Building an intersectoral research community to support better nutrition policy

The UN Food System Summit 2025 included amongst its Calls to Action “Integrating environmental, economic, and social dimensions of food systems” and the 2025 Nutrition for Growth Summit launched the Nutrition Integration Compact requiring that commitment makers “recognise that preventing and reducing malnutrition in all forms requires solutions across different sectors and systems, such as health, humanitarian assistance, social protection, climate, food and agriculture, to effectively address its multiple causes”.

The ANH Academy has, since 2016 built a global research community which brings together health, nutrition, agriculture, environment and other research sectors to develop better tools and evidence to support reduction of malnutrition in all its forms in an equitable and sustainable manner. In its third phase, the ANH Academy Science-Policy Platform, it expands its programme to focus on science-policy dialogues and development of impactful policy interventions to address nutrition targets.

The Academy leverages its global network of over 13,000 members in more than 160 countries to

- Strengthen the evidence base for what works for what and for whom

- Facilitate the use of evidence for policy change at national and global levels

- Strengthen global science capability by catalysing sharing and learning

It does this by supporting research, sharing evidence and fostering capabilities and collaborations across its many disciplines. From 2025, its new phase, ANH Academy Science Policy Platform, will deliver these objectives through a five-year programme with the following elements:

- competitive research grants

- science-policy fellowships

- researcher mentoring with policy makers

- interdisciplinary curriculum development and delivery

- global partnerships based on a co-design and co-delivery model which foster skills,

knowledge, and information needed to drive progressive evidence-based sustainable

and equitable food systems policies/programmes for nutrition and health. (Regional

Collaboratives)

- online workshops (Learning Labs) and in-person research conferences (Academy

Weeks) to build global capacity and collaboration

- training and support systems for researchers and educators

- working groups to answer policy-relevant questions and barriers to positive food

systems and health change

- science-policy dialogues to develop effective policy interventions

These activities will contribute to evidence-based policy change through measurable outputs including translational policy materials and policy actionable solutions.