Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

With the conclusion of the International Year of Pulses 2016 approaching, this discussion invites you to look ahead and explore innovations that may help address some of the challenges still facing these important crops.

The world has committed to eradicate hunger and eliminate all forms of malnutrition by 2030 and the proclamation of the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016-2025) by the UN General Assembly marks a new direction in global action to achieve this goal. This consultation is part of a wider process to help elaborate the Work Programme for the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition and invites you to share what elements you believe are needed to make it a success. 

Pollination is responsible for providing us with a wide variety of food, affecting 35 percent of the world’s crop production and increasing outputs of 87 of the leading food crops worldwide. However, human activity has put a large pressure on pollinators jeopardizing entire ecosystems and the production of nutritious foods. What is being done and which further steps need to be taken to protect pollinators and promote their role in environmental and agricultural practices?

In October 2014, the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS) requested the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) to conduct a study on Sustainable Forestry for Food Security and Nutrition. The findings of this study will feed into CFS 44 Plenary session (October 2017).

As part of the process of elaboration of its reports, the HLPE is organizing a consultation to seek inputs, suggestions, and comments on the present V0 draft. This open e-consultation will be used by the HLPE to further elaborate the report, which will then be submitted to external expert peer review, before finalization and approval by the HLPE Steering Committee. 

South Asia has had extraordinary economic growth over the last two decades, yet has the highest rate of child malnutrition in the world, with 4 in 10 children chronically malnourished. Given their central role in childcare, most nutrition interventions target women, however the problem still persists. So, what is really missing in our research and analysis, and in our policies?

Overweight and obesity are a severe public health issue in many countries, requiring urgent measures at all levels. To ensure a successful implementation of public policies and programmes, these should be based on scientific evidence and proven interventions. This discussion aims at understanding better what successful policies and programmes to fight overweight and obesity should look like and what can be learned from existing initiatives. 

Pulses are important food crops that can play a major role in addressing global food security and environmental challenges, as well as contribute to healthy diets. In recognition of this, the UN General Assembly declared 2016 as the International Year of Pulses. In order to gather as much information as possible on the use of these remarkable plants, we invite you to contribute your experience and knowledge and case studies.

The survey aims at taking stock of challenges posed by climate change to the agriculture sector in Central Asian countries. It also aims at collecting available information and data to provide an informative picture of the context and of how Climate Smart Agriculture could help addressing key challenges.

Organized in the context of the International Year of Pulses 2016, this webinar hosted the FAO experts Teodardo Calles and Fernanda Grande who presented the benefits of pulses from an agro-ecological and nutritional perspective. The presentations of the two experts were followed by a question and answer session which allowed participants to engage in a brief round of discussion.