Time: Wednesday, October 13, 2021 from 02:30 PM – 04:00 PM Addis Ababa time (7.30 AM - 9.00 AM EDT)

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), there is no food security without food safety. Access to safe and nutritious food is a basic human right. Yet every year around the world, over 420,000 people die and some 600 million people (almost one in ten) fall ill after eating contaminated food (FAO, the Future of Food Safety). Challenges to ensuring food safety as an essential dimension of food security are important to address as this is the basis for healthy diets and healthy lives.

This NIPN webinar will engage renowned professionals to delve into this nexus between nutrition, food safety and food security. The webinar will look at critical problems related to food safety in Ethiopia and provide solutions and recommendations to secure a sustainable and healthy diet for the country. A distinguished panel will reflect on what this could mean for researchers and policymakers in our context and highlight the linkages to the Ethiopian Food System Transformation plan and process.

The audience will, as usual, have an opportunity to interact with the speakers during a Q&A session.

We look forward to your participation!*Please note this event may be recorded.

• Introduction: Dr. Aregash Samuel, NIPN Ethiopia National Coordinator, Researcher at the Food Science and Nutrition Research Directorate, EPHI
• Moderator: Cornelia van Zyl, Senior Technical and Policy Advisor at IFPRI in support of the NIPN
• Speaker: Prof. Mogessie Ashenafi, Ph.D., FTWAS. Professor of Food Microbiology, Center for Food Security Studies, College of Development Studies, Addis Ababa University.
• Panelists: Dr. Ferew Lemma, Senior Advisor, Office of the State Minister (Programs), Federal Ministry of Health,  Ato Wendafrash Abera, Technical Advisor on Food Safety and Nutrition at  Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority

Click HERE to Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 961 1767 9081  Passcode: 314198

Co-Organized by: the National Information Platform for Nutrition (NIPN), the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)’s Ethiopia Strategy Support Program (ESSP) and CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM)

Introduction:

• Dr. Aregash Samuel, Researcher in EPHI's Food Science and Nutrition Research Directorate and the National Coordinator for the NIPN in Ethiopia

Moderator:

• Cornelia van Zyl, Senior Technical and Policy Advisor in IFPRI

Presenters:

• Dr. Bart Minten, Senior Research Fellow in IFPRI's Development Strategy and Governance Division
• Dr. Fantu Nisrane Bachwe, Research Coordinator in IFPRI's ESSP

What are the trends in price variations of fruits and vegetables in Ethiopia? And what are the implications on people’s diets? What is the current situation in Ethiopia as it relates to emerging medium‑scale tenant farming and the COVID‑19 disruption?

These questions are cardinal given the importance of prices for consumption decisions for important nutritious crops.

The first speaker, Dr Fantu Bachewe, discussed findings from large-scale retail and producer price datasets, and price behavior of fruits and vegetables in Ethiopia over the last 15 years (2005 - 2019). The analysis noted that prices for fruits and vegetables rapidly increased compared to cereals and were more expensive than 15 years ago. Price rises were due to increased marketing margins and significant seasonality in vegetable prices. In addition, there was significant spatial price variation in the country.

The second speaker, Dr Bart Minten, shared findings from a study on the rapid expansion of intensive vegetable cultivation in the central Rift Valley in Ethiopia. Almost 60% of the irrigated area is cultivated by medium-scale tenant farmers relying on short-term rental contracts. These gig economies, characterized by flexible contract arrangements implemented by outside contractors and which are fueling sophisticated sectors in developed countries, are also important in commercial agrarian settings in Ethiopia. For instance, the commercial vegetable cluster in the central Rift Valley in Ethiopia is worth $200 million per year, which is close to the value of the much-heralded flower exports from Ethiopia.

Both speakers emphasized the policy implications on both these studies and made strong and candid policy recommendations for Ethiopia (please click HERE to access the webinar presentations).

These timely and interesting presentations were followed by a lively question and answer session (please click HERE to see the summary of Q&A).

The webinar brought together 86 participants from different sectors, including policymakers, academia, researchers, development partners and NGOs, and discussed the evidence and program implications for Ethiopia.

The NIPN is a multisectoral initiative supported by the European Union, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The NIPN in Ethiopia is housed at EPHI, receives technical assistance from IFPRI under its Compact2025 initiative. The NIPN promotes evidence-based decision making for nutrition and supports the implementation of the National Food and Nutrition Policy.

Co-Organized by: the National Information Platform for Nutrition (NIPN), the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

 
JOIN ZOOM MEETING

This webinar will discuss the Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) and the agri-food system - the outcomes and challenges. It will also highlight findings from an assessment of the ‘food vouchers’ as a top-up to PSNP households. The webinar will share what is new in the PSNP 5 as it relates to nutrition and food security.

Introduction

Dr. Aregash Samuel, Deputy Director of the Food Science and Nutrition Research Directorate (FSNRD) at EPHI and the NIPN National Coordinator in Ethiopia

Moderator

Cornelia van Zyl, Senior Technical and Policy Advisor at IFPRI for the NIPN in Ethiopia

Presenters

• • Dr. Alemayehu Seyoum Taffesse, Senior Research Fellow in IFPRI’s Ethiopia Strategy Support Program.
  • Dr. Filippo Dibari, Nutrition Team Leader, World Food Program, Ethiopia.
  • Theodros Hailemariam, PSNP Nutrition Taskforce Lead.

JOIN ZOOM MEETING

Meeting ID: 974 5834 7669
Passcode: 029958
Meeting ID: 974 5834 7669
Passcode: 029958
Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/adz0mgz69J
Join by Skype for Business
https://zoom.us/skype/97458347669

The past decade has seen unprecedented attention going to undernutrition, and drastically reducing child stunting has become a global development objective. The focus on linear growth retardation and stunting led to successful advocacy for nutrition but also revealed confusion and misunderstanding about the meaning of these terms among researchers, donors, and agencies active in nutrition.

The National Information Platform for Nutrition (NIPN), the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) and IFPRI will host a webinar on November 18, 2020 at 3:30 PM EAT to discuss new perspectives on child stunting. Based on a critical review of the literature, the webinar will challenge current views on the consequences of linear growth retardation and stunting. It will call for fundamentally different ways of using linear growth and stunting as measures of global development.

The webinar will also present a significant and underappreciated additional factor to child growth faltering: Altitude. Analyzing data from nearly 1 million children in 59 low- and middle-income countries, the study will share insights into the association between child growth faltering and residence at high altitude.

Register for the webinar

Photo Credit: UNICEF Ethiopia/2006/Getachew

Congratulations to the World Food Programme for the Nobel Peace Prize!

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has awarded the World Food Programme (WFP) the Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to combat hunger and its contribution to improving conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas. The award shines a spotlight on global hunger, which due to climate change, conflict, and the COVID-19 pandemic could sharply rise in the absence of urgent action. David Beasley, WFP’s executive director, lauds frontline staff and partners for their tireless work feeding vulnerable people, especially in conflict zones.

Additional highlights from this week’s Compact2025 News in Brief include:

• The Government of Kenya put forth new nutrition measures including a framework for breastfeeding-friendly work environments and the Kenya Nutrition Action Plan (KNAP). The KNAP is a cross-sectoral strategy to tackle malnutrition throughout all stages of life and aims to address the root causes of malnutrition by engaging community health services, food production, education, social protection, and safe water supply.
• The Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition (GLOPAN) published its new report, Future Food Systems: For people, our planet and prosperity. In line with the best available scientific evidence, the report details four policy objectives to transform food systems: (1) sustainably producing the right mix of healthy foods in sufficient quantities; (2) ensuring those foods are readily accessible and at low cost; (3) making healthy and sustainable diets affordable to everyone; and (4) empowering consumers to make informed food choices.
• The 2020 Global Hunger Index (GHI) report shows that despite gradual progress since 2000, too many people still suffer from food insecurity, and 11 countries face alarming levels of hunger. Health, economic, and environmental crises have exacerbated hunger and malnutrition. This year’s report links health and sustainable food systems, and recommends an integrated approach to health, food security, and nutrition in order ensure the right to adequate and nutritious food for all.

Click here to sign up to receive the biweekly newsletter.

The National Information Platform for Nutrition (NIPN), the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), IFPRI, and the Food Security Portal (FSP) project are co-organizing a webinar with support from the European Commission on COVID-19 and its impacts on childhood malnutrition. The webinar will take place on Wednesday, September 23 at 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM EAT (Addis Ababa).

The COVID-19 pandemic poses grave risks to the nutritional status and survival of young children in low- and middle-income countries, due in part to steep declines in household incomes, changes in the availability and affordability of nutritious foods, and interruptions to health, nutrition, and social protection services. Recent analysis carried out by IFPRI suggests that there could be a 14% increase in the prevalence of moderate or severe wasting among children younger than 5 years due to COVID-19-related losses in GNI per capita.

The webinar will present findings from this global study on COVID-19 and its impact on childhood malnutrition and nutrition-related mortality. A distinguished panel will reflect on the implications of these findings for Ethiopia. Participants will have the opportunity to interact with the program speakers and submit questions.

Click here to register.

Photo: UNICEF Ethiopia/2020/Nahom Tesfaye

IFPRI’s ReSAKSS program released its third flagship report, the 2020 Africa Agriculture Trade Monitor (AATM). It focuses on intra-African trade integration for agricultural products—including the role of nontariff measures—and on the competitiveness of African value chains that are crucial for food security. The report also examines and measures informal cross-border trade and its role in poverty alleviation and food security and offers policy recommendations for improving agricultural export performance.

Additional highlights from this week’s Compact2025 News in Brief include:

• Lao PDR has adopted the Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes (BMS) Decree to protect and promote breastfeeding. The government’s national legislation aligns with global guidance: it will provide information on appropriate infant feeding, and put strict regulation on marketing of breastmilk substitutes, bottles and teats.
• A new IFPRI book explores the state of agricultural extension—a service essential for rural transformation, incomes, nutrition, and empowerment. The book provides a synopsis of global extension systems and deep dives into Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Malawi, and Uganda. View the book launch event, organized by IFPRI and the CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutes, and Markets (PIM).
• Prevalence of moderate or severe wasting among children could increase by 14% due to COVID-19-related losses in GNI per capita suggests an IFPRI journal article.

Click here to sign up to receive the biweekly newsletter.

A Food Security journal article finds that poor trade facilitation constitutes a key driver of food insecurity in Africa: food availability and food access are significantly hampered by higher documentation requirements and lengthier export and import times. The article concludes that reducing these delays is the most effective trade facilitation reform to enhance food security in Africa.

Additional highlights from this week’s Compact2025 News in Brief include:

• The Government of Rwanda and the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) Partners Group will host the 10^th annual summit of the AGRF virtually from September 8-11. Thousands of delegates from governments, civil society, private sector, research community and development partners will discuss how to leverage urban food markets to achieve sustainable food systems in Africa.
• In an IFPRI blog post, researchers discuss results from a recent journal article that finds that children at high altitudes have higher rates of stunting than their peers at sea level. The altitude-related growth deficit emerges at birth, suggesting that the effects originate in the prenatal period due to inadequate supply of oxygen.
• On August 26 IFPRI hosted an event to unpack the impacts of COVID-19 on economies, food systems, and poverty in African and Asian countries. See IFPRI’s COVID-19 webpage for more evidence, blogs, tools, and events.

Click here to sign up to receive the biweekly newsletter.

Findings from five exemplar countries—Nepal, Ethiopia, Peru, Kyrgyz Republic, and Senegal—provide guidance on how to accelerate reductions in child stunting: improvements in maternal education, maternal nutrition, maternal and newborn care, and reductions in fertility interpregnancy intervals stand out as strong contributors to change. This synthesis also provides a new framework for strategies to accelerate stunting reduction.

Additional highlights from this week’s Compact2025 News in Brief include:

• A policy brief from the Global Panel explores the underlying drivers of fragility and disruptions to food systems in fragile contexts. It emphasizes the need for integrated and coherent strategies that must be implemented across food systems in these settings and sets out priorities for improving access to healthy diets.
• At an August 18 event, IFPRI hosted an event to discuss the agriculture-ecosystem health interface that was magnified by COVID-19, as well as cross-sectoral solutions to reduce such risk and enhance human and ecosystem health.
• The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) will take stock of the global food security situation, reflect on relevant COVID-19 impacts, and discuss the draft CFS voluntary guidelines on food system and nutrition and other key draft documents. This virtual High-Level Special Event on Food Security and Nutrition will take place on October 13-15, 2020.

Click here to sign up to receive the biweekly newsletter.

Download the new IFPRI e-book on COVID-19 and Global Food Security. It brings together insights and analyses from researchers on the impacts of the first six months of the global pandemic. The book was launched in a virtual event on August 4.

Additional highlights from this week’s Compact2025 News in Brief include:

• A journal article in Global Food Security calls for research and science to not only inform food and environmental policy but also be adopted and mainstreamed into actions at all levels. The article puts forth the vital role of research in charting a sustainable direction for food systems and stresses the need to challenge the status quo to transform food systems to deliver sustainable, healthy diets.
• The heads of UNICEF, FAO, WFP, and WHO stress in a call to action in the Lancet the need to protect children’s right to nutrition in the face of COVID-19, and provide five immediate actions: (1) Promote access to nutritious, safe, and affordable diets; (2) Increase investments especially for new and expectant mothers; (3) scale up early detection and treatment of child wasting; (4) maintain school meal programs; and (5) expand social protection.
• USAID and Tufts University will host the Evidence Summit II on food assistance for nutrition on October 5–8. The summit will showcase findings on recent programs and discuss impacts of pandemics and disease outbreaks on programming and supply chain logistics; recent advances in science related to nutrition; and ways to improve nutrition programming. Abstracts for online poster session can be submitted until August 31.

Click here to sign up to receive the biweekly newsletter.