United Nations System
Standing Committee on Nutrition

Working Group on Household Food Security

held during SCN's 32nd Session, Thursday 16 March 1100-1300 hours, Geneva

Co-Chairs: Florence Egal, FAO; Shakuntala Thilsted, DANIDA

• Agenda
• Full Report
• Presentations and other documentation:
  • Obesity and poverty in nutrition transition: the case of Southeast Asia (PowerPoint)
  • Strategies for preventing obesity and reducing inequalities: the experience in Europe (PowerPoint)
  • Biodiversity for food and nutrition: update of activities since Brasilia (PowerPoint)
  • Linking agriculture and health progress of CGIAR initiative (PowerPoint)

Household food security and double burden of malnutrition – Discussion

Some participants questioned the use of terminology such as “nutrition transition” or “the paradoxical association between obesity and poverty” terminology. The following suggestions were made:

• urgent attention should be given to the role of trade and supermarkets in changing dietary practices.
• the positive deviance approach should be tested in fighting obesity
• a public nutrition approach should take into account traditional attitudes and practices (including taboos, and perceptions of desirable body size)
• voluntary regulation of marketing of foods for children should be actively promoted

Biodiversity, agriculture and health - Discussion

The following points were added by participants:

• Indigenous people are key to the cross-cutting initiative on biodiversity for food and nutrition
• It is important to look at local foods (including wild foods) but it is also essential to retrieve relevant traditional food processing techniques (e.g. steaming).

Emerging issue

Bruce Cogill, FANTA, made a call for looking at the linkages between avian flu, control strategies, household food security and nutrition. It was agreed that he would act as focal point and link with relevant FAO units.

Working group process and work plan

The secretariat asked for candidates for the remaining NGO/CSO co-chair position and expressed preference for institutions involved in nutrition programmes and projects, with a view to obtain the appropriate blend of skills. Several people asked to be added to the e-mail list and volunteered to co-opt relevant colleagues to join the network. The secretariat launched the idea of a stock-taking and information-sharing workshop on local experiences on food security, nutrition and livelihoods. The idea was well received and several suggestions were made on the issues to be included.

Follow-up points:

• Consolidate WG e-mail list
• Set-up a WG webpage
• Organise 3-day WG workshop on Local experiences on Food Security, Nutrition and Livelihoods as a basis for improved joint programming for achieving MDGs