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.
The I-CAN Assessment 2025 aims to provide a snapshot into the current state of integration between climate and nutrition action across 16 indicators in policy and finance. Despite modest progress since 2023, the report makes clear that integration of climate and nutrition in key international and national policies and financing remains limited, slowing progress towards both reducing malnutrition and climate goals. However, the report also helps to highlight priority areas for action, spotlighting examples of best practice we can learn from as we progress into the second half of this critical decade for the SDGs and climate action.
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.
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.
Bangladesh is redefining its path toward a more equitable, climate-resilient, and nutrition-secure future—and young people are at the centre of that journey. As the country advances major national strategies like the National Food and Nutrition Security Policy, this policy brief highlights how youth can move from community action to shaping national decision-making. It proposes creating formal youth roles in bodies such as the Bangladesh National Nutrition Council (BNNC) and District Nutrition Coordination Committees and strengthening cross-ministerial collaboration through a Youth in Food Systems Working Group. The brief also calls for expanding Department of Youth Development (DYD) programmes to include policy and governance, integrating food systems into university curricula, and building leadership pipelines through fellowships, mentorships, and digital participation tools. By positioning young people as active partners in governance, Bangladesh can cultivate a generation of leaders driving food systems transformation in line with the country’s long-term development agenda.
Hear from a professional at the start of her career in food systems transformation, and one near the end with decades of experience
Key Messages
• We choose to work in food systems because food is, at its core, a way to drive a fairer and
safer future for the world. Food is not just fuel. It carries our culture, our traditions, our
dignity, and our sense of belonging. To fix food is to unlock society’s potential. Over 3 billion
people globally can’t afford to eat healthily right now. This widens inequities and keeps the
vulnerable trapped in cycles of poor health.
• Food systems transformation touches every aspect of our lives and cannot be achieved in
isolation. It spans agriculture, health, trade, finance, education, environment, and social
protection, and it relies on people all along the supply chain, from farmers and traders to
processors, retailers, policymakers, and consumers. Few other areas of work demand such
breadth. That is why transforming food systems requires collaboration across sectors
directly and indirectly linked to food, and why it offers opportunities for people with
different skills, perspectives, and passions to contribute.
• The 2025 World Food Day theme calls for greater collaboration across sectors and silos to
transform agrifood systems for people and planet. This is a huge part of the work that
must be done, and we remain hopeful that solidarity and compassion will win over more
selfish politics. At GAIN we work hard to bring disparate voices across the food system
together, for real transformation.
