1. From Sustainable Farms to Better Nutrition: Linking
Global Commitments to Research, Policy and Practice
IUNS 21st ICN
Tuesday 17 October 11:30 – 13:30
Hotel Sheraton, Room 7, Retiro C, Track 8
Getting It Done: RBA Country Support, Approaches, and Tools for National Capacities in Agriculture and Nutrition
Dr. Nancy J Aburto, Nutrition Chief, World Food Programme

2. Conflict of Interest Disclosure
From Sustainable Farms to Better Nutrition: Linking
Global Commitments to Research, Policy and Practice
Conflict of Interest Disclosure
I have no conflict of interest to report in relation to this presentation.

3. RBA COLLABORATION ON THE GROUND
From Sustainable Farms to Better Nutrition: Linking
Global Commitments to Research, Policy and Practice
RBA COLLABORATION ON THE GROUND
Malawi
Laos
Joint RBA Resilience Programme (Canada) in Niger, DRC and Somalia
Kenya

4. IFAD Nutrition Resources
From Sustainable Farms to Better Nutrition: Linking
Global Commitments to Research, Policy and Practice
IFAD Nutrition Resources
We are different entities and we have different resources to offer
IFAD – for example – offers a vast array of materials on nutrition sensitive agriculture from brochures that put in laymans terms how nutrition can be improved through agriculture and what that can mean in terms of rural development – to tools kits of diverse resources on topics such as integrated homestead food production with a nutrition lens – and reports examining how investments in climate-resilient agriculture can be leveraged not only to deliver benefits to secure food security under a changing climate, but also to contribute to efforts to eradicate malnutrition
These, as well as other relevant resources, can be found on the ifad webpage
Brochures
Reports
Tool Kits  

5. FAO Toolkit & e-learning on Nutrition-sensitive Food Systems
From Sustainable Farms to Better Nutrition: Linking
Global Commitments to Research, Policy and Practice
FAO Toolkit & e-learning on
Nutrition-sensitive Food Systems
Key recommendations for improving nutrition through agriculture and food systems
Designing nutrition-sensitive agriculture investments. Checklist and guidance for programme formulation -
Compendium of indicators for nutrition-sensitive agriculture
FAO concentrates a significant amount of work on assistance for designing policy with a nutrition lens in the sectors of agriculture, fisheries, forestry, etc.
With a particular focus on agricultural investments –
FAO developed toolkit for nutrition sensitive agriculture through a multiple years in consultation with a wide range of actors – particularly WB/EU/RBAs but also others. It is the result of experiences of implementing projects, training workshops, UN joint programs and based on the exchange of lessons learned between professionals. It draws on the experiences of different players to develop resources, and seeks to have these resources used by others.
The 10 key recommendations for improving nutrition trough agriculture and food systems were formulated following an extensive review of the available guidance on agriculture programming for nutrition. The Lancet series 2008 on public health interventions was pulling nutrition agenda towards health based interventions, but there is also food. This is a key resource, which various partners, including USAID and SPRING, WFP, IFAD, refer to in develop their own tools.
2) Then the question was how to put the key recommendations in practice? The Checklist for programme formulation proposes key questions for the whole project cycle and emphasizes the importance of situation analysis. Contexts are specific and require specific solutions, but if you have the right questions, you might find the most relevant answer for the problem you are trying to address. This document is also used by the World Bank and other investment players to review projects before going to the board. CHECK WITH AIRA IF STILL THE CASE 
3) The compendium of indicators gives guidance on a range of indicators for monitoring and evaluating the nutritional impacts of agricultural investments. The compendium is used by various players in their logical frameworks for projects where indicators are required.
4) The most recent document is the “options for intervention” which proposes 20 intervention areas with the potential to improve nutrition to inspire policy makers and practitioners. Idea was to complement the other parts,
Nutrition-sensitive agriculture and food systems in practice: options for interventions
E-learning modules:

6. Other FAO Nutrition Resources
From Sustainable Farms to Better Nutrition: Linking
Global Commitments to Research, Policy and Practice
Other FAO Nutrition Resources
Food composition (INFOODS, e-learning)
Dietary Assessments
Minimum Dietary Diversity – Women (MDD-W)
Global Individual Food Consumption Tool (GIFT)
Food-based Dietary Guidelines
Nutrition education
School food and nutrition (incl. gardens)
But FAO goes another step and has resources to support action
Some examples include work on food composition
The INFOODS food composition database and accompanying learning tools enable governments and all stakeholder to compile and use of food composition data
Another example is the work in dietary assessments such as development of MDDW indicator for micronutrient adequacy in the diets of WRA. In fact, WFP has adopted this indicator as one of its corporate indicator to support harmonization of data across agencies.
FAO also offers GIFT which is a FAO/WHO database on quantitative data on food consumption from surveys – enhance collection and use of food consumption data and supports harmonization of data that can be collected and used in food consumption databased
Food based dietary guidelines – technical assistance to countries to develop FDG using a multi-sectoral consultation. Not used much so far for informing policy but should be used more for ag policy/education policy
Nutrition education/SBCC – nutrition in school and complementary feeding
School food and nutrition (including gardens as educational tool and linking with local procurement)

7. WFP Nutrition Resources
From Sustainable Farms to Better Nutrition: Linking
Global Commitments to Research, Policy and Practice
WFP Nutrition Resources
Identification
Define focus of analysis (target groups, geographies)
Fill the Nutrient Gap
Nutrition sensitive interim guidance
Learnings tools (i.e. e-modules)
Nutrition education
School meals and nutrition
Policy Analysis
Analyse enabling environment
WFP, as an agency, focuses more on ground level action and close support to local and national governments for programming.
Some tools available from WFP nutrition relevant to Nutriiton and Agriculture include:
The Fill the Nutrient Gap tool is actually a process for bringing together nutrition stakeholders- across sectors – to identify areas of most interest across geographies, socio demographic groups etc within a country / conduct a policy analysis of the enabling enivornment for nutrition action / analysis food and nutritient avialibility, acces, intake, practices, and affordability - and decide of effective, context specific interventions and policy options to fill identified nutrient gaps.
WFP also has interim guidance that is currently being rolled out across the organization to make diverse types of programming nutrition sensitive – including (but not limited to) agricultural programming. This interim guidance is primarily targeted internally to WFP but can be relevant and useful for partners working in collaboration with WfFP on nutrition sensitive programming.
WFP also has a series of e-modules on nutrition sensitive activities from the basics of definitions and descriptions for newcomers to this field to more advanced modules on technical needs for adapting programmes to have a nutrition impact.
Also, like FAO, WFP has resources on nutrition education and SBCC as well as school meals and nutrition. These final points where we see overlap in what the RBAs have to offer in terms of resources highlight an important point – harmonization across the agencies.
Analysis
Analyse food and nutrient availability, access, intake, and local practices, and affordability of nutritious diets
Decision
Identify effective, context-specific intervention and policy options to fill the nutrient gap

8. School Meals and Nutrition
From Sustainable Farms to Better Nutrition: Linking
Global Commitments to Research, Policy and Practice
School Meals and Nutrition
Common narrative
Joint action on the ground
Coming together for common understanding for alignment of thinking and approach to important topics.
Though each agencies has diverse tools, audiences, and entry points – there is an important effort to come together for common understanding for alignment of thinking and approach to key topics to facilitate support to countries and working together when indicated..
The Resource Framework harmonizes the existing knowledge, tools and expertise of the partners. The Home Grown School Feeding Resource Framework is a tool for policy makers, practitioners, governments and stakeholders to help designing, implementing and scaling up HGSF programmes.. It is therefore a great example of a collaborative effort to help governments achieve their goals.
The RBAs also worked through the UNSCN to co-author a discussion paper on school meal and nutrition, which was only published last week. This discussion paper shows that schools offer a unique opportunity to improve nutrition using a systemic, multi-sectoral approach. Social, health, economic and ethic arguments coalesce in and around schools. Looking at schools as a (food system) to improve nutrition offers insights into what interventions to implement and combine to ensure the best possible nutrition outcomes for children in schools, their families and their communities, both now and in future
There are also examples within the realhm of school meal and nutrition as it relates to agriculture of joint action in countries. The best of which is Purchase for Africa from Africa or PAA Africa - a collaborative project undertaken FAO, WFP, the governments of Brazil and the United Kingdom, and the governments of each pilot country: Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger and Senegal. WFP has used technical expertise gained and lessons learned through home-grown school feeding programmes facilitated through South-South cooperation mechanisms increased the procurement of food from smallholder farmers in partnership with governments for school meal programmes.

9. RBA Working Group From Sustainable Farms to Better Nutrition: Linking
Global Commitments to Research, Policy and Practice
RBA Working Group
An important example of this convergence, is the RBA working group on sustainable food value chains for nutrition. 
The Group was created to undertake joint actions in the area of Food Value Chains for Nutrition, including support to investment and policy processes, capacity development, generation of knowledge products, harmonized tools and guidance, and joint advocacy, all in the context of country-led processes and international policy fora.

10. From Sustainable Farms to Better Nutrition: Linking
Global Commitments to Research, Policy and Practice
Conclusion
RBAs are working to mainstream nutrition in agriculture in a harmonized fashion to facilitate uptake by partners
A new space in Food and Agricultural sector to integrate nutrition
We, as nutritionists, need to understand and prioritize concerns of agricultural sector in order to build bridges and make inroads to capitalize on this opportunity
We invite you to participate in this discussion
built an opportunity for a dialogue to improve nutrition through agriculture
A value added of the RBAs has strengthened nutrition component
IFAD – new nutrition posts
FAO – expansion
WFP – new division
We invite you to participate in this discussion so together we can make improved agriculture synonymous with improved nutrition.