- 07/08/2026
Crowdsourcing, i.e., leveraging digital platforms to mobilise distributed contributors for
data collection, harnessing the collective power of large, distributed networks of people to accomplish such tasks through open calls has gained traction in recent years, yet practical guidance for implementation in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)
remains limited. This paper examines lessons from three food systems research case
studies conducted by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition in Indonesia and Kenya
between 2019-2024, analysing what worked, what didn't, and why.
- 27/07/2026
Young people are increasingly recognised as important contributors to food system transformation: raising awareness, leading community initiatives and bringing new perspectives to food system challenges. However, opportunities for them to move beyond these roles and engage in decision-making processes remain limited. In Bangladesh, the Food Systems Youth Leadership Initiative was introduced to strengthen youth leadership in food system transformation and deepen young people's understanding of food systems. This initiative also encouraged community-driven actions through collective action campaigns, helping young people build the confidence and capacity needed to engage more effectively in policy and decision-making spaces.
What if a traditional Indonesian food could simultaneously improve soil health, increase farmer incomes, reduce dependence on imported commodities, and provide nutritious meals for schoolchildren?
In Aceh, the GAIN Jack Bean Tempeh Initiative is demonstrating exactly that. The project is pioneering a model that connects regenerative agriculture, local food processing, and school meal procurement into a single value chain that benefits farmers, enterprises, students, and the environment.
GAIN and Indonesia’s Ministry of Fisheries have launched National Small Fish Restocking Guidelines to support sustainable fisheries, improved nutrition, and stronger local livelihoods. Based on scientific research and field evidence, the guidelines promote ecosystem-based approaches that can significantly increase small fish populations and support long-term restoration of Indonesia’s inland fisheries.
- 06/07/2026
Despite decades of nutrition campaigns, more than 95% of Indonesians consume insufficient fruits and vegetables, and high-risk food consumption continues to rise.
Current approaches (supply-side intervention, SBCC and other relevant health and nutrition campaigns) are insufficient because they overlook the cultural values, shared identities, and social norms that drive food preferences, not just individual knowledge or choice.
- 06/07/2026
Despite progress in reducing hunger and improving the affordability of healthy diets, the region’s food systems are not transforming quickly enough to deliver equitable nutrition, environmental sustainability, resilience and shared prosperity. This report presents eight practical tools covering food-systems monitoring, data visualisation, diet-quality measurement, policy coherence, climate nutrition integration, political-economy analysis, innovative financing and financial-flow tracking that governments and partners can use to identify gaps and opportunities, develop evidence-based plans, align policies across sectors, overcome implementation barriers and direct investment towards priority areas. Drawing on cases and data from across Asia, it highlights substantial differences between countries and subregions, alongside persistent challenges in food security, diet quality, emissions, water use, governance and financing. It concludes that accelerated, coordinated and government-led action supported by reliable data, coherent policies, inclusive decision-making and better-targeted finance is urgently needed to build healthier, fairer and more sustainable food systems and advance the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
India’s agricultural transformation is widely recognised as one of the most consequential development stories of the twentieth century. From chronic food shortages in the decades following independence to self-sufficiency in staple cereals like rice wheat and millets, India’s investments in irrigation, research, and price support fundamentally reshaped food availability. Public procurement and subsidised public distribution systems ensured that calories reached even the most vulnerable. And this culminated in the institutionalisation of food security through the National Food Security Act.
There is something quietly powerful about institutions that have spent centuries mastering the art of storytelling. Long before food systems became a policy agenda, religious communities were already doing something that nutrition programmes have long struggled to achieve: making people feel something about what they consume, share, and value.
The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), in collaboration with the Food and Land Use Coalition Indonesia (KSPL), officially launched its support for the development of the Regional Action Plan for Food and Nutrition Based on Local Resources (RAD-PG BPSDL) in Trenggalek Regency. The two-day inception meeting marked a critical step toward building a more resilient, nutritious, and sustainable local food system
- 27/03/2026
This paper provides brief descriptions of eight key tools available to support national and sub-national transformation of food systems. Produced in advance of the Asia and the Pacific Food Systems Transformation Forum 2026, descriptions and cases provided focus on the Asia region.
