Nutrition improvement in Africa

Sustainable food systems are at the heart of better food security and nutrition outcomes for any population, and by all means, to contribute to achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 2 on 'Zero hunger'. Increase in incomes and rapid urbanization provide great opportunities for growth and expansion of the agriculture and food systems. However, various changes have also taken place that are affecting the food systems in Africa. These include reduced adoption of agricultural technologies and innovations, global trade, poverty and inequalities, COVID-19, among others.

According to the State of Food and Nutrition Security - SOFI - 2021 , the World hunger increased in 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic playing a significant role in this trend. Compared with 2019, about 46 million more people in Africa, were affected by hunger in 2020. About one in five people (21 percent of the population) was facing hunger in Africa in 2020 - more than double the proportion of any other region. This represents an increase of 3 percentage points in one year. The elevated levels of hunger in Africa are complicated by the high cost of healthy diets in the midst of increasing poverty and unemployment levels.

The continent is part of several food security and nutrition global and regional commitments, declarations and initiatives. There are also regional and sub-regional food security and nutrition related documents that guide implementation of initatives in the continent, all with an aim of contributing to achievement of set targets. However, the continent is making very slow progress towards achieving key nutrition targets, including the Malabo Declaration that aims to reduce child stunting in Africa by 10 per cent.

When it comes to nutrition financing within Africa, it is noted that many countries allocate less than 2% of the GDP to nutrition improvement. There is need for more action and financial commitments that will critically impact the role of food systems in increasing access to healthy diets, that strengthens the supply of - and demand for - better food, that improves food environments, and leverages the role of other key supportive systems like health, education and trade.

Through the IFNA Implementation framework for 2016-2025, IFNA aims to support governments to work towards an Africa that is free from hunger and malnutrition. Currently IFNA is supporting countries in the development of concept notes and implementation of (pilot) projects in several countries. The pilot projects are linked to the priorities identified by the countries.

Moving forward, IFNA commits to:

1. IFNA will initiate partnerships with 40 nutrition development partners to support government food and nutrition priorities.

2. IFNA will strengthen partnership with Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) to promote multistakeholder coordination at subnational level in 25 countries.

3. IFNA, in collaboration with governments and regional economic commissions (RECs), commits to play a key role in capacity development through strengthening and improving the skills and knowledge of government technical officers (and other stakeholders) located at sub-national level.

4. IFNA will facilitate at least 25 countries to access resources to support governments and partners in implementing IFNA priorities by 2025