Compact2025 News in Brief: February 20, 2019

To accelerate progress to end hunger and undernutrition around the world, the News in Brief informs partners on emerging research and innovation, developments in global, regional, and national policies and programs, and timely news and events. Please feel free to share any feedback at IFPRI-Compact2025@cgiar.org. Find the latest developments in Compact2025 here.

African Nutrition Accountability Scorecard launched

The African Union Commission, the African Development Bank, and global partners launched the Continental Nutrition Accountability Scorecard, intended to raise awareness and reinforce commitments at the highest levels of African governments to help end malnutrition. The scorecard provides a snapshot of the status of key nutrition indicators that include internationally agreed nutrition targets, nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions, policy and legal provisions, nutrition financing, and socio-economic impacts.

UN Report: Undernutrition trends worsen in Africa

New data in the Africa Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition finds hunger in Africa continues to rise in 2018 after many years of decline, threatening the continent's efforts to meet SDG2. The joint UN report of the Regional Office for Africa of FAO and the UN Economic Commission for Africa concludes that 237 million people in sub-Saharan Africa are suffering from chronic undernutrition and that more people continue to suffer from undernourishment in Africa than in any other region.

Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia

A special issue of Food Policy presents findings from five years of research under the Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia (LANSA) program. The seven articles explore links between nutrition and governance of agri-food systems, agricultural inputs, agricultural interventions, and women’s agricultural work as well as issues related to innovation and state capacity in fragile contexts.

Children’s exposure to livestock feces in Burkina Faso

A study published in The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene examines exposure to livestock feces—which presents serious health risks—among young children and caregivers in Burkina Faso. The authors find that the presence of poultry and other livestock feces where children frequently sit or crawl is widespread, as are poor handwashing practices and child feces disposal. They appeal to urgently adapt conventional WASH and livestock interventions to reduce the exposure of infants and young children to livestock feces.

Book launch: Agriculture for improved nutrition

On February 28, IFPRI will host the launch of Agriculture for Improved Nutrition: Seizing the Momentum. This book reviews the latest evidence, results from on-the-ground interventions, and recent national policy experiences of bringing agriculture and nutrition closer together. A three-part blog series accompanies the book’s release, beginning with a post by the book’s editors including IFPRI Director General Shenggen Fan.

Nine surprises in 2018 that worry and inspire Bill and Melinda Gates

In their annual letter, Bill and Melinda Gates highlight nine surprises—worrying and inspiring—that are prodding them to action. Among the issues they feature are the growing number of young people in Africa, how data can be sexist, and the potential power of mobile phones for the world’s poorest women.

EAT-Lancet Commission report launch in Bangladesh

On February 13, IFPRI, EAT, and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition hosted the Bangladesh launch of the EAT-Lancet Commission report on healthy diets from sustainable food systems. The event focused on how the report’s key messages apply to the Bangladesh context including issues related to micronutrient deficiencies, government policies and investment, and the role of markets.

Learning from mistakes in aid

What Went Wrong, a citizen journalism project, collaborated with Devex to produce six investigative stories from Kenya exploring why some development interventions failed to deliver. The series, which includes stories on cash transfer programs and distribution of nutrition supplements, aims to help organizations examine and learn from mistakes.

Making a difference: Involving young people to end hunger and malnutrition

In an IFPRI blog post, Rose Jade Eugenie Delgado of the Global Youth Leaders for Nutrition Program calls on organizations to involve and support young people in global efforts to end hunger and malnutrition. She shares examples of how she and her fellow Youth Leaders are already making a difference in their countries around the world.

Highlights from this and past Compact2025 News in Briefs, along with other key resources, can be found at the Compact2025 Knowledge & Innovation Hub resources page.

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