The collateral effects of necessary lock-down and physical distancing measures may, unless accompanied by measures to protect infant and young child nutrition, damage lives for many decades. While needed to curb disease spread, containment measures are disrupting nutrition and social protection interventions and food systems. Early tracking shows price increases of several nutritious foods; market closures and labour disruptions affecting livelihoods are decreasing nutritious food access.
As COVID-19 continues to impact millions of lives and jobs around the world, it is also making our global food system increasingly vulnerable. The poverty, malnutrition and food insecurity that were already challenges before the pandemic – with 820 million people chronically hungry in 2018 – are set to grow as a result of it.
On Tuesday 28 January 2020, the atmosphere at the Indonesian Ministry of Health felt different than usual. It was a very special day, as it marked the 60th National Nutrition Day. There was a lively and dynamic ambience at the Ministry of Health as the place was filled with visitors and the fantastic live performance of the marching band from Jakarta’s Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Negeri 16 school filled the air with great energy.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic and associated control measures began affecting food systems around the world, many of us who care about nutrition and livelihoods have been thinking anxiously about food prices: would they be affected? If so, how badly, for which foods, and for how long? Food prices are important for several reasons.
"Biblical". That was the word that the world’s press needed to (finally) run stories about the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on food and nutrition. Thank you to the Executive Director of the World Food Programme, David Beasley, for the turn of phrase.
In a commendable move to combat the effects of COVID-19, the Government of Bangladesh has announced a bailout package to support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) by partially covering their interest payments for the current fiscal year until 30th June 2020. But the eventual impact of COVID19 pandemic and its potentially devastating impact on food systems, especially on the SMEs that are the backbone of food supplies.
We are pleased to announce 8 through 13 November, 2020 as the new dates for the Micronutrient Forum 5th Global Conference , 8 and 9 November 2020 as the new dates for the Second Global Summit on Food Fortification in Bangkok, Thailand.
Seizing an opportunity to provide the nutritious foods needed to help keep people healthy during a pandemic came naturally to Rani, who is used to seeing potential where others might miss it. Living in Sukabumi, Rani and her mother, Imelda, established in 2012 a small business processing fish and vegetables into healthy snacks.
Following the postponement of the Olympics to 2021 due to COVID-19, many people have asked whether the Nutrition for Growth Summit (N4G) is still scheduled to be held in Tokyo in December 2020. The N4G Summit has a symbolic link to the Games, having been initiated alongside the London Olympics, and is being hosted by Japan with a focus on nutrition and universal health coverage.
A new five-year USAID-funded project called NAWIRI – Nutrition in ASALs Within Integrated Resilience Institutions – aims to tackle this, building resilience in the region, including through development of local food systems. In Swahili, NAWIRI means "to appear nourished" or "to thrive".
