Hunger and malnutrition in all forms continues to rise in Africa and Asia. Urban and rural communities’ diets in Southeast Asia (SEA) are increasingly unhealthy, with consumption influenced by affordability and convenience. The cost of a healthy diet is a major barrier to accessing healthy foods in SEA. Wet markets are key places in food environments where people buy and sell a variety of foods. They are especially important for food and nutrition insecure communities. This mini narrative review explores the role that wet markets, in SEA food environments, play in providing local communities with access to healthy foods. Fourteen peer-review papers, published in English between 2017 and 2022, were identified during screening and analysed according to six food environment domains. Findings highlight that convenient access to wet markets facilitates access to fruits and vegetables in peri urban and urban areas. Fresh foods, most notably fruits, were viewed as being more expensive than processed foods which in turn influenced purchasing behavior. Divergent findings were presented in the identified papers regarding affordability of food in wet markets. Concerns about food quality and the use of chemicals and pesticides were raised. This review was constrained by several factors including the lack of consistent and meaningful definitions and typologies of the varied forms of wet markets. Looking ahead, better defined interpretations of wet markets can enhance the development and refinement of appropriate policies and actions and comparison of wet markets, in respect of access to diverse, healthy foods, vendor practices and consumer food choices.
Traditional food markets in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are pivotal urban spaces, especially for vulnerable populations. These markets are vibrant hubs for commerce, cultural exchange, and social interaction, yet they face challenges such as food safety issues, inadequate infrastructure, and regulation that is a complex mix of informal mechanisms in need of a balanced degree of formalization. Rapid urbanization in SSA and the vulnerabilities of informal settlements underline their enduring importance. The COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted their crucial role in promoting food access, supporting local economies, and preserving social connections during crises. However, a comprehensive understanding of their multifaceted impact on urban life remains limited. This study provides a systematic narrative literature review with the aims of mapping the existing literature and evaluating their complex impact on vulnerable communities. The review employed a systematic search strategy, encompassing research studies and gray literature. It highlights the geographic distribution of studies across SSA, with a concentration in East and Southern Africa.
Political economy dynamics—that is, conflicts and trade-offs across different interest groups that play an important role in the food system—permeate many decisions about food systems policy and implementation. Development practitioners working in the food systems space—inclusive of agriculture, nutrition, and environment—need to be aware of these dynamics to be able to support policy advocacy, development, and implementation.
To assist in anticipating policy bottlenecks to food systems transformation, a toolkit was developed to examine six main domains within national policy systems. The six domains are: policy stability and inclusionary decision-making, stakeholder preferences, multi-sectoral coordination, multi-level coordination, financing, and administrative capacities.
A diverse diet is important for health and well-being, contributing to lower malnutrition, including micronutrient deficiency diseases (hidden hunger), as well as underweight, overweight, and associated ill health like low immune system function and non-communicable diseases. It is highlighted under Rwanda’s draft Strategic Plan for Agricultural Transformation (PSTA-5) (2024 to 2030).
ToeffectivelytransformMozambique’snationalfoodsystemsinalignmentwiththeUnited Nations Food Systems Summit pathways, it is crucial to have access to current data and analytics. Mozambique’s Food Systems Dashboard, hosted by SETSAN1 (the National Secretariat for Food and Nutrition Security under the Ministry of Agriculture), plays a pivotal role in this transformation.
Poverty and malnutrition are critical challenges in Bihar. Malnutrition is a persistent challenge in Bihar, India – a state that, despite significant progress in recent years, still lag behind the national average in key nutrition indicators. Rates of malnutrition in Bihar are among the highest in the country.
Indonesia is confronting a pressing public health challenge that extends beyond diet: the impact of non- communicable diseases (NCDs) driven by lifestyle factors, including high sodium intake. This issue
is particularly concerning as many NCDs, such
as hypertension and cardiovascular disease, are preventable yet contribute significantly to the country’s morbidity and mortality rates. For instance, Indonesia’s stroke burden remains substantial, with a Disability- Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) rate of 3,809 per 100,000 people in 2021,1 one of the highest in Southeast Asia, reflecting the urgent need for targeted public health interventions.
This convening paper summarises the contents and outcomes of a meeting series jointly organised by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN). The initiative aimed to foster exchange between policy advisors from both organisations who provide policy advice to governments on topics related to food systems transformation and governance.
Approximately 11 million Nigerian children, or one-third of the population, experience severe child food poverty, significantly increasing their risk of malnutrition, including a 50% higher likelihood of wasting (UNICEF, 2024).
This mirrors a wider global issue, with 66 million children in low- and middle-income countries, including 23 million in Africa, attending school hungry every day (Bekri et al., 2023). Addressing this urgent crisis requires social protection interventions that combat child hunger and improve nutrition outcomes, such as school feeding programmes.
Political economy dynamics—that is, conflicts and trade-offs across different interest groups that play an important role in the food system—permeate many decisions about food systems policy and implementation. Development practitioners working in the food systems space—inclusive of agriculture, nutrition, and environmental policies—need to be aware of these dynamics to be able to support policy advocacy, development, and implementation.
