The global burden of malnutrition, poor mental health, depression, and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) continues to grow, contributing significantly to mortality
and poor health, reduced productivity, and economic stagnation. With over 60% of the
population engaged in the workforce and spending more than half of their adult lives at
work, the workplace offers a strategic platform to address these challenges. One
important aspect of worker wellbeing is nutrition, which fuels the body, improves
cognitive and immune function, and reduces sick days and NCD risk.
GAIN Tanzania is at the forefront of efforts to tackle micronutrient deficiencies through biofortification, an approach that enhances the nutritional content of staple crops. One of its most impactful initiatives has focused on high iron beans (HIB), a locally accepted, nutrient-rich variety introduced through partnerships with schools and farming communities. By connecting farmers to institutional markets and supporting local seed systems, GAIN is creating a sustainable, scalable model for improving diets and livelihoods. In this interview, Prisca Kokutona Rwezahura, Country Director -GAIN Tanzania, reflects on this journey- sharing insights into policy, partnerships, and what’s next for biofortification in the country.
Rwanda faces persistent challenges with malnutrition, and there is increasing interest in the country in taking a food systems approach to tackling it. However, getting this new approach into the development and agricultural sector’s agendas requires understanding the landscape of actors involved. In response, the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition commissioned an analytical mapping of actors involved in nutrition and the food system in Rwanda, which was implemented by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute. This was accomplished by conducting a stakeholder mapping at district and national levels through key informant interviews and Net-Map analysis as well as a policy landscape analysis.
Clear measures of progress on food system transformation can provide decision-makers with the visibility to course-correct to realise desired impacts and can help ensure accountability. To this end, there is a need to develop, test, and validate novel methods and metrics for assessing food systems transformation. To ensure that such work is grounded in local food system stakeholders’ needs, GAIN consulted national stakeholders across four Asian countries (Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and Pakistan) to identify priority indicator gaps for monitoring food systems transformation. These consultations drew from an analysis of each country’s food system transformation pathway, existing indicators, and the results from similar stakeholder workshops in Africa. National stakeholder workshops were held with diverse participants in three of the countries, while stakeholder interviews were used in India.
Across all countries, some similar themes emerged, such as sustainable and climate-smart agriculture, small and medium-sized enterprises, food safety and quality, consumption behaviour, policy alignment, and food system governance. There was a strong focus on policy actions, sustainability, and resilience as crosscutting themes. Women and youth were mentioned as groups requiring particular attention in metrics development, including the wage disparities between men and women, inclusion of women and youth in decision-making process, and youth access to finance and agri-business. The results from the workshops will be used to inform GAIN’s future work in developing metrics and methods to understand and help countries track their food systems transformation.
South Asia continues to face an enduring burden of malnutrition in all its forms—undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and a steady increase in overweight and obesity and non-communicable diseases. Over 1 billion people in South Asia cannot afford a healthy diet. While many promising solutions have emerged, translating them into sustained, large-scale impact remains a challenge.
Although there is a strong evidence base on effective interventions to improve nutrition outcomes, evidence of their implementation and scale‑up in real‑world settings remains inconsistent. Success depends not only on having proven solutions but also on systems, leadership, sustainable financing, and accountability mechanisms to support widespread delivery.
As the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development nears and as South Asia navigates the challenges of climate change, food system disruptions, and economic instability, the need for effective, scalable, and sustainable nutrition action has never been more urgent.
The French Society of Nutrition (SFN), the French Federation of Nutrition (FFN), the Federation of European Nutrition Societies (FENS), and the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS)—and under the high patronage of Mr. Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic—is holding the 23rd International Congress of Nutrition, between 24 and 29 August 2025 at the Palais des Congrès, Pris, France.
Food system transformation (FST) is fundamental to human progress. Feeding and nourishing the world. Creating jobs and reducing poverty. Managing the environment. Avoiding catastrophic climate change. Building resilience to shocks. These are the building blocks of human and planetary wellbeing.
Food system transformation is reshaping how food is produced, processed, distributed, and consumed to create a more sustainable, fair, and healthy system. It demands a deep, collective effort involving multiple layers of society - farmers, policymakers, businesses, consumers, and more. But changing such a complex system isn’t just about policies or farming techniques. It’s about changing hearts and minds too. This is where media and journalists have a fundamental role.
