GAIN’s contributions were made possible through the Nourishing Food Pathways programme, which is jointly funded by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands; European Union; government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada; Irish Aid through the Development Cooperation and Africa Division; and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. The findings, ideas, and conclusions contained presented here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect positions or policies of any of GAIN’s funding partners.
The handbook is also supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
Why Climate and Nutrition Integration Matters?
Climate change is not just an environmental issue; it intersects with systemic multiple aspects of human life. It interlinks the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which aim to end hunger and poverty, preserve the environment, and ensure prosperity. In practice, climate change worsens hunger and hidden hunger as its increasing disasters, declining agricultural harvest and productivity, and threatening crop nutrition.
Smallholder farmers are the backbone of our food systems. Through small-scale agriculture, they contribute to economic development, provide jobs and livelihoods, and ensure food security for millions. Yet, despite producing 70–80% of the world’s food, many smallholder farmers remain impoverished and food insecure.
Each year, agricultural productivity declines as climate change intensifies. Smallholder farmers are among the most vulnerable groups to climate change because they rely heavily on rain-fed agriculture, cultivate marginal lands, and often lack access to the technical and financial support that could help them invest in better agricultural practices.
Many governments and organisations are addressing this crisis through climate-smart agriculture training, funding drought-resistant crops, early warning systems, resilient technologies and financial services. However, one crucial aspect remains overlooked: the nutrition and well-being of the farmers themselves.
Organisations working closely with smallholder farmers, whether through direct employment or value-chain partnerships, often focus on productivity interventions such as inputs, finance, and market access. However, the nutrition and well-being of the farmers who make these systems thrive are mostly neglected.
World Children’s Day 2025 – 20th Nov
My Day, My Rights
GAIN strengthens school meals, supports local SMEs, and boosts access to nutrient-rich foods.
We empower children and youth as changemakers to build healthier, stronger communities.
For Immediate Release
Urgent Call for Accelerated Action on Climate-Nutrition Integration – Latest Assessment
Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean are leading the way
Strongest integration is at the nexus of gender, nutrition and climate change, with 69% ccGAPs showing a clear intention to address climate and nutrition in tandem.
Very low levels of integration in the private sector – 79% of the 350 companies assessed had zero integration.
London/Geneva, November 07, 2025: The Initiative on Climate Action and Nutrition (I-CAN) released its latest worldwide assessment of the integration of nutrition and climate action. The report analyses 16 key indicators across 198 countries, revealing that some policy areas have made progress – particularly national nutrition and adaptation plans.
Local and traditional food retail markets are inherent in a city’s social fabric and the urban food environment. Millions of residents connect daily through food at local and traditional markets; and for many low income urban residents, this is their primary source of food.
Thousands of tons of fresh, dried and on ice produce flow into these retail and wholesale-retail hybrid markets, bought by consumers directly and/or by food-outlets, restaurants, and last mile vendors.
Incofin Investment Management and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), through the fund ‘Nutritious Foods Financing Facility (N3F)’, announce two new investments in East Africa’s dairy sector: Mujuni Ventures Limited in Uganda and Narumoro Dairy in Kenya.
These investments will improve access to nutritious foods for underserved populations, while strengthening local food systems and supporting smallholder farmers. With these additions, the Fund now counts ten active investments across Sub-Saharan Africa.
The 30th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30) will take place in Belém, Brazil, from Monday 10 to Friday 21 November 2025. The COPs are an annual opportunity for Parties and non-Party stakeholders to meet and shape our international response to climate change.
As Pakistan advances its URAAN Plan and National Food Systems Transformation Pathway, meaningful youth engagement will determine how inclusive that progress becomes. Despite strong national frameworks and growing youth-led innovation, young people remain largely outside formal decision-making. This policy brief sets out practical actions to institutionalise youth participation across governance structures—embedding the Scaling Up Nutrition Youth Network (SYN) within national and provincial coordination bodies, assigning youth advisory roles and quotas, and establishing a Youth in Food Systems Working Group to align mandates and financing. It further calls for building leadership pipelines through a Youth Food Policy Fellowship, integrating national programmes like Kamyab Jawan with food system priorities, and introducing digital accountability tools such as a Youth Engagement Scorecard. By embedding youth as architects of transformation, Pakistan can turn its demographic strength into a lasting engine for innovation, accountability, and resilient food systems.
