Papua New Guinea, Uttar Pradesh, join Scaling Up Nutrition movement

NaijaAgroNet:

The Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement has announced the joining of the campaign by two states, namely Papua New Guinea and the Indian State of Uttar Pradesh, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Interim Coordinator of the SUN Movement, Tom Arnold, disclosed this to NaijaAgroNet as part of the update on new phase of the campaign, which he was delighted has continued to grow and inspire transformative action as part of the collective efforts at improving nutrition.

He said that so far, in this first half of the year, the SUN Movement has welcomed Papua New Guinea and the Indian State of Uttar Pradesh as its newest members.

According to him, a new Strategy and Roadmap (2016-2020) has been developed with a consultative process, supervised by SUN Movement Executive Committee. 

“It will be launched by the Lead Group in September,” he said.

Arnold equally commended the respective nutrition communities for their contributions and commitment through the SUN Movement’s Annual Joint-Assessment exercise to consider progress and define future priorities.

“Congratulations to you all on sustaining the momentum and your continued efforts to drive the SUN Movement forward,” he said.

Nigeria has been a member of SUN Movement since November 14, 2011.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology
Pix: Interim Coordinator, SUN Movement, Tom Arnold

Addis Ababa agog for inaugural agriculture, nutrition, health academy week

NaijaAgroNet:

Ethiopia is now agog for the inaugural agriculture, nutrition, and health otherwise known as ANH Academy Week, as researchers and users of nutritional research from over 20 countries head to the capital, Addis Ababa, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The Research and Knowledge Uptake Manager for the Innovative Methods and Metrics for Agriculture and Nutrition Actions (IMMANA) Mr. Joe Yates, confirmed this in a press statement available to NaijaAgroNet, saying that for the next five days, between June 20 and 24, the global community of interdisciplinary researchers and research-users working at intersection of agriculture-food systems, health and nutrition would convene in Ethiopia.

According to him, the academy week would avail participants to learn, share and strengthen collaborative partnerships with the goal of improving nutrition and health.

The ANH Academy Week is held in Addis Ababa to facilitate African participation with attendees from around the world and comes just a week after the release of the Global Nutrition Report 2016, which warns that ‘malnutrition and diet are by far the biggest risk factors for the global burden of disease.’

Yates disclosed that the ANH Academy grew from a commitment to build interdisciplinary capacity and foster a community of researchers working in agriculture and food systems, health and nutrition.
NaijaAgroNet recalls that the academy was founded jointly by the Leverhulme Centre for Integrative Research on Agriculture and Health (LCIRAH), the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH), and the Innovative Metrics and Methods for Agriculture and Nutrition Actions (IMMANA) research initiative, to facilitate learning and sharing among researchers working at the intersection of agriculture, nutrition, and health.  

Remmy Nweke/ED,Ops


... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

Queen Letizia to mobilize government, CS to fight hunger

NaijaAgroNet

The new Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Special Ambassador for Nutrition, Queen Letizia of Spain said she plans to mobilize the will and collective action involving governments, the private sector, civil society, and individuals to eradicate hunger, NaijaAgroNet reports.

As Special Ambassador, Queen Letizia will engage in raising awareness of global hunger challenges and building public support for hunger eradication.

"My task is that of serving the objectives of this United Nations (UN agency) in the most effective way possible," the new Ambassador informed representatives of FAO's members present at the Organization's governing Conference, NaijaAgroNet learnt.

"In this day and age, we have the technical capacity to produce healthy food in sufficient quantities for all. Therefore what we must do is mobilize the will," she said, soliciting for "collective action involving governments, the private sector, civil society, and, of course, individuals. We need everyone on board," she stated.

The appointment was made in recognition of the Queen's personal commitment to building a world free from hunger and malnutrition, and Spain's efforts to promote global food and nutritional security

She added that the agro-food sector should participate in advancing toward these goals "in an active and responsible way, helping raise awareness of the need to support people in living healthy lives free of sickness," NaijaAgroNet gathered.

 Cyriacus Nnaji/ GEE

... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

Africa launches Climate Smart-Agriculture Alliance Forum

 NajiaAgroNet

The Africa’s first Climate Smart-Agriculture Alliance Forum, an Africa’s strategic approach for food security and nutrition in the face of climate change has been slated to hold in Addis  Ababa, Ethiopia,  NajiaAgroNet reports.

The launch of the Africa CSA Alliance Forum which will hold at Capital Hotel and Spa, NajiaAgroNet gathered, was formulated to foster harmonisation across various programmes being undertaken by African countries in climate change and agriculture. It is also a critical milestone in facilitating the sharing and learning on the various Climate Smart-Agriculture initiatives.

According to the information made available to  NajiaAgroNet, the Africa CSA Alliance Forum will specifically  agree on the general Africa-specific guiding principles and standards in domesticating the CSA definition into local/country and farming systems specific circumstances; validate the Africa CSA Vision 25x25 toolbox, an important tool for continental benchmarking and measuring CSA adoption for the “25 million targeted farming households by 2025”;  facilitate sharing across the various CSA initiatives at various levels.

It will also foster alignment in regional efforts in supporting and contributing to delivering on the “Africa CSA Vision 25x25” (based on ecosystems potential and related political economy issues).

 NajiaAgroNet also learnt that the Africa Climate-Smart Alliance Forum will be attended by: H.E Ato Sileshi Gutahun, Ethiopian State Minister for Agriculture; H.E Rhoda Peace Tumusiime – African Union Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, H.E Yasmine Foaud – Assistant Minister for Sustainable Development and External Affairs, Ministry of Environment, Arab Republic of Egypt. H.E Andreas Gaarder - Norwegian Ambassador to Ethiopia 

Also in attendance will be representatives and participants from Governments, Regional Economic Communities, Farmers’ Organisations, Private Sector, Civil Society, specialised agencies and development partners.

Cyriacus Nnaji/ ED,OPs

... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

Food, nutrition security, climate change dominate FAO-EU talks

  NaijaAgroNet

 

  Food and nutrition security, climate change and soils are among the key issues slated for discussion in the coming months between Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and the European Union (EU), NaijaAgroNet learnt.

According to a press release made available to NaijaAgroNet on Thursday, this follows series of meetings involving FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva and EU high-level representatives that were held on Tuesday and Wednesday in Brussels.

Graziano da Silva, NajaAgroNet further learnt, met EU Commissioner of Agriculture, Phil Hogan, EU Director-General for International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO), Fernando Frutuoso de Melo, and the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz.

NaijaAgroNet reports that both parties highlighted the alignment between the EU initiatives and FAO's strategic objectives, and expressed satisfaction on the strategic partnership and high-level political dialogue taking place on common key challenges.

They reiterated that food and nutrition security will remain at the heart of their respective programming cycles.

FAO and the EU have also stressed the joint role they will be playing within some of the main conferences and events to take place in 2015, reports NaijaAgroNet.

 
Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE

  ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology