDWE (17th Nov)

This meeting validated the report on the implementation of the recommendations and decisions of the 4th STC focusing on the work under the following sectors:

Agriculture and Food Security
Animal Resources
Blue Economy
Rural Development
Sustainable Environment.

AU-IBAR hosted a high-level side event

At the sidelines of the STC-meeting, AU-IBAR hosted a high-level side event with ministers from 6 AU member states: Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Somalia, Chad and Egypt. While Ministers from 6 countries: Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Gambia, Zimbabwe and Tanzania sent their representatives. This event sought to engage Ministers and experts responsible for Livestock, Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquaculture to provide valuable insights into AU-IBAR's mandate, strategic direction, and ongoing programs, aligning with the broader goals of the STC-ARDWE

Background:

The Specialized Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment STC - ARDWE is one of the fourteen (14) STCs established by the Decision of the Twelfth Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (Assembly/AU/Dec.227 (XII)), which was held in Addis Ababa Ethiopia on 01-03 February 2009. The STC is composed of Ministers or senior officials responsible for sectors falling within its areas of competence. The Ministers approve projects and programmes submitted by the STC-ARDWE experts. They also have the duty to ensure effective supervision, follow-up and evaluation of the implementation of decisions taken by the organs of the Union and the coordination and harmonization of projects and programmers of the Union.

Monday, November 20, 2023

Assessment of the 20 top food and beverage companies in India

22 November 2023. 10:00 am CET. 14:30- 17:00 IST/New Delhi. Multistakeholder meeting on "Transforming Markets for Better Nutrition".

Organised by the Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNI) and co-convened with support from Eat Right India- FSSAI, NIN, Consumer Voice and CII (TBC). During the event, ATNI launched its 2023 India Index, assessing the 20 top food and beverage companies in India on their performance to increase the accessibility of healthy foods in the Indian market.

The 2023 iteration, with a renewed methodology, creates higher impact through not only aiming to change company behavior directly, but also through wider levers for market transformation.
This includes more active engagement with a wider range of stakeholders such as relevant policy makers, such as the Food Safety and Standards Association of India (FSSAI) and potentially also, for the first time, institutional investors in India.
The India Index 2023 has the highest level (70%) of active company engagement in ATNI’s history of developing India Indexes.
It describes industry best practices and highlights food fortification as well as innovations in the healthy food sphere.
Leading up to the completion of the India Index, ATNI developed policy briefs to guide relevant policymakers in making informed decisions.
After the online launch (22/11), ATNI will hold individual consultations with the 20 companies on the findings and recommendations.

Speakers:

Opening remarks and setting up the context Mr. Greg Garrett Executive Director ATNI

He referred among others to the Nature study (20/11: Powerful study. Life expectancy can increase by up to 10 years following sustained shifts towards healthier diets: The largest gains are obtained from consuming more whole grains, nuts and fruits and less sugar-sweetened beverages and processed meats. Understanding the contribution of sustained dietary changes to life expectancy can provide guidance for the development of health policies.
Keynote address: Shri. G Kamala Vardhana Rao (see picture) - CEO FSSAI Processed food: Regulatory interventions to improve healthiness of products
Guest speech – Mr. Dhruv Sharma Principal Investment Specialist. Invest India - Recent ESG mandate in India and Nutrition in ESG reporting
Guest Speech – Dr. Hemalatha, Director National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) Healthiness of products available in Indian Market.
Mark Wijne, ATNI Research Director - Presenting of India Index 2023 results

Panel discussion on how to improve the business case for better nutrition

Mr. Gaurav CHAUDHRY Founder & CEO Earshot

"Decentralisation of processing food may be an approach to be closer to the consumers' concerns" "Greater attention should be given to start-ups which are innovating"

[note: see Millet: How to Create a Business Around Neglected and Underutilized Species?]
Dr. Arlappa N. Scientist National Institute of Nutrition
Ms. Bhuvaneshwari Balasubramanian – Country Director GAIN
Mr. Ashim Sanyal CEO Consumer Voice
Ms. Jane Karkada Executive Director Confederation of Indian Industry CII
Mr. Anand Prasad Invest India

Closing by ATNI board member Dr. Rajan Sankar

During the debate Mr. Greg Garrett referred to Nutritious Foods Financing (N3F)

To reach the nutrition targets of SDG 2 on 'Zero Hunger' and ensure that all people can afford a healthy diverse diet, innovative methods of resource mobilisation that focus on nutrition and SMEs are needed. The Nutritious Foods Financing Facility – N3F – aims to address these problems through a blended finance approach that focuses on improving nutrition by supporting SMEs in Sub-Saharan Africa to scale up the production and sale of locally produced nutritious, safe foods destined for domestic markets.

Impact

Regarding the impact of this report: ATNI had an investor launch 21/11. The investor group (ATNI’s Investors in Nutrition and Health - AINH) has USD 20 trillion in assets under management (AUM). Additionally a group of these investors are going to be using their role as shareholders in the companies and conducting collaborative investor engagement with the companies, including both global and local institutional investors.

Report

ATNI (2023) India Index 2023. Full report. November 2023. #115 p.

The findings of the 2023 India Index show that the influence of the F&B industry is growing. It has both the responsibility and the opportunity to further embed nutrition into its core business improving product offerings for consumers. Actioning the Index recommendations is critical in the current context and will facilitate F&B manufacturers to play a more vital part in addressing pressing nutrition-related concerns and ensuring that a healthy, affordable diet is available to all.

Extracts:

Between 2018 and 2022, revenue for the Indian online food delivery market has increased five-fold, from $5.01 billion to $25.12 billion (...) The growing role companies play in shaping consumers’ food environments and diets, comes with business opportunities but also responsibilities (page 9)

With increasing interest in utilizing True Cost Accounting for food systems, including as an investment screening tool,39F27 and for assisting policymakers40F28, companies with unhealthy portfolios face growing risks to their business. Companies who are instead proactive in measuring the full externalities of their products, and accordingly shifting towards a healthier portfolio, should see commercial benefits over time. (page 10)

ATNI’s Investor Expectations on Nutrition, Diets and Health is a framework used by 84 institutional investors to integrate nutrition concerns into their responsible investment approaches. (...) For the first time, in 2023 a group of investors in ATNI’s Investors in Nutrition and Health (AINH) representing USD 3.6 trillion in assets under management (AUM) have signed on to actively use the Expectations to drive company progress on nutrition in India through their stewardship practices. (page 10)

Requiring reporting on workforce nutrition in India would ensure that the private sector invests in safe and healthy food choices at work which, in turn will feeds into higher returns over the long term by reducing the risk of poor nutrition and diet-related diseases and boosting employee productivity in the workplace. (page 11)

Nutrition information for a total 1,901 packaged foods and beverages products sold by 20 of the largest companies in India were selected to be included in the Product Profile assessment. The sales of these companies combined accounted for an estimated over 36% of all Indian packaged food and beverage sales. (page 14)

Of all products assessed from all companies in the India Index, 17% met the ‘healthy’ threshold, (having an HSR of 3.5 or more), corresponding to 24% companies’ combined sales in 2021. One company (Heritage) has over 50% of sales from ‘healthy’ products (52% of 44 products total). (page 17)

Companies are encouraged to publicly disclose on an annual basis the percentage of their product portfolio that meets criteria for healthy products in India, as well as changes over time, using an internationally recognized nutrient profiling model. (page 25)

To drive more systematic progress on improving the healthiness of their portfolios and addressing micronutrient deficiencies in India, and thereby improving consumers’ diets, companies are strongly encouraged to: (...) Produce more products which are fortified following government standards– or use fortified staple foods as ingredients – to contribute to addressing specific micronutrient deficiencies in India according to government priorities, while ensuring that there are strict internal policies and procedures in place to prevent the fortification or enrichment of less healthy products. (page 36)

A transparent definition of processed foods, standards for High in Fats, Sugar and Salt (HFSS), and a government-endorsed Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) would help align the sector. The government, in consultation with other stakeholders, can finalize the establishment of a clear and transparent definition of processed foods (including thresholds for salt, sugar and fat), and an NPM system. (page 47)

It is vital that companies carefully consider all aspects of their commercial business that can have positive or negative impacts for public health, and develop a cohesive strategic plan to improve its operations in relation to nutrition (i.e., a ‘nutrition strategy’). While improving the healthiness of their product portfolios is the obvious starting point, it is crucial that companies consider the sales of these products, for which pricing, marketing, and labelling are important. (page 50)

Companies are recommended to engage with independent experts and stakeholders, such as independent public health-oriented civil society organizations, academic institutions, and (inter-)national organizations to inform their nutrition strategy. These engagements, including the impact they had on the company’s strategy, should ideally be disclosed on the public domain. (page 58)

To improve their diet quality, lower-income consumers must therefore have access to nutritious products at affordable prices. (...) The Indian rural market has been estimated to be worth USD 1.5 trillion,87F75 consisting of 833 million consumers typically served by smaller, traditional ‘kirana’ stores, rather than supermarkets.88F76 Evidence shows that this market is increasingly penetrated by branded products, including foods and beverages.89F77 Companies must therefore adopt innovative approaches to ensure that their healthy products are provided at an appropriate price to lower-income consumers, while also being physically accessible to them. (page 60)

It is important that companies are able to show they use a clear process to ensure that their ‘affordable nutrition’ products are actually affordable, to avoid a situation whereby it is claimed that they are ‘affordable’ without this being so. (page 64)

To ensure that products that are considered by the company to be ‘healthier’ are being priced affordably for lower-income consumers, companies are recommended to: (...) ensure that such products are defined as ‘healthy’ through the use of a nutrient profiling model (NPM) (ideally one that is closely aligned with an internationally recognized and/or government-endorsed definition), or other clear nutrition criteria, such that less healthy products (HFSS) are specifically excluded. (page 66)

Companies are advised to commission regular third-party audits of compliance to their responsible marketing policies in India. (page 77)

In order to support the nutrition and health of its employees, (...) develop workforce nutrition programs that include providing access to healthy food at work, nutrition education, nutrition-related health checks, and breastfeeding support, being available to all employees, including those at manufacturing sites. (page 88)

Government could ensure clear and transparent labelling guidelines are in place that incorporate the definition of highly processed foods and criteria for HFSS thresholds. (page 97)

All companies are also recommended to include clear definitions of how it defines ‘advocacy interactions’ (for example, whether or not this includes participation in policy-related multistakeholder meetings, responding to public consultations, and any other interactions with policymakers). (page 105)

Companies are encouraged to work with their value chain partners to reduce both FLW (food loss and waste) and plastic use. This should go beyond requirements set out in mandatory waste management regulations. (page 112)

Upcoming report 19/12/2023

GAIN, IFPRI, FAO (2023) The State of Food Systems Worldwide: Counting Down to 2030. December 2023.

Kate Schneider & Jessica Fanzo & Lawrence Haddad & Mario Herrero & Jose Rosero Moncayo & Anna Herforth & Roseline Reman & Alejandro Guarin & Danielle Resnick & Namukolo Covic & Christophe B'en'e & And, 2023. "The State of Food Systems Worldwide: Counting Down to 2030," Papers 2303.13669, arXiv.org, revised Mar 2023.

Background

ATNI works on three levels to transform markets and achieve improved access to healthier products and diets:

tools that assess the private sector on their nutrition commitments and products;
policy support and alliances including through ATNI’s Investors in Nutrition and Health;
and action research which underpins market change for nutrition.

A video was created as part of the second edition of the World Bank – FAO Knowledge Session series
on the nexus of food systems, nutrition, and climate change.

Marije Boomsma, Director, Strategic Alliances & External Affairs presents how ATNI is accelerating progress to improve the affordability and accessibility of diets in a sustainable way using data-driven tools, such as country-specific indexes that incorporate environmental and nutritional indicators.
Annoek Van den Wijngaart highlights how ATNI’s India Index 2023 provides information on food and beverage companies to improve private sector accountability. She outlines how the Index assesses the nexus through the integration of environmental indicators such as India’s rate of greenhouse gas emissions, efforts to reduce food loss and waste and improvements to packaging.

Companies evaluated in the index include:

Adani Wilmar, Agro Tech Foods, Britannia Industries, Coca-Cola India, Dabur India, GCMMF AMUL, Haldiram’s Snacks Private Limited, Hatsun Agro Products, Heritage Foods, Hindustan Unilever, ITC, KMF Nandini, Lactalis India, Marico, Mondelez India Foods, Mother Dairy Fruit & Vegetables, Nestlé India, Parle Products, Patanjali Foods, and PepsiCo India.

Upcoming events

7 December 2023. Nairobi. 8:45AM- 1:30 PM EAT/ 6:45AM- 11:30AM CET. Allocating Impact Investing in Emerging Markets

During the event ATNI will present its business case for investing in nutrition and metrics for impact investors and learn from others in the impact investing space. The event brings together stakeholders with expertise on the topic including donors, development finance institutions, impact investors, Agri-SMEs, NGOs, intergovernmental organizations, health professionals and more.

13 - 14 December 2023. 7th Annual India Food Safety & Nutrition Summit

This summit is the only dedicated summit in India which provides a common platform for the Food & Nutrition industry to come together to discuss the key challenges. learn from the best practices adopted across the country. India Food & Nutrition Summit is India’s the most authoritative congregation of the Food, Dairy, Nutraceuticals, Dietary Supplements and Health Foods Industry in India.

Past events

20 June 2023. Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) is increasingly shaping corporate and investor
activity in markets around the world. However, currently nutrition lacks prominence in these frameworks, even though it is a crucial component of sustainable development and national prosperity.

In this webinar a panel of experts discussed the opportunities and challenges of embedding nutrition within ESG, with a particular focus on opportunities for India, which is particularly exposed to the impacts of malnutrition, while being well placed to benefit from action in this area.

Opening from Greg S. Garrett, Executive Director, ATNI
Keynote Speaker - Dhruv Sharma, Principal Investment Specialist at Invest India
Introductory Speaker - Joseph Martin Chazhoor Francis, Markets Leader, ESG, at PwC

moderator Suneera Tandon, Assistant Editor at the Hindustan Times
Mint Vinita Bali, Chairperson for the CII National Committee on Nutrition
Tarun Vij, India Country Director, at GAIN
Janendra Kumar, Investment Specialist at Invest India
Tejash Shah, Lead Analyst at Avendus Spark

27 September 2023. 2nd digital conference: Nutrition across the lifespan, for better health and sustainability by Friesland Campina Institute. Presentation Dr Victor Ajieroh (board member ATNI)

The Nutritious Business Monitoring Tool - A new self assessment tool for SMEs

SMEs are at the frontline when it comes to supplying food to low-income groups and have the capacity to drive change in food consumption patterns at a rapid pace – e.g., SMEs are found to provide 70% of food to low-income populations in Africa.3 They therefore have enormous potential to improve the diets and health of consumers on a global scale through incorporating nutrition into their business models and practices, in turn improving the availability and accessibility of healthy nutritious foods for consumers in their local markets.

The NBM tool consists of 27 scored and unscored indicators, grouped into 5 thematic areas – products
& management, marketing, workforce programs, labeling, and engagement. Depending on the answer option selected, tailored recommendations – including relevant information and resources for follow-up – are generated.

The final report for the NBM project showcases the methodology, aggregate results from the tool’s testing phase, and the output from capacity building workshops. The report delves into lessons learnt and recommendations moving forward.

GAIN/ATNI (2022) The Nutrition Business Monitoring tool A self-assessment tool for Micro-, Small-, and Medium-sized enterprises to improve performance on nutrition #49 p.

5th Conference on Land Policy in Africa

21 - 24 November 2023. Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia. The 5th Conference on Land Policy in Africa.

20/11 There are several pre-events lined up, just before the conference.

This is a tripartite consortium consisting of the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
Conference in the context of the ‘Year of AfCFTA: Acceleration of the African Continental Free Trade Area Implementation’, which is the AU Theme of the year.
Zoom links are accessible for registered participants

Extracts of the agenda

21/11: Opening Ceremony

MC: Dr. Janet Edeme, African Union Commission

Speakers

H.E. Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, AU Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment
Ms. Leontine Kanziemo, Lead Advisor, Natural Resources Management, AfDB
H.E Hans Lundquist, Ambassador of Sweden to Ethiopia and Djibouti, and Permanent Representative to AU, IGAD and UNECA.
Hon. Judith Nabakooba, Minister of Lands, Housing & Urban Development, Uganda
Mr. Antonio Pedro, Deputy Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)

21/11: Technical Session

Location: Nelson Mandela Conference Hall
Zoom Link to Nelson Mandela Conference Hall
Chair: Dr. Elizabeth Mirika Musvoto, University of Cape Town, South Africa; liz.musvoto@uct.ac.za

Assessing transparency, inclusiveness, and sustainability in large-scale land acquisitions in Africa

Marie Gradeler¹, Dr. Jeremy Bourgoin^1,2, Angela Harding¹, Dr. Christoph Kubitza³, Dr. Ward Anseeuw¹

1: International Land Coalition, Italy; 2: CIRAD, France; 3: German Institute for Global and Area Studies, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, University of Göttingen

Medium Scale Commercial Agriculture and its Role in Structural Transformation, Wealth Creation and Enhanced Livelihoods in an African Context: Evidence from Contemporary Zimbabwe

Dr. Clement Chipenda

University of South Africa, South Africa

The cohort of medium scale farmers created by the fast track land reform programme (FTLRP) has become pivotal in the country’s reconfigured agrarian structure with the State identifying them as key drivers of its agricultural transformation strategy. In an economy that is heavily reliant on the agricultural sector, medium scale commercial farmers are considered as agents of change, bridging the gap left by the predominantly white owned large scale commercial farming sector, decimated by the FTLRP. The predominate black medium scale Zimbabwean farmers are increasingly being considered as critical in spearheading agricultural commercialisation trajectories, facilitating accumulation and as catalytic agents for socio-economic transformation and development.

Potential Livelihood Benefits of Entitling Customary Rights to Land in Africa: Evidence from Farm Households in Nigeria

Prof. Adebayo Musediku Shittu¹, Dr. Mojisola Olanike Kehinde²

1: Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria; 2: Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara State, Nigeria

Scaling bottom-up land governance interventions: including local institutions to increase (perceived) tenure security

Dr. Wytske Chamberlain-van der Werf

Utrecht University, The Netherlands,

23/11: Technical Session
Location: Nelson Mandela Conference Hall
Zoom Link to Nelson Mandela Conference Hall
Chair: Prof. Uchendu Eugene Chigbu, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Namibia; echigbu@nust.na

Scaling-up Community Participatory Mapping and Land Use Planning to reinforce customary land governance for multi-stakeholder engagement on sustainable investments and trade on land in Southwest Cameroon.

Harrison Nnoko, Dr. Ndjounguep Juscar, Solomon Brown

AJESH (AJEMALEBU SELF HELP), Cameroon

Post independence land policies in southern Africa: Improving agricultural productivity and value chains for export

Dr. Charles Chavunduka, Marcyline Chivenge

University of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe

A National Land Policy in Crisis: The Case of Ghana

Eunice Naa Odarley Lamptey, Prof. John Tiah Bugri

Department of Land Economy, KNUST, Ghana

A review of the Enabling Environment for Transformative Land Investment in Ethiopia, Ghana and Mozambique

Dr. Ermias Aynekulu Betemariam¹, Dr. Endalkachew Wolde-Meskel¹, Dr. Emily Jeanne Gallagher¹, Dr. Tamiru Amanu³, Dr. Delia Catacutan¹, Dr. George Christoffel Schoneveld¹, Eunice Matey Offei², Divine Appiah², Nana Ama Yirrah², Dr. Osvaldo Matessane², Dr. Anne Larson¹

1: Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), Kenya; 2: SNV; 3: Wageningen University Research

24/11: Technical Session

Impacts of Land Registration and Cash Grants on Agricultural Investment and Trade: Evidence from Women Farmers in Uganda

Joao Montalvao, Michael O'Sullivan

World Bank, United States of America

The findings of this study indicate that tenure insecurity and credit constraints are important barriers hindering African women's participation in higher-value, agricultural trading. They also show that it is possible to alleviate these barriers through policy design, and that doing so can have important impacts on women's empowerment.

Related: AFSA PUBLICATIONS

November 21, 2023 – We are excited to announce the launch of a series of five national land policy study reports on Senegal, Mali, Togo, Ghana, and Cameroon, as part of AFSA’s "Our Land is Our Life" initiative. This landmark release underscores AFSA’s commitment to promoting sustainable land rights and governance in Africa.

Key Insights and Objectives of the Reports:

Recommendations for Advocacy Strategy: They offer recommendations to inform advocacy strategies for land rights, identifying key policy spaces, entry points, and actors best placed for advocacy.

Policy Barriers and Advocacy Opportunities: The reports aim to identify barriers to land rights and opportunities for policy advocacy, including strategies for challenging opposing narratives.

Stakeholder Analysis: They provide an analysis of key stakeholders in land policy, identifying allies for protecting small-scale farmers and pastoralists’ rights, and examining the influence and narratives of those who favor privatization and investment in land rights.

Implementation of International Guidelines: The reports assess how international guidelines on land governance, such as those from the UN, AU, and RECs, are being implemented at the national level.

Large-Scale Land Acquisitions: They evaluate the extent and impact of large-scale land acquisitions by both national and international investors on local land users.

Impact Assessment on Land Users: The reports assess how current land governance frameworks impact various groups such as family farmers, indigenous peoples, women, and youth. This includes examining human rights, land rights, access to and control of land, protection of customary land rights, and involvement in land policy decisions.

Examine Land Policies and Governance: They seek to understand the national land policies and governance structures, focusing on how these policies affect peasants’ rights, women’s rights, and food sovereignty.

Millet: How to Create a Business Around Neglected and Underutilized Species?

20 November 2023. Millet: How to Create a Business Around Neglected and Underutilized Species?

How innovative approaches and creative thinking can reintroduce sustainable, nutrient-dense ingredients like millet and sorghum into children's diets. Discover the potential of neglected and underutilized species and learn how to turn innovative ideas into successful businesses.

Recording

Upcoming

29 November 2023. 13:00-14:30 (CET). Fonio: enhancing collaboration for sustainable agriculture and improved livelihoods

IPES-Food News | Local food policies offer blueprint for climate action

IPES (2023) From Plate to Planet #33 p.

Read the report ( EN | FR | ES )
Read the summary ( EN | FR | ES )
Read the press release (EN)

This new IPES food report exposes how city and regional governments are leading the way on real food and climate action, even as national governments lag – with dozens of inspiring examples of effective action on-the-ground. Examples are drawn from signatories of the Glasgow Food and Climate Declaration. It shows how local governments are pioneering policies on food and climate change through dozens of inspiring examples on the ground, including:

promoting healthy and sustainable diets,
reducing food waste,
shortening food chains,
training organic farmers,
and ensuring all residents can access healthy and sustainable food.

Global action on the climate crisis is nowhere near the scale and commitment required to limit warming to 1.5°C. Urgent and far-reaching action to transform food systems is needed to reach the Paris Agreement target. However, while national governments are falling short – cities and regional governments are pioneering far-reaching policies on food and climate change.

‘From Plate to Planet’ finds local governments from small towns to mega cities and regions, have recognized food system change as a key lever for climate action. Leading action that goes 35% above and beyond what has been pledged by national governments; they are reducing food miles, cutting food waste, transforming school canteens, and sparking shifts to sustainable diets.

The IPES expert panel calls on national governments to take inspiration from local governments and harness the emissions-cutting potential of food system transformation.

"It’s truly inspiring to see cities and regions leading the way on action to transform food systems and reduce emissions. It's time for national governments to learn from them - drawing down emissions from plate to planet," Olivier De Schutter, IPES-Food's co-chair

Periodic Table of Food Initiative

26 October 2023. Ag2Nut webinar -

Periodic Table of Food Initiative

Recording is availably online sine 17/11

The Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI) seeks to empower global partners to address these questions. Specifically, we are harnessing the power of technological advancements to provide tools, data, and training to characterize food quality and safety based on food composition of the world’s edible biodiversity.

PTFI will be launched in April 2024

PTFI enables partners to map how the composition of foods around the world varies with environmental conditions and agronomic practices, using standardized analytical tools based on omics technology and rich metadata that complement traditional food composition methods.

The PTFI elucidates linkages between agriculture, nutrition, and health in novel ways.

PTFI's ultimate goal is to empower global stakeholders to use food composition data to advance informed solutions to our most pressing food system challenges: climate change, biodiversity loss, and malnutrition.

Moderator: Anna Herforth, Ag2Nut
Selena Ahmed, Foodomics
Steve Watkins, Standardized Tools + Data
Jonathan Lundgren, Scientific Assessment of Regenerative Agriculture
Chi-Ming Chien, Data Showcase
Gina Kennedy, Research + Translation
Kevin Cody, Food EDU

Background:

The Agriculture-Nutrition Community of Practice, better known as Ag2Nut, is a global network of professionals working on agriculture and nutrition linkages which was crated in 2010. The group is informal, and designed to facilitate information sharing and networking.

The group has roughly 9,500 members from 130 countries. It includes members of national and international NGOs, UN organizations, governments, universities, independent professionals, bilateral institutions and donor organizations. Visit this page for more information about Ag2Nut, and join the group at www.ag2nut.org.

Related resources:

Beyond Reasonable Doubt: Avoiding conflict of interest in nutrition research
In the late 1950s, as the evidence of smoking's harm mounted, tobacco giants crafted a strategy to manipulate scientific understanding and foster doubt. Today, parallels emerge as Big Food adopts similar tactics. In this blog, Stuart Gillespie reveals the Ultra-Processed Foods industry playbook.

Public health consequences of transnational food companies: experiences from the Mexican context

Transnational food companies (TFCs) often claim to support public health, but they have opposed nutrition policies in countries like Mexico. Simón Barquera writes about how TFCs use various tactics, such as legal challenges and lobbying, to undermine public health policies.

Unmasking the Profitable Marketing of Trans Fats at the Expense of Public Health

Phyllis Addo reveals how the food industry uses strategies to profit from trans fats, despite their negative impact on public health. These fats influence people's food choices, as the foods that contain them are appealing, and accessible.

Focusing on healthy diets to counter corporate influence in public health
There's been a focus on controlling obesity to improve people's health, but has this let the unhealthy food industry off the hook? Mélissa Mialon and Hernando Salcedo Fidalgo suggest shifting the focus towards promoting healthy diets to counter corporate influence on public health.

Unravelling the “fresh” misconception of ultra-processed foods in Ghana
In Ghana, there's a common misconception that eating ultra-processed foods leads to a "fresh" appearance. Nevertheless, these foods are far from fresh, as they are heavily processed and contain additives and sugars. Gyinadu Abubakar addresses this misconception and suggests actionable measures.

The State of Food and Agriculture 2023.

FAO's report emphasizes the need to consider the hidden environmental, social, and health costs of agrifood systems. The report outlines a two-phase True Cost Accounting process, with national-level assessments for awareness. Globally, the hidden costs of agrifood systems exceed $10 trillion, affecting health, labor productivity, and the environment.

Guide for the NOVA 27 UPF Categories Tracker
Researchers from Equador have released a new guide, a tool to monitor ultra-processed food and beverage consumption globally. Originally validated in Brazil through an IMMANA-funded study, the tracker is now being adapted and validated in Quito, Ecuador. This guide documents how others can use this innovative tool in a specific population or at a national level.

Improvement of Nutritional Quality of Food Crops with Fertilizer: A Global Meta-Analysis

This is a comprehensive global meta-analysis that examines the impact of fertiliser on the nutritional quality of food crops. Analysing 551 field experiments from 1972 to 2022, the paper reveals that fertilizer application enhances crop yield by 30.9% and improves nutritional quality by 11.9%.