European Forum for Agricultural Research for Development Annual meeting.

12-13 November, 2014. DG Research and Innovation, European Commission, Brussels. EFARD (European Forum for Agricultural Research for Development) Annual meeting.

For this year, the EFARD management team in consultation with the membership has determined that the global food and nutrition challenge and more specifically the agriculture-health-nutrition nexus is of strategic importance for deliberation by EFARD members during the annual meeting.

This thematic priority also coincides with the second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) entitled “Better nutrition, better lives” jointly organized by FAO and WHO for 19-21 November 2014 in Rome and is in line with the European Union’s commitment to supporting partner countries to reduce stunting in children under five by at least 10% by 2025 and its budgetary commitment of Euro 3.1 billion for nutrition-sensitive interventions. Read the programme.

Objective
To review key aspects of agriculture and nutrition interventions being undertaken by EFARD stakeholders (universities, research organizations, private sector and civil society) and identify future interventions for accessing funding for joint research and training, improving engagement of the private sector and partners from the south and for strengthening partnerships with CGIAR and other platforms.

Expected Outputs
An EFARD position paper on improving the agriculture-health-nutrition nexus and Europe’s responsiveness to the Global Food and Nutrition Challenge through joint research, training and diverse partner engagement.

Related: presentation of AICF

Maximising the Nutritional Impact of Food Security and Livelihoods Interventions – A manual for field workers aims to provide practical guidance in order to maximise the nutritional impact of food security & livelihoods interventions.

Ce manuel a pour objectif de fournir des recommandations pratiques aux personnels de terrain pour optimiser l’impact nutritionnel des interventions sécurité alimentaire et moyens d‘existence (SAME).

The approach promoted in the manual is the systematic use of a ‘nutrition lens’ at each step of the project cycle and a close collaboration between sectors. It is divided in two sections: Section 1 outlines the basics of undernutrition, and explains the interlinkages and synergies between food security & livelihoods, and nutrition. Section 2 provides simple and practical guidance on how to adopt and promote nutrition-sensitive practices and interventions. It is written using bullet points, and key messages are highlighted to ensure easy access and enable quick reading in the field.

Related: presentation of GAIN

Cultivating Nutritious Food Systems: A GAIN Snapshot Report, authored by Bonnie McClafferty, Director of Agriculture and Nutrition at GAIN follows nutrition along the agricultural supply chain and explores the success stories and challenges where agriculture and nutrition are working together.

This film highlights several stories from GAIN’s first Snapshot Report 

7 November 2014. Washington. Cultivating Nutritious Food Systems: A dialog with U.S. leaders. U.S. experts from government, civil society and the private sector discussed the obstacles and opportunities to keeping agriculture and nutrition at the top of the United States foreign assistance agenda, streamed live from the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

The discussion coincided with the launch of GAIN’s first in a series of snapshot reports Cultivating Nutritious Food Systems: A GAIN Snapshot Report.

With increasing demand for foreign aid, it is more important than ever to focus on the impact of investments linking agriculture and nutrition. GAIN held a high-level dialogue to reflect on and forecast the country’s continued commitment to a nutritious global food system.

The panel was moderated by award-winning journalist and contributing writer to National Geographic, Joel Bourne. The panelists were:

1. Lisa Gable, President of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation
2. Richard Greene , Deputy Assistant to the USAID Administrator for the Bureau for Food Security
3. Howard Shapiro, Chief Agricultural Officer, Mars, Inc.
4. Katie Lee, Policy Manager at InterAction
5. Opening remarks were given by GAIN’s Executive Director, Marc Van Ameringen.