|
|
DISCUSSION No. 138 • FSN Forum digest No. 1295
|
|
|
How can value chains be shaped to improve nutrition?
|
|
until17 April 2017
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dear Members,
We are happy to share with you the first digest of the online consultation
How can value chains be shaped to improve nutrition?.
Participants have started sharing their views on the main challenges and opportunities related to the development of development
of nutrition-sensitive value chains (NSVC).
Please find below the summaries of their first comments together with the feedback from the Working Group on Nutrition-Sensitive
Value Chains of the Rome-based Agencies (RBAs), the conveners of this exchange.
The output of this consultation will be an important input for the RBAs to refine their approach to nutrition-sensitive
value chain development, and to move from Principles to Action, bringing this approach to ongoing operations in the field.
To make the most out of this consultation, we invite you to read the
discussion paper as a background and to
share concrete examples of cases in which NSVC approaches have been implemented successfully or have faced considerable challenges.
All comments received so far, the introduction to the topic and the background paper are available on the FSN Forum in
English,
French and
Spanish.
To take part, please send your comments to
[log in to unmask] or post them online
upon registration to the FSN Forum.
We look forward to keep receiving your comments.
Your FSN Forum team
|
|
|
|

|
|
Feedback from the Working Group on Nutrition-Sensitive Value Chains of the Rome-based Agencies
|
The members of RBAs would like to thank all the contributors who provided their comments so far. Some of them provoke
reflections on challenges and opportunities for value chains in contributing to improvement of nutrition. As stated in the topic note and by some of you, value chains must be considered, analyzed and facilitated as one of the core components of a food system.
A couple of you stated a trade-off of a nutrition-sensitive value chain. Value chains should be not only nutrition sensitive,
but also economically viable, especially for producers/farmers. We would appreciate it if you could share with us any supportive policies, institutions, and programmes that are coherent and successfully manage this trade-off.
Some of you emphasized that value chains are market-driven and sustainable interventions require private-public partnerships
in improving nutrition, be it a supportive tax policy to back a viable business case. One member mentioned that staple crops are part of cost-effective value chains as he believes nutrition-sensitive value chains must be effective and cost-efficient. It would
be useful to learn more about these cost-effective value chains.
We cannot agree more with you regarding many challenges which exist for nutrition-sensitive value chains: for example,
perishability and seasonality of some nutritious food. We are glad to see that a solution was suggested to this challenge. A short value chain / local food is very important to meet nutritional needs of local population. Some of you concurred with some recommendations
of the framework: multi-sectoral approach is required by going beyond the traditional value approach (commodity and market focused) and traditional approach to nutrition programming (public sector driven). The wholeness was another main point raised: shifting
from a commodity focus that addresses one value chain at a time to an approach which addresses various value chains with the aim of improving diets in a holistic way.
All in all, the consultation started-off well. We look forward to hearing from many more of you and exploring further
the role of value chains for nutrition.
We strongly encourage you to use this opportunity to share your experience and lessons learnt. Your contribution is very
important to us.
Members of the Working Group on Nutrition-Sensitive Value Chains of the Rome-based Agencies
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED
|
|
Kuruppacharil
V. Peter, World Noni Research Foundation, India
|
|
Kuruppacharil discusses various stages of the value chain and argues that these are interdependent. He stresses that
the quality of raw products and food safety are crucial for the quality of the end products.
Read
the contribution
|
|
|
Erick
Boy-Gallego, HarvestPlus / IFPRI, United States of America
|
|
Erick underlines that value chains are demand- and profit-driven. Where staple crops are part of cost-effective value
chains, the value chains of other foodstuffs that ensure diversified diets are much more susceptible to losses caused by physiological decay, seasonality and labour-intensive production. This is due to undertakings such as homestead production not typically
benefitting from economies of scale or links to the market.
Read
the contribution
|
|
|
Bruno
Kistner, Asian Roundtable on Food Innovation for Improved Nutrition, Singapore
|
|
Bruno argues that food consumed by the poorest consumers should be mandated with a balanced nutrient portfolio including
B-vitamins. Regarding the adoption of a long-term strategy, one needs to look at how food systems can provide diversity to low-income populations. Sustainable interventions require public-private partnerships; a supportive tax policy could for instance be
implemented to promote nutrition.
Read
the contribution
|
|
|
Lal
Manavado, University of Oslo, Norway
|
|
Lal looks at the issue through a systemic lens, arguing that the central problem lies with the fact that value chains
per se are merely concerned with the service value that each component adds to the product. Being only concerned with commercial gain, taken on their own the single steps within the chain have no bearing on nutrition. Hence, value chains alone will not yield
nutritious food if they are not part of food systems aimed at making diverse and wholesome food available to the population at an affordable price. To facilitate the uptake of such food systems a shift in policies needs to happen, moving away from industrialisation
and free trade as the centrepieces of policy formulation focusing instead on the intrinsic nutritional value and sustainability of products.
Read
the contribution
|
|
|
Hamadoun
A. Haidara, Association d’Appui au Développement Communautaire du Mali, Mali
|
|
Hamadoun argues that it is important to valorise local foods, because these foods are those that are most accessible
to people in need.
Read
the contribution
|
|
|
Eileen
Omosa, We Grow Ideas, Canada
|
|
Eileen’s comment focuses on awareness creation among the stakeholders in the different stages of the value chain. Regarding
the processing of food, she for instance argues that the benefits of processing need to be underlined, especially with regard to giving harvest a longer shelf life. Other questions she raises relate for example to the consequences of migration for nutrition:
when men migrate to urban areas, do they have the necessary skills to make sure that they have a balanced diet?
Read
the contribution
|
|
|
Mebit
Kebede, Jhpiego Ethiopia, Ethiopia
|
|
Mebit stresses that in order to be able to improve nutrition, coordination is needed among the different value chain
actors. He discusses several opportunities related to developing nutrition-sensitive value chains, such as the potential of value chain approaches for understanding why certain nutritious foods are less affordable than others, and how these foods can be made
affordable vulnerable people. Mebit also lists several challenges, and points out that the focus has primarily been on single food commodities, neglecting dietary diversity.
Read
the contribution
|
|
|
Rose
Hogan, Trocaire, Ireland
|
|
Rose argues that the cultivation of crops that are not consumed by the grower himself should be avoided. In addition,
the practice of value chain entrepreneurs restricting farmers to monocropping should be countered.
Read
the contribution
|
|
|
Morgane
Danielou, Private Sector Mechanism, France
|
|
Morgane has posted a contribution from the Private Sector Mechanism (PSM). The PSM shares a number of principles it supports
for promoting nutrition-sensitive agriculture, including 1) building enabling policy environments that secure access to healthy food through sustainable production; 2) supporting farmers with extension and access to inputs; 3) integrating smallholders in value
chains; 4) empowering women; 5) supporting strategies on diversification, fortification and supplementation; 6) educating and informing consumers; 7) reducing risk for agricultural investment and production, and 8) linking agriculture, nutrition and health
communities.
Read
the contribution
|
|
|
Lucy
Quainoo, MEL Consulting Ltd, Ghana
|
|
Lucy focuses on the challenges and opportunities that arise when developing nutrition-sensitive value chains. She for
example mentions that establishing value chain actor cooperatives is crucial for capacity building. Regarding the challenges, she notes that there may be resistance to change due to cultural differences and negative perceptions of innovation.
Read
the contribution
|
|
|
Stephen
Machado, Oregon State University, United States of America
|
|
Stephen shares several aspects that, according to him, should be taken into account when thinking about how value chains
can be made more nutrition-sensitive. He points out that first of all, we need to make sure that farmers can produce crops, which entails building soil health for sustainable crop production. Stephen also underlines the importance of promoting indigenous crops,
which are often nutrient-dense and could generate income for smallholders if a niche market for these food stuffs could be created in other parts of the world.
Read
the contribution
|
|
|
Franck
Hubert Ateba, Afrique Avenir, Cameroon
|
|
Franck discusses challenges related to nutrition-sensitive value chain development. He distinguishes between quantitative
challenges, including the availability, accessibility and competitiveness of food products, and qualitative challenges, such as supplying essential nutrients and healthy food products, but also taking into account the environment. Franck also mentions examples
of nutrition-sensitive value chain development in Cameroon, where the government is promoting large-scale production of starch made of cassava derivatives. He points out several general challenges regarding value chain development in his country, but argues
simultaneously that there is a lot of potential for, among others, promoting the use of underused forest products.
Read
the contribution
|
|
|
|