Explore Official Dialogue Feedback

These are the priority actions needed in the next 3 years that will have the greatest impact in improving child nutrition: (1) Establishment of nutrient, ingredients, and safety standards for food products, meals, and snacks provided to children, including in or around schools and homes, to ensure that healthy foods are provided to children and adolescents and unhealthy foods are minimized (2) Development of a nutrient profiling system to guide food labeling, nutrition, and health claims, and marketing restrictions (3) Continuous food safety advocacy including education and training of street ... Read morefood vendors and food businesses on basic nutrition and food safety and ensuring fair practices in food chains. The safety of food is paramount; if it is not safe, it is not food! (4) Mandatory food labeling, including front of pack labeling (5) Increased enforcement of standards through sustainable and adequate funding mechanism, larger manpower, and technical capacity for the regulatory system to achieve faster monitoring and evaluation and feedback The indicators for success: (1) Decentralized food registration to geopolitical zones, to help food organizations launch nutritious foods into the market quicker (2) Shorter food registration time: the inclusion of digital processes will reduce delay in getting products to the market (3) Reduced morbidity: safe foods will promote health, but unsafe foods will promote morbidity among the target age groups (4) Adequate monitoring and evaluation will reduce defaulters Actions needed: (1) Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology should be engaged regarding street foods and food safety, as they have implemented a successful program in 7 LGAs in Lagos, Nigeria. There is a need to also extend this program to other parts of the country. (2) National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), and Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission need to be effectively engaged in setting, monitoring, and enforcing standards (3) Choices International Foundation and other partners (including the Nigerian Heart Foundation) to support the development of standards and nutrient profiling system (4) Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) to provide technical assistance to regulatory agencies and increase accountability for setting, monitoring, and enforcing labeling and marketing standards (5) Scaling Up Nutrition Business Network (SBN) to provide technical assistance to small and medium scale enterprises to facilitate compliance with labeling standards Read less

These are the priority actions needed in the next 3 years that will have the greatest impact in improving child nutrition: (1) Expansion of mandatory fortification process to local millers, including related regulation (2) Enable linkages between small and medium scale enterprises and research institutes, to facilitate knowledge transfer and increase the production, supply, and affordability of nutritious food products (3) Investment in research institutes to develop product solution to improve nutrition (4) Strengthen and expand/increase platforms that provide technical support for running nu... Read moretritious food products business to small and medium scale enterprises (5) Assessments to understand the needs of small and medium scale enterprises and tailor financial support according to needs (6) Improve fortification governance and coordination mechanisms (7) Implementing actions to ensure that micronutrients in fortified foods do not get lost during storage, display, and repackaging at the retail level (8) Fortification compliance monitoring, coupled with regulation (9) Identify innovations and/or new food vehicles to increase the reach of micronutrients through mandatory fortification (10) Scale-up and sustain the availability of planting materials for biofortified crops (11) Expand the commercialization of biofortified crops (12) Widespread awareness creation, including at community levels, about biofortified crops and their benefits The indicators for success: (1) The numbers of people consuming biofortified crops will tremendously increase (2) Fortified food products will retain their nutrient contents along the value chain stages from production to procurement by the final consumer Actions needed: (1) Research institutes, including the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO), and Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute, need to more widely advertise products that they have developed that can be commercialized by small and medium scale enterprises (2) National Agricultural Seeds Council should be engaged in ensuring the availability of planting materials for biofortified crops (3) Private sector organizations, including small and medium scale enterprises, partner with research organizations to commercialize products from research and increase access to nutritious foods (4) National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), and Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to monitor and enforce fortification standards more systematically (5) Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) to provide technical assistance to regulatory agencies and increase accountability for monitoring, and enforcing standards (6) Scaling Up Nutrition Movement Business Network (SBN) to provide technical assistance to small and medium-scale enterprises to facilitate compliance with fortification standards (7) HarvestPlus, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), and Scaling Up Nutrition Movement Business Network (SBN) to support the expansion and commercialization of biofortified crops (8) Development partners (including Aliko Dangote Foundation and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) to support the effective delivery and scale-up of fortification and biofortification Read less

These are the priority actions needed in the next 3 years that will have the greatest impact in improving child nutrition: (1) Strengthening the capacity of all implementers of the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme to ensure that they can use the school meal planner to develop and prepare nutritionally adequate meals and generate predictable demand for commodities from farmer groups (2) Strengthening linkages between farmer cooperatives and the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme demand (3) Addressing challenges to adequate food production by farmers, including limited access to improved pla... Read morenting materials, high costs of inputs, and physical insecurity (4) Increased monitoring of the quality of food delivered through the Home-Grown School Feeding Program and associated feedback. The indicators for success: (1) The volume of Home-Grown School Feeding Programme commodities supplied by local farmers increases (2) Quality, dietary diversity, and nutrient content of meals served to school children meets standards (3) Number of children fed, the number of schools covered, and the number of cooks employed by the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme increases. Actions needed: (1) School-Based Management Committees, including Parent-Teachers’ Associations, must be more actively engaged in monitoring the quality compliance of school meals and reporting shortfalls (2) Civil society organizations such as Consumer Advocacy for Food Safety and Nutrition initiative (CAFSANI) should also be more actively engaged in monitoring the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (3) Increased investment in the school feeding programme by federal and state governments (4) Choices International Foundation to support the establishment of improved standards for meals and snacks served to children in and around schools (5) NEPAD and Partnership for Child Development (PCD) to increase technical assistance to build the capacity of programme implementers to use school meal planner Read less

As evidenced by data, Nigeria is suffering from malnutrition in all its forms, and nutrition actions focusing on children in all stages are needed to improve nutrition outcomes. The State of the World’s Children 2019: Children, food, and nutrition report highlighted the prevalence of malnutrition in all its forms among children in Nigeria and other parts of the world. It noted that as children transition to soft or solid foods around six-month-old, many are introduced to the wrong types of diets. As children grow older, they are increasingly exposed to unhealthy food-driven mostly by inappro... Read morepriate marketing, an abundance of ultra-processed foods high in fats, salts, and sugars in urban and rural areas, and increasing access to fast foods and overly sweetened beverages. Consequently, relevant actors from the government, private sector, donors and implementers, businesses shared understanding and experience to create pathways, intentions, and commitments to improve child nutrition in Nigeria. Recommendations and transition steps include: (1) Develop clear and easy science-based national dietary guidelines for children and adolescents to address malnutrition in all its forms (undernutrition including micronutrient deficiencies, overweight, and obesity). (2) Develop and enforce evidence-based standards (preferably mandatory) aligned with nutrition goals for children and adolescents for school meals, procurement strategies, marketing to children, fortification and bio-fortification, education initiatives, social protection programs such as school feeding programs, etc. (3) Drive food suppliers to seek the best interest of children by incentivizing the provision of healthy, convenient, and affordable foods (4) Build healthy food environments to shape the diets and habits of children and adolescents using evidence-based approaches such as easy to understand front- of- pack labeling or visual cues, restriction on the marketing of unhealthy foods, fiscal policies such as taxation on sugar, etc. (5) Improve nutrition education and behavioral change programs to enable children to learn and adopt healthy dietary habits Read less

Africa is ranked second to Asia as the continent with the most malnourished children in the world. Within Africa, Nigeria suffers the brunt of malnutrition with the most significant proportion of under-nourished children. The National Nutrition and Health Survey (2018) estimated that 32% of Nigerian children under the age of 5 are considered stunted. This implies that about 1 in every 3 Nigerian children suffers from chronic malnutrition. In addition, 7% of Nigerian children under the age of 5 suffer from wasting, 19.9% are underweight, and 1.2% are overweight. Although UNICEF defined a child ... Read moreas a human being below eighteen, children above the age of 6 are rarely included in national surveys, policies, programs, and budgets. Studies carried out on state levels show the prevalence of malnutrition in all its forms among school-aged children and adolescents as well. These data show that Nigeria is suffering from malnutrition in all its forms, and nutrition actions focusing on children in all stages are needed to improve nutrition outcomes. Malnutrition has a direct negative influence on the immune system, making malnourished individuals susceptible to diseases, worsening illnesses, and even causing death. According to UNICEF, undernutrition is the direct or underlying cause of 45% of deaths of children younger than five years. As well as the cause of poor performance in school, which leads to low socio-economic achievement, is one of the functional consequences of chronic malnutrition, that is, in addition to physical growth retardation. The effects of malnutrition in all its forms in childhood are not limited to childhood. They often persist into adulthood by predisposing malnourished children to diet-related NCDs later in life. As a consequence, malnutrition has a long-term impact on both the community and the country at large. Malnutrition can cause a decline in economic development. Thus, countries with higher rates of malnutrition tend to experience retardation in the economy. Given the malnutrition as mentioned above situation among children in Nigeria and its relation to morbidity, mortality and economic development in the country, tackling malnutrition in all its forms is vital to the country. Particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has shown a clear threat to food and nutrition security, malnutrition requires urgent prioritization to ensure that past nutrition gains are not lost. A low-quality diet is one of the causes of malnutrition, whether overweight, obesity, or under-nutrition, including micronutrient deficiency and diet-related NCDs. As evidenced by the prevalence of malnutrition in Nigeria, many children do not receive the diets needed in the right quality, quantity, and frequency for their growth and development. The food system's role is to deliver a nutritious, safe, affordable, diverse and sustainable diet. The food system is challenged in supporting food choices consistent with healthy diets and good nutrition outcomes. However, the nutritional needs of children, most especially children above 5, are often not prioritized. This is a missed opportunity because school years represent a critical period for the growth, development, cognitive potential, and survival of children and the formation of long-term dietary and lifestyle habits. Although children in Nigeria constitute almost half of the whole population, they are often neglected in the growing discourse about food systems. The ongoing Food System Dialogues offer an opportunity for shared understanding and experience among various stakeholders working in the Food System to create pathways, intentions, and commitments to improve child nutrition in Nigeria. The overall objective of the independent dialogue is to discuss and recommend workable pathways for the improvement of child nutrition through evidence-based food system actions in Nigeria. To understand challenges and explore untapped opportunities in the food system for better child nutrition outcomes Read less

The only points of friction and disagreement concerned the use of pesticides during cultivation and the perspective regarding the production/consumption of animal proteins. In this case, consumers expressed concern about the health and environmental consequences of these practices. However, farmers have articulated forcefully the reasons behind such a choice. First of all, getting rid of animal protein from the human diet, especially in Africa or also in certain areas of Latin America and South-East Asia, where there is a challenge of stunting growth would be detrimental. Conversely, in food s... Read moreystems such as the European one, the challenge is to produce more with fewer resources. However, this is not achievable by getting rid of fertilisers or agrochemicals. Instead, what should be discussed is a smarter and more effective use of available resources to reduce the use of agricultural land. If there is a desire for greater equality along the food value chain, the entrepreneurial dimension of agricultural production must be recognised and dignified. Producing food is what farmers make their living from, and like any business it is profit-driven. If there was no profit in food production, nobody would do it. However, it is vital to be able to make that profit every year. For this reason, no one is more concerned about protecting the environment and aware of the risks of climate change than farmers. Read less

FAIRER SHARE OF VALUE IN THE FOOD CHAIN The solutions identified by participants are numerous, but it is important that they are multiple and scalable. For example, farmers' markets function very well on a local basis and provide that local engagement with the consumer on the farm. However, it may not be scalable. Therefore a different market solution is needed to make that happen. Inefficiencies are present throughout the supply chain but technologies will help to bring them to light and overcome them. Undoubtedly, transparency of information will allow a better distribution of that value alo... Read moreng the food chain. Thus, participants believe that a better balance can be achieved, but any solution will need a strong international legal framework for governance. In addition, the potential for a common taxation approach was discussed. There is a necessity to find a way to encourage virtuous behaviour, but also to manage the unintended consequences of individual choices to ensure the right holistic outcome for the future. In terms of strengthening consumers' purchasing power, educating consumers about their food can help them understand the value of their food, which enables them to pay the prices of different types of food. Read less

FOOD STANDARDS AND TRADE Trade has been recognised as a beneficial resource for both consumers and farmers. In fact, through trade, competition facilitates an increase in quality at affordable prices for consumers. Furthermore, it is important to remember that one system does not fit all. There are many differences between different agricultural areas and it is good to enhance them with a policy framework. However, the key to success is trust between consumers and producers. Greater transparency and sharing of data, transferable through the use and development of appropriate technology, is the... Read more winning strategy to achieve this goal. Read less

CONSUMER INFORMATION Labelling cannot be the only solution and tool for conveying information to consumers. Among these, a large proportion are illiterate in terms of specific and technical descriptions. The intention to shift this burden back to consumers is a hazardous and unfair one. On the other hand, examples were raised on how to deliver a comprehensive scheme on which consumers can rely and compare different products. In this respect, the risk of wrongly demonizing certain foods was emphasised. Rather, it is good to encourage all consumers to have balanced diets and explanatory guidelin... Read morees on what constitutes a healthy and balanced diet. This, of course, must be supported by widespread education of children. Some of the participants put forward as a solution the introduction of tax policies to discourage the purchase and consumption of sugar-containing, highly processed and low-nutrient foods. Read less

This last dialogue aimed to identify mutually beneficial solutions for food systems transformation, promoting a systemic approach to sustainable food systems through closer collaboration between producers and consumers, the first and last ring of the food value chain. In the course of the discussion and debate, a number of points of particular importance to both sides emerged. The main question in the dialogue concerned how this alliance could provide a solid foundation to safeguard the rights and interests of the two parties. Farmers, on one side, vehemently claimed their urgency to be recogn... Read moreized as entrepreneurs and to make their activity a viable and profitable business. Consumers, on the other hand, have stressed their right to a transparent value chain. The trait d'union in these two complaints lies in the redistribution of risk and reward throughout the value chain. The ambition is to reduce social costs, to respect the environment and to strongly characterize the territory. Otherwise, we would continue promoting a model that adversely affects the balance along the food value chain, offloading the lost profit onto the weaker parties and producing misinformation for consumers. One of the advanced proposals, for example, concerns a virtuous alliance with large-scale distribution and consumers, which does not penalize producers but enhances their work and their efforts to continue guaranteeing excellence. Once again, the importance of awareness and access to information was stressed, underlining the enormous power consumers have and the ability to influence both what to produce and how it should be produced. For this reason, it is necessary to understand the role that consumers play in the food system. Only in this way will it be possible to reach a level of trust whereby producers better understand the needs of consumers and so that consumers feel more comfortable with all the products that are being produced. The final conclusion here is the will to build and nurture a community populated by these two parties and to make it real. Read less

This dialogue is the latest of a series of meetings between farmers and consumers culminating in the consolidation of a long-neglected alliance. Participants were divided into 3 break up sessions, each tackling a different topic identified during the first two dialogues as key areas in which change is needed for farmers and consumers. The different groups were asked to determine what specific solutions the Summit should deliver and what actions are needed from different stakeholders to facilitate this transformation. One round of break up sessions was organized under the following themes: 1) C... Read moreonsumer information 2) Food standards and trade 3) Fairer share of value in the food chain Each discussion that took place in the various break-up sessions was reported back to the plenary by a representative from each of the two sides. At the end of this discussion, in the plenary session, strategies and visions were developed with respect to future steps that could be leveraged through the process. Read less

The only points of friction and disagreement concerned the use of pesticides during cultivation and the perspective regarding the production/consumption of animal proteins. In this case, consumers expressed concern about the health and environmental consequences of these practices. However, farmers have articulated forcefully the reasons behind such a choice. First of all, getting rid of animal protein from the human diet, especially in Africa or also in certain areas of Latin America and South-East Asia, where there is a challenge of stunting growth would be detrimental. Conversely, in food s... Read moreystems such as the European one, the challenge is to produce more with fewer resources. However, this is not achievable by getting rid of fertilisers or agrochemicals. Instead, what should be discussed is a smarter and more effective use of available resources to reduce the use of agricultural land. If there is a desire for greater equality along the food value chain, the entrepreneurial dimension of agricultural production must be recognised and dignified. Producing food is what farmers make their living from, and like any business it is profit-driven. If there was no profit in food production, nobody would do it. However, it is vital to be able to make that profit every year. For this reason, no one is more concerned about protecting the environment and aware of the risks of climate change than farmers. Read less

FAIRER SHARE OF VALUE IN THE FOOD CHAIN According to the rapporteurs, there is a perplexity in the actual possibility of connecting producers and consumers at a global level, given the numbers involved and the importance of branding. Branding, in fact, is an integral part of how the product story is told and received by consumers. In addition, the importance of cooperatives, the value they provide and their ability to rebalance the food supply chain was examined at length. recognising it as an indispensable model for the prosperity of the farming sector.

FAIR FOOD PRICES FOR ALL The conversation in this group can be summarised in the following points: • Consumer rights also imply responsibility. In the EU, 88 million tonnes of food waste are generally generated each year, with associated costs estimated at one hundred and forty-three billion euros. • It is necessary to reduce the growing imbalance between the developed world where food is too cheap and the developing world where food is still too expensive. • Healthy food is a human right issue. Too often quality and nutrient food is expensive and nutritionally poor food is cheap, which ... Read moreis a real threat to the health of our children globally. • Educating our consumers could be the key. Currently, 55% of the world's population lives in urban areas. This percentage is expected to grow to 68% by 2050. Educating consumers about the cost of producing good food in a sustainable way is vital. • Politicians and legislators need to be informed about the important role of ensuring sustainable solutions for future food security. • The roles of civil society and the private sector need to be clearly defined and actors identified and involved. • We need to understand outcomes, which are often simply driven by price. We should have meaningful conversations about value, which includes quality and price. • We should focus on inclusivity, doing things better in the future and rewarding outstanding sustainable practices to raise the bar for everyone. • We don't reinvent the wheel. We work to highlight established and scientifically proven best practices and celebrate them more in our communications. Read less

FOOD STANDARDS AND TRADE The participants of this group agreed on the difficulty of addressing this issue in such a short time. One of the main challenges arises from the diversity of worldwide standards, depending on the geographical area of application. It is therefore cumbersome to apply and implement standards that are fair, unless they are inclusive of socio-economic factors. The risk here is to exclude producers in middle and low-income countries from the most profitable markets. so the emphasis here was on a fair balance between standards that must be universal and solutions that must b... Read moree local. Surely bringing socio-economic factors into the conversation is a must in order to arrive at standards that are win-win, eventually leading to an international codex. Read less

CONSUMER INFORMATION A general consensus was reported on the importance of increasing awareness and information among consumers, who are too often victims of both political and commercial biases. The focus of the discussion, therefore, was on the proper use and structure of labels. Labels cannot be the solution. They often report information in a partial or extremely superficial way, failing to reflect the complexity of certain realities such as the issue of sustainability. A feasible solution would be to develop technologies that support both producers and consumers, such as QR codes. In addi... Read moretion, the abundance of commercial and voluntary standards further increases consumer confusion. Finally, the role of governments in this topic was addressed. Education on these issues must be disseminated and promoted from an early age. The issues range from consumer empowerment, to real basic education about food, nutrition, sustainability, to give consumers a chance to truly have an understanding of what they are looking for. In addition to this, it is also important to establish a basic standard to mitigate some of the marketing claims, which are driven by the interest of commercial gain and not necessarily by any sort of sustainability outcome. Consumers desire to be empowered to navigate between the various claims. While marketing and advertising will always exist, people need to be equipped with the right tools to avoid and minimize the risk of greenwashing. Read less

This last dialogue aimed to identify mutually beneficial solutions for food systems transformation, promoting a systemic approach to sustainable food systems through closer collaboration between producers and consumers, the first and last ring of the food value chain. In the course of the discussion and debate, a number of points of particular importance to both sides emerged. The main question in the dialogue concerned how this alliance could provide a solid foundation to safeguard the rights and interests of the two parties. Farmers, on one side, vehemently claimed their urgency to be recogn... Read moreized as entrepreneurs and to make their activity a viable and profitable business. Consumers, on the other hand, have stressed their right to a transparent value chain. The trait d'union in these two complaints lies in the redistribution of risk and reward throughout the value chain. The ambition is to reduce social costs, to respect the environment and to strongly characterize the territory. Otherwise, we would continue promoting a model that adversely affects the balance along the food value chain, offloading the lost profit onto the weaker parties and producing misinformation for consumers. One of the advanced proposals, for example, concerns a virtuous alliance with large-scale distribution and consumers, which does not penalize producers but enhances their work and their efforts to continue guaranteeing excellence. Once again, the importance of awareness and access to information was stressed, underlining the enormous power consumers have and the ability to influence both what to produce and how it should be produced. For this reason, it is necessary to understand the role that consumers play in the food system. Only in this way will it be possible to reach a level of trust whereby producers better understand the needs of consumers and so that consumers feel more comfortable with all the products that are being produced. The final conclusion here is the will to build and nurture a community populated by these two parties and to make it real. Read less

This dialogue is the latest of a series of meetings between farmers and consumers culminating in the consolidation of a long alliance. Participants were divided into 4 break up sessions, each tackling a different topic identified during the first two dialogues as key areas in which change is needed for farmers and consumers. The different groups were asked to determine what specific solutions the Summit should deliver and what actions are needed from different stakeholders to facilitate this transformation. One round of break up sessions was organized under the following themes: 1) Consumer in... Read moreformation 2) Food standards and trade 3) Fair food prices for all 4) Fairer share of value in the food chain Each discussion that took place in the various break-up sessions was reported back to the plenary by a representative from each of the two sides. At the end of this discussion, in the plenary session, strategies and visions were developed with respect to future steps that could be leveraged through the process. Read less