Investment in nutrition key to unlocking a better future

Lazarus Sauti

On World Food Day, the United Nations says investment in nutrition is key to unlocking a better future.

This highlights the power of nutrition to transform individuals, societies and economies and the need to make it central to all development efforts.

“Undernourished girls and boys face barriers in health, in school performance and later, in the workplace, which limit their human potential and their capacity to contribute to the societies in which they live,” said WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin.

“Prioritising nutrition today is an investment in our collective global future. The investment must involve food, agriculture, health and education systems,” she said.

Accordingly, countries within the great African continent should invest in nutrition and embrace its power to change the lives of citizens.

This is why the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development of Zimbabwe, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) reaffirmed the need to strengthen international and national solidarity in the fight against hunger, malnutrition and poverty.

“Sustainable food systems make use of available resources efficiently. We in Zimbabwe have to make sure we get the most food from every drop of water, plot of land, speck of fertilizer and minute of labour,” said the permanent secretary of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, Ringson Chitsiko.

He adds, “This will make it possible for us to produce nutritious food for our people today while protecting the capacity for our children to still feed themselves tomorrow.”

Recognising the role played by agriculture on food security and levels of nutrition especially in African countries, the FAO Sub-regional Coordinator for Southern Africa Mr David Phiri recommends: “While steady increases in agricultural production and productivity will continue to be crucial in the coming decades, they will have to be nutrition sensitive with stronger focus on foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and animal source foods.

“We also encourage the diversification of crop production to varieties with higher nutrient value”.

WFP Country Director Sory Ouane believes prioritising nutrition today is an investment in the future.

“As such, addressing it requires urgent attention and integrated action in agriculture, natural resource management, public health and education, as well as promoting public and private sector investment and providing access to markets to small holding farmers,” Sory said.

Supporting small-scale farming in developing countries is an important element of a food security policy.

This means African governments can do more than enable small-scale farmers to buy seed and fertiliser.

They can advocate for greater diversity – more nutritious crops, more plentiful sources of protein and more production of staples such as vegetable oil.

Critically to note is also the fact that good nutrition depends on healthy diets, and healthy diets require sustainable food systems – along with education, health and sanitation. 

Accordingly, appropriate policies, incentives and good governance together hold the key to harnessing healthy food systems in countries within and across the African continent.

By working together, governments and other stakeholders in the agriculture fraternity can make nutrition a developmental priority since nutrition is a cost-effective opportunity for a big global development win – an opportunity that nobody can afford to lose.