Contributing to better food systems for children

UNICEF commits to provide technical support and mobilize financial investments to incentivize local production of nutritious, safe, affordable and sustainable first foods for young children. UNICEF will prioritize its new flagship initiative, First Foods Africa, to work with governments and financial partners to improve access to capital for local, Africa-owned companies who are committed to improve diets of young children. UNICEF will also contribute to strengthen food policy environments for children, by supporting governments to adopt and implement key food-based policies, including breastfeeding and complementary feeding protection and promotion, food reformulation, food fortification, front of pack food labelling, responsible marketing of food and beverages, taxation of ultra-processed foods, incentives to safe, nutritious, diverse foods and improved school food environments. UNICEF will also use its expertise in social and behaviour change including social marketing to stimulate demand for and consumption of locally produced foods, and especially first foods for young children. With this holistic approach UNICEF will contribute to improve children’s foods, food environment and food practices, and ultimately improve food systems for children, reaching at least 100 million children annually in more than 130 countries.