Tackling the agriculturenutrition disconnect in Africa
Stuart Gillespie
International Food Policy Research Institute
and Transform Nutrition
15 March 2017
Most stunting is in South
Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa
IMPROVING CHILD NUTRITION: The achievable imperative for global progress. UNICEF 2013
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Consequences of malnutrition
• Child death and illness
• 25,000 under-fives die every day (11,000 due to malnutrition
ie 45%)
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By far the biggest driver of the global burden of disease
Cognitive impairment
Lost income-earning potential
Annual GDP losses in Africa 11%
Intergenerational transmission of stunting
Double burden of over- and undernutrition
Global epidemic of non-communicable disease (NCDs)
The causes of malnutrition are interconnected
Insufficient access
to affordable,
nutritious
Lack of good
FOOD
for mothers &
children
& support for
parents on
appropriate child
feeding practices
throughout the
year
CARE
Inadequate
access to
HEALTH
sanitation & clean
water services
ROOTED IN
Political & Cultural Poverty
Environment
Disempowerment
of women
Environmental
Degradation
Why agriculture?
Photo: One Acre Fund
What drives progress in nutrition?
Contributions to reductions in stunting in developing countries, 1970-2010 (%)
8 180-204.
Smith & Haddad. "Reducing Child Undernutrition: Past Drivers and Priorities for the Post-MDG Era." World Development 68 (2015):
6 pathways between agriculture and nutrition
Agriculture is a
key driver of
poverty
reduction
but...
Pathways to
nutrition are
diverse and
interconnected
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Agriculture as a source of food
Agriculture as a source of income
Agricultural policy and food prices
Women’s employment, time and ability to
manage young child care
Women’s status, decision making power
and control over resource allocation
Women’s own health and nutritional status
Source: Gillespie et al., TANDI project
What does an enabling environment
for nutrition look like?
Framing,
knowledge
and
evidence
Politics,
policy and
governance
Capacity
and
financial
resources
Impact
Gillespie et al (2013)
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Building
pro-nutrition
agri-food
systems
Global Panel 2016
Rethinking food systems for nutrition
1. Agri-food systems are not just about feeding people, they are also for
nourishing them.
2. Policymakers and key decision makers need to work throughout the food
system to effect diet change. Attacking bits of it will not work.
3. Public and private actors need to come together more to find innovative
solutions to providing food that is nutritious safe and affordable, especially
to those on lower incomes.
4. Research within the food system needs to be driven to a greater extent by
the desire to achieve high quality diets.
5. Better metrics for diet quality and monitoring food system outcomes are
needed.
6. Accountability needs to be improved on commitments and actions to
strengthen the ability of food systems to support diet diversity and quality.
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Thank you
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