1. Leveraging Agriculture to Improve Nutrition: Challenges and Opportunities Shenggen FanDirector General International Food Policy Research Institute SFNCC International Conference on Food and Nutrition, Beijing, Sept. 10, 2011

2. Key Messages Global nutrition faces many challenges. 2. Agriculture presents a key opportunity for improving nutrition. 3. Agenda for nutrition security must take advantage of the linkages between sectors.

3. Global hunger remains unacceptably high Number of undernourished (1969-71 to 2010) Source: FAO 2010

4. Asia has more than half of world’s hungry Undernourishment in 2010, by region (in millions) Source: FAO 2010

5. Two billion+ suffer from micronutrient deficiencies Iron deficiency anemia Africa and South Asia have the highest prevalence. In some parts of India, 90 percent of girls suffer from this deficiency. Vitamin A deficiency 163 million are vitamin A deficient in developing countries. 44.4 percent of children in South Asia alone suffer from this deficiency. Iodine deficiency 1.7 billion people worldwide are affected by iodine deficiency, and 1.3 billion of them are in Asia. Source: UNSCN 6th Report & Bharati et al 2009

6. Agriculture: Opportunity to improve nutrition

7. Economic growth has significant impacts on nutrition Projected reduction in child malnutrition rate with 2.5% annual growth in income per capita (1990s-2015) Source: Haddad et al. 2003

8. Growth impacts depend on country’s economic status Proportion of undernourished (% of population) Annual GDP per capita (constant 2000 US$) Source: Ecker et al. 2010 Note: Nonlinear relationship between growth and nutrition

9. Agricultural growth is crucial for nutrition in developing countries Proportion of undernourished (% of population) Annual agriculture value added per worker (constant 2000 US$) Source: Ecker et al. 2010

10. Agriculture-led growth is more pro-nutrition than non-agriculture-led growth Note: Relationship exists in the long-term but not short-term Source: Headey. 2010

12. Same growth rate could lead to different nutritional outcomes due to diverse growth patterns and conditional factors,including:

13. Smallholders vs. large farms

14. Staple vs. cash crops

15. Female- vs. male-led households

18. Increase nutrition by providing source of income and supporting capacity to produce own food

19. China’s relative lack of landlessness and egalitarian land distribution led to positive nutritional outcomes

20. Women’s status

21. Low status linked to weak land rights, lower levels of education, and lack of access to credit and technologies

23. Increased income through roads -> better links to markets

24. Better nutritional outcomes through increased access to health care and sanitation services

25. Health status

26. Ill-health impairs individual’s nutritional status (weakened immune system, low nutrient intake and absorption)

28. Need for national and global accountability mechanisms

29. Focus on sectoral and subsectoral practices and policies that have large role in enhancing nutrition

30. Increase demand for and access to nutritious foods along entire value chain

31. Mitigate health and nutrition risks of agriculture

32. Expand research to develop nutritious varieties of staple food crops

35. Targets rural areas where (1) most poor live as subsistence or smallholder farmers, or landless laborers, and (2) lack access to supplements and fortified food products

38. Moved towards more targeted approach with focus on disadvantaged regions/groups

40. Improved women status and rural infrastructure, including drinking water, rural roads, health clinics, and sanitation

42. Conference Highlights 1,000 participantsfrom agriculture, health, and nutrition sectors & 65 differentcountries Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India gave inaugural address 150 chairs, speakers, and rapporteurs 30 program and side events Knowledge fair: rapid-fire presentations, e-posters, videos, discussion groups

44. Way Forward: The Building Blocks Fill Knowledge Gaps Minimize Harm Create a Cooperative Environment Scale Up Innovative Solutions

47. Improve production and processing technologies, cost-effective, risk-based technologies that are accessible to small farm holders.Design health and nutrition interventions that contribute to productivity of agricultural labor Examples: Home-based gardens, HIV/AIDS interventions Examine downstream effects of subsidies for production or consumption on consumers’ nutrition and health

48. (3) Seek Out & Scale Up Innovative Solutions Scale up successful interventions Learn from case studies at country and project level Design agriculture, nutrition and health programs with cross-sectoral benefits Incorporate nutrition into value chain for food production Look for opportunities across entire value chain, from food production to post-harvest processing Use all available levers for change (i.e. economic, social, science and technology, governance)

51. Raise awareness and interest through communication strategies

52. Reach out to potential partners, and build links and networks