Nutrition and food systems are now more urgent concerns than ever in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Join us and Ag2Nut this Thursday for a community discussion webinar on the impacts of COVID-19 on our work. Zoom dial-in details can be found below.

Panelists: 

• Tesfaye Hailu, Ethiopian Public Health Institute: brings the topic to the floor and outlines key questions and concerns, particularly focusing on Africa.
• Selena Ahmed, Montana State University: shares lessons learned from the current situation in China, where she researches food environments.
• Will Masters, Tufts University: discusses economic aspects of how supply chains and markets could change and what can keep them functioning.
• Stineke Oenema, UN SCN: presents a summary of SCN's analysis of food environments disruptions by COVID-19, highlighting some resources and examples of actions taken to mitigate the consequences; and what UN agencies are proposing to respond to the crisis.
• Namukolo Covic, IFPRI: discusses nutrition and food system realities in Africa, and policy priorities to protect both. 
• Moderator: Anna Herforth, Ag2Nut: outlines the reason for coming together, what we know about nutrition and disease interactions, and how we can use our discussion to act and speak with one voice.

This is a time to bring together our ideas as a diverse community with common interests, and harmonize our work and messages to act and speak with one voice! Some topics we will address include:

• With infections just starting to rise in Africa, where there is a major burden of malnutrition, the populations most affected may be different than what we have seen in higher income countries - primarily because malnutrition may leave people more vulnerable to severe illness and death. 
• A critical concern is maintaining food supply and access for all. Lessons about resilience in food systems can already be seen from China - some encouraging, and some warnings to heed, about food supply in the shadow of potential input and labor shortages. 
• What do leaders need to do to protect those vulnerable from malnutrition right now, and to protect food systems to ensure that all people can access the food we need over the coming weeks and months?

Resources

• Recording of the webinar with a transcript
• Presentation slides
• Synthesis of comments and resources

Join the conversation on social media

Share quotes from the speakers, reflections, screenshots and more on social media. Use these hashtags and handles on Twitter:

• ANH Academy: @anh_academy
• Ag2Nut Hashtag: #Ag2Nut