Agriculture for Improved Nutrition Research Program
03 May 2017

Background

Undernutrition remains one of the world’s greatest human and economic development challenges. Improving nutrition requires a multi-sectoral approach that brings together the health, agriculture, education, environment, water, sanitation and hygiene and social protection sectors. While there is some evidence that certain agricultural interventions can enhance dietary intakes and improve nutrition and health outcomes, there is a need for a broader set of robust and large-scale evidence to guide global program and policy efforts in nutrition-sensitive agriculture.

The proposed research agenda on nutritious food systems, outlined in the white paper Agriculture for Improved Nutrition: A Future Research Agenda, focuses on a more holistic exploration of systems interventions at the market level and prioritizes a set of research questions that address key gaps in evidence.  This paper outlines the potential use of more creative research methods and cross-cutting indicators to address the complexities of food systems, and encourages the involvement of policymakers and the private sector from the outset. We would welcome comments on this white paper, especially from policy makers and practitioners with thoughts on how research could help improve nutrition outcomes in agriculture programs.
 

Announcement: Request for Applications

The UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are excited to announce a new Request for Applications (RFA) which is informed by the white paper summarized above. We are seeking applications to address a broad set of robust and large-scale priorities to guide global program and policy efforts in sustainable, nutritious food systems. The goal of this RFA is to deliver high-quality large-scale evidence linking agriculture, nutrition and health through systems-level approaches. The outcome will be a portfolio of multiple research investments with the dual purpose of filling the gaps in evidence around systems-level interventions, as well as helping better define metrics that take a systems-level view in assessing the net impact and costs of programs and policies.

Concept memos are due June 1, 2017. To see the full RFA, download the application, and see a list of existing grantees in this program, visit the ANH Academy Forum.

 

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