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UNSCN Discussion Paper - Investments for Healthy Food Systems
In the ICN2 Rome Declaration Commitment 15, Member States committed to ‘increase investments for effective interventions and actions to improve people's diets and nutrition, including in emergency situations'. The Framework for Action includes one recommendation on investment, Recommendation 17: Encourage governments, United Nations agencies, programmes and funds, the World Trade Organization and other international organizations to identify opportunities to achieve global food and nutrition targets, through trade and investment policies.
Purpose of the paper:
Investment policies refer to public expenditures in agriculture and food sectors to increase production, productivity, affordability, access, and consumption of healthy foods. Policies include government tools that will attract private sector investment in healthy food systems. Examples of desired actions include creating nutrition-enhancing value chains, supporting smallholder and family farmers, and promoting consumption of fresh, local products (FAO, 2014) Government policies have a role in influencing how agriculture and food systems contribute to healthy diet and improved nutrition. They are not the only influence and not the strongest, but used well, they can provide key public goods, catalyse support from the private sector to make positive contributions, and also guide consumers to make good choices. This paper describes government policies which should be used to improve nutrition and health outcomes. Recognizing that policy needs, feasibility and outcomes must be applied and assessed within specific contexts, the paper offers a typology of food systems, from "rural" to "industrial", and provides guidance about which investments are most appropriate to fit the needs of each type of food system.
The full discussion paper and executive summary can be downloaded here:
Discussion paper: English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Russian, Chinese
Executive Summary: English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Russian, Chinese