DELIVERING FOR NUTRITION IN SOUTH ASIA: CONNECTING THE DOTS ACROSS SYSTEMS – CONCEPT NOTE

Conference Hashtag: #D4N2024

Delivering for Nutrition in South Asia: Connecting the Dots Across Systems

December 3-5, 2024, Colombo, Sri Lanka

BACKGROUND

South Asia grapples with escalating levels of malnutrition in various forms, including undernutrition, overweight and obesity, and micronutrient deficiencies, alongside increasing incidence of diet-related non-communicable diseases. Malnutrition results from a complex interplay of factors incorporating household and individual decision-making, agriculture and food systems, healthcare services, education, and socio-ecological systems that determine access to services and resources, and related policy processes.

Across the region income distribution has worsened: the gap between ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ is of growing concern. Agriculture, markets and the policies governing them play a crucial role in determining the availability, accessibility, and affordability of nutritious foods, thereby influencing dietary patterns and nutritional outcomes. Gender disparities throughout agrifood systems lead to differences in health outcomes between men and women. South Asia is a region at high climate sensitivity and communities are vulnerable to the effects of rising temperatures, erratic rainfall patterns, and increased frequency of extreme events that impact crop yields, contribute to loss of nutritional diversity, and affect agricultural incomes and livelihoods, thereby increasing food insecurity.

To accelerate progress towards mitigating the complex multifactorial nutrition issues present in South Asia, all relevant sectors need to unite to create solutions. Most South Asian countries have developed integrated policies to promote nutrition through multi-sectoral involvement and collaboration but there are still major challenges around implementing, monitoring and evaluating these current programs and policies.

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), together with CGIAR and a range of co-hosts from across the region and globe, is pleased to announce the next edition of our flagship nutrition conference, ‘Delivering for Nutrition in South Asia: Connecting the dots across systems.’ This conference will bring together experts, practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders from diverse sectors to explore the multifaceted linkages between nutrition and its determinants. The hybrid conference will take place December 3-5, 2024, in Colombo, Sri Lanka and online.

Delivering for Nutrition 2024 will be the fourth regional conference on implementation research, and the seventh overall. Previous Delivering for Nutrition implementation research conferences were held in 2016, 2019 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.

PURPOSE

• To evaluate the interconnectedness between nutrition and agricultural production systems, market dynamics, dietary habits, gender dynamics, education, water and sanitation, and climate change
• To identify key challenges and innovative food systems solutions to foster multisectoral collaboration for improved nutrition outcomes
• To foster dialogue, knowledge exchange, and collaboration among food systems stakeholders from different sectors to develop evidence-based strategies and policies for promoting sustainable and equitable diets and nutrition outcomes

THEMATIC AREAS

The thematic areas for this year’s conference align with the HLPE conceptual framework of food systems for diets and nutrition. The thematic areas map to the different elements of food systems, i.e.  food supply chains, food environments and consumer behavior, which are influenced by drivers, shape diets and determine the final nutrition, health, economic and social outcomes of food systems.

Food Systems Conceptual Framework. HLPE (High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition). Adapted in the Global Food Policy Report 2024. IFPRI (International Food Policy Research Institute). 2024.

Given the theme of “connecting the dots across systems,” we are inviting abstracts across 12 thematic areas for this year’s conference. Abstracts that intersect multiple thematic areas are encouraged.

• Agricultural production
• Markets, food environment, and value chains
• Digital innovations
• Behavior change communication (BCC), including nutrition education
• Health systems
• Diets and drivers of food choices
• Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and water systems
• Social protection, including social safety nets
• Equity and social inclusion
• Climate action
• Policy and governance
• Strengthening the capacity of individuals and institutions

PARTICIPANTS

The conference will convene academics, implementers, development partners, civil society, media and policymakers from or working in the eight South Asian countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) to share and discuss evidence and experiences on the multi-sectoral nature of nutrition in South Asia.