Research Brief

This brief explains the sources of aflatoxin, its importance in nutrition-related research, and its effects on humans, animals, and economics

The intent of the symposium was to share, understand and assimilate country- relevant evidence about factors that contribute to causal pathways that lead from agriculture to nutrition, in national, regional and local contexts. A national call for abstracts was made to researchers conducting work across these diverse but connected fields to present their work. The event was attended by approximately 140 participants from the scientific, research, program, policy maker and development partner communities.

This research brief presents preliminary findings from work in Nepal that explores how multi- sectoral programming explicitly linking agriculture with health and nutrition achieves impacts on the ground. Recognition that ?merely producing more food does not ensure food security or improved nutrition? (Herforth et al. 2012) begs questions about when, where and why does it, or does it not ensure food security or support improved nutrition?

A majority of Nepalese households are net buyers of food and depend on markets for their food purchases (CBS 2011). As a result, market performance and food prices directly influence levels of household consumption. These, in turn, can influence nutrition outcomes. Given the potentially deleterious effects of high food prices on child nutrition outcomes in food-purchasing households, one of the important pathways to reducing child malnutrition rates over time is likely to be by increasing market efficiency and reducing food prices.

This brief presents preliminary findings from work in Nepal that explores such issues, including the processes, impacts, constraints and innovations in multi-sectoral programming that explicitly links agriculture with health and nutrition. The focus in this brief is on a first round of data, collected in 2013 under USAID?s Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Nutrition, aimed at assessing policymakers? and programming professionals? understanding of nutrition problems, challenges to multi-sector programming and potential solutions.

This research brief presents preliminary findings from work in Nepal that explores how policy processes influence the implementation of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive actions. At a time when the government?s Multi-Sector Nutrition Plan (MSNP) is being rolled out, and new multi-dimensional nutrition programmes are scaling up, this study captures insights and experiences of stakeholders from central government to ward-level service providers.

At the 19th International Congress on Nutrition in Bangkok (in 2009), the United Nations? Standing Committee on Nutrition concluded that ?there is an urgent need to provide evidence- based information on food-based strategies and systems in order to make a case for their promotion. A series of scientific articles on food security interventions for nutrition should therefore be published to complement the public health interventions promoted by the Lancet Series [of 2008].

The Nutrition Innovation Lab?s 2nd annual scientific symposium held in Kathmandu, Nepal on August 13-14, 2013 under the theme ?Science and Policy for Health, Agriculture and Economic Growth? facilitated the sharing of new research findings along the agriculture to nutrition pathway. Featuring 15 oral and 11 poster presentations, the two day meeting was attended by approximately 250 participants who represented researchers, field practitioners, government policymakers, donors (including the USAID mission) and 40 students from various Nepali institutions of higher education.

The Nutrition Collaborative Research Support Program (CRSP)- Asia through its partner, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, organized a two-day scientific symposium in Kathmandu, Nepal, co-hosted by the Department of Community Medicine and Public Health at the Institute of Medicine (IOM). The Nutrition CRSP is a multidisciplinary research consortium, which seeks to determine investments needed in agriculture, health and nutrition, institutional and human capacity development, and program development to achieve large-scale improvements in nutrition outcomes.

In the context of commitments shown by the Government of Nepal to addressing the country?s nutrition challenges, the National Planning Commission, in collaboration with the Nutrition Collaborative Research Support Program (N/CRSP), organized a two?day stakeholders? forum to discuss research priorities in nutrition, health, and agriculture.