Compact2025 News in Brief: October 14, 2020

Congratulations to the World Food Programme for the Nobel Peace Prize!

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has awarded the World Food Programme (WFP) the Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to combat hunger and its contribution to improving conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas. The award shines a spotlight on global hunger, which due to climate change, conflict, and the COVID-19 pandemic could sharply rise in the absence of urgent action. David Beasley, WFP’s executive director, lauds frontline staff and partners for their tireless work feeding vulnerable people, especially in conflict zones.

Kenya launches nutrition policies to tackle malnutrition

The Government of Kenya put forth new nutrition measures including a framework for breastfeeding-friendly work environments and the Kenya Nutrition Action Plan (KNAP). The KNAP is a cross-sectoral strategy to tackle malnutrition throughout all stages of life and aims to address the root causes of malnutrition by engaging community health services, food production, education, social protection, and safe water supply.

An action plan for future food systems aimed at decision makers in LMICs

The Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition (GLOPAN) published its new report, Future Food Systems: For people, our planet and prosperity. In line with the best available scientific evidence, the report details four policy objectives to transform food systems: (1) sustainably producing the right mix of healthy foods in sufficient quantities; (2) ensuring those foods are readily accessible and at low cost; (3) making healthy and sustainable diets affordable to everyone; and (4) empowering consumers to make informed food choices.

Progress toward Zero Hunger is too slow, but acceleration is possible

The 2020 Global Hunger Index (GHI) report shows that despite gradual progress since 2000, too many people still suffer from food insecurity, and 11 countries face alarming levels of hunger. Health, economic, and environmental crises have exacerbated hunger and malnutrition. This year’s report links health and sustainable food systems, and recommends an integrated approach to health, food security, and nutrition in order ensure the right to adequate and nutritious food for all.

Undernutrition, overweight, and obesity cost Guatemala 16% of its GDP

Multiple burdens of malnutrition—undernutrition, overweight and obesity—cost Guatemala US$12 billion in 2018, or 16% of the country’s GDP according to a new report by WFP and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). Rising malnutrition not only has health costs but hinders educational development too: only 9 out of 100 children with undernutrition finish primary school in Guatemala. Read the report in Spanish.

Impacts and threats of the COVID-19 pandemic on food security and nutrition, and options to respond

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the development community is working to understand how the crisis impacts food security, nutrition, and food systems:

Join IFPRI’s side event of the World Food Prize 2020 Borlaug Dialogue on October 15, when experts will discuss COVID-19 and developing country responses. See IFPRI’s COVID-19 webpage for more evidence, blogs, tools, and events.
A journal article assessing evidence from 45 countries finds that low income countries face food insecurity mainly through issues in food access, whereas richer countries are facing supply-side problems of food availability.
Food consumption in Addis Ababa remains steady despite shrinking incomes due to COVID-19, but vegetable consumption has fallen, according to phone surveys conducted by IFPRI this year.

Big Data for adaptive food systems

The One CGIAR Platform for Big Data in Agriculture will host a global online event on October 19-23 on "Digital Dynamism for Adaptive Food Systems." The event will examine food system resilience and highlight how digital tools and technologies can help build better systems in times of global food security crises.

Challenging conventional wisdom on how to addressing acute malnutrition in Africa’s drylands

FAO and Tufts University will host a technical series to receive input on a conceptual framework for addressing acute malnutrition in Africa’s drylands. The virtual meetings—to take place in four panels beginning on October 22—will serve as next steps in a process of sharing recent research that challenges conventional wisdom and facilitating an informed debate. The ultimate goal is to improve ways to address acute malnutrition and develop sustainable solutions to address basic causes.

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.

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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