REPORT+WEBINAR: Integrating Nutrition Objectives into Agricultural Extension Programmes and Policies

10 December 2020. Global Capacity Needs Assessment for Nutrition: Integrating Nutrition Objectives into Agricultural Extension Programmes and Policies.

Organised by the Food and Nutrition Division (ESN), the Research and Extension Unit, Office of Innovation (OINR) and the Capacity Development and Academia Unit (PSUA) of the Partnerships and UN Collaboration Division (PSU) - under the auspices of the German-funded ‘Strengthening Capacities for Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture and Food Systems’ project (GCP/INT/714/GER)

Building the capacities in nutrition of agricultural extension and advisory services (AEAS) is widely considered critical to the promotion of nutrition-sensitive agriculture and to the improvement of household food and nutrition security. FAO’s Food and Nutrition Division and the Research and Extension Unit have recently worked with the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS), to develop a GCNA methodology designed to assist countries in assessing their own capacity gaps in nutrition and AEAS. The GCNA methodology has been tested in Chile, Côte d’Ivoire, Malawi, Tajikistan and the State of Telangana in India by GFRAS member organizations and validated during a workshop held from 22 June to 1 July 2020.

This webinar presented the methodology, as well as the outcomes of the pilot testing and validation workshop held in June-July 2020 and discussed further applications of the tool as well as ways to capitalise on the lessons learned.

Speakers

• Anna Lartey, Director, ESN;
• Marcela Villarreal, Director, PSU;
• Ana Islas Ramos, Nutrition Officer, ESN;
• Rasheed Sulaiman, Focal Point for Agricultural Extension in South Asia (AESA) and Director, Centre for Research on Innovation and Science Policy (CRISP), India;
• Maureen Maguza-Tembo, Deputy Director for Nutrition, Ministry of Agriculture, Malawi;
• Subbarao Gavaravarapu, Head, Nutrition Information, ICMR National Institute of Nutrition, India.
• Moderator: Justin Chisenga, Capacity Development Officer, PSUA;
• Moderator: Delgerma Chuluunbaatar, Agricultural Extension Officer OINR.

Reports: FAO. 2021. Global capacity needs assessment methodology – Integrating nutrition objectives into agricultural extension and advisoryservices programmes and policies. Rome. #42 p. https://doi.org/10.4060/cb2069en The agricultural sector is able to provide food of sufficient quantity and quality to feed and nourish the world’s population. However, capacity-development efforts need to be strengthened among agricultural extension and advisory services through a systematic approach based on a better understanding of needs, challenges and interactions at and among all institutional levels, from front-line workers to policymakers. The Global Capacity Needs Assessment (GCNA) methodology examines the capacity gaps at the individual, organizational and enabling-environment levels and aims at: exploring all the opportunities and challenges to integrate nutrition-related objectives into agricultural programmes and policies identifying capacity needs of the EAS providers and at the organizational and policy/enabling environment levels for strengthening capacities to integrate nutrition outcomes in their regular tasks and responsibilities;  identifying knowledge gaps in training materials on nutrition-sensitive agriculture. Last updated date 15/02/2021, see corrigendum GLOBAL CAPACITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR NUTRITION-SENSITIVE AGRICULTURE Integrating Nutrition Objectives into Agricultural Extension Programmes and Policies Finalization Workshop Report 22 June – 1 July 2020 . 37 pages Objectives of the webinar The purpose of this webinar is to raise awareness among professionals, policy-makers and other stakeholders of the need to address nutrition in AEAS with a systematic approach based on a comprehensive assessment of needs, challenges and interactions at and among all institutional levels. Specifically, the objectives are: to share the GCNA methodology with a wider audience; to present the findings of the piloting studies; to present a country experience in piloting the methodology; to illustrate opportunities for scaling up the approach in order to strengthen the integration of nutrition into AEAS.