Below is a list of FAO free e-learning courses on nutrition-related topics, starting with the most recent. Some are available in several languages. Most of these courses are linked to a final certification test. Certification is granted through the Digital Badges system a final performance evaluation of 75 percent or higher. For more information on the Digital Badges System click here.

Minimum dietary diversity for women (MDD-W) (2023)

Duration: 2h

In this course, you will learn about:

• The importance of simple, gender-sensitive, food-based indicators, such as MDD-W, to assess nutrition-related outcomes.
• How to use MDD-W to identify vulnerable groups of women.
• The skills needed to collect, analyse and interpret MDD-W data.

Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) "Nutrition and Food Systems: Pathways to sustainable and healthy diets" (2022)

Also available in Français

This MOOC was delivered in two editions between September 2021 and June 2022 in English and French. The overall objective of this course was to apply a systems-thinking approach to issues of food security and nutrition, thus contributing to a transformation of food systems towards more sustainable, equitable and healthy diets. This MOOC is made available in order to share the content and associated resources that were specifically developed for it, offering you a rich and comprehensive set of learning materials on this topic.

Linkages between food security, nutrition and social protection: An introduction to basic concepts and principles (2022)

Duration 1h 

In this course, you will learn about:

• The basic concepts regarding food security, nutrition and social protection.
• The usefulness of the ISPA-FSN tool for the assessment of social assistance programmes.
• The linkages between social protection and nutrition outcomes, with a special focus on social assistance.
  
  

The ISPA-FSN tool: Assessing social assistance programmes for better food security and nutrition (2022)
Duration 1.5h 

In this course, you will learn about:

• The process of conducting an assessment of social assistance programmes, using this tool to assess the impact on food security and nutrition outcomes.
• The main steps and activities for implementing the ISPA-FSN tool throughout its four phases.
  
  

Small and medium enterprises and nutrition - upgrading business models (2022) 
Duration 5.5h |  Available also in Español

In this course, you will learn about:

• How to craft nutrition-sensitive business visions, missions and objectives.
• Customer segmentation and identification of nutritionally vulnerable groups.
• Value proposition based on nutritious foods.
• Entry points for nutrition across the value chain.
• Strategies and tools to support the marketing of nutritious foods.
• Principles to establish partnerships with focus on SMEs and nutrition.
• Options to finance nutrition-sensitive investments of SMEs.
  
  

Small and medium enterprises and nutrition - making the business case (2021)
Duration 2h |  Available also in Español

In this course, you will learn about:

• The key role that SMEs play in food systems.
• The rationale for making nutrition-sensitive investments, both from an SME and a public health perspective.
• Nine examples of nutrition-sensitive investments and the respective business cases.
• The key elements of an enabling environment to facilitate nutrition-sensitive investments from SMEs.
  
  

Design and monitor Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture and Food Systems Programmes (2020)
Duration 4.5h |  Available also in العربية - Français

In this course, you will learn about:

• Basic concepts of agriculture to nutrition impact pathways, and how to apply them through practical, scenario based examples.
• How to formulate nutrition-sensitive objectives and outcomes.
• How to target nutritionally vulnerable and prioritize interventions accordingly.
• How to define key elements of the implementation strategy, namely capacities and partnerships.
• How to design a monitoring system.
• Considerations for costing nutrition-related elements.
  
  

Sustainable Food Value Chains for Nutrition  (2020)
Duration 2.5h |  Available also in Español - Français

In this course, you will learn about:

• Key concepts related to ustainable food value chains for nutrition, including diet and nutrition and value chains and their sustainability
• The elements of the analytical framework, including potential strategies and entry points for interventions
• The three impact pathways by which a sustainable food value chain can improve nutrition.
• The process of developing this type of project, including analyses and identification of commodities and interventions.
  
  

Home Grown School Feeding (2020)
Duration 1.5h |  Available also in Español - Français

In this course, you will learn about:

• Conceptualizing Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF) programmes.
• Planning of HGSF programmes that are well integrated into the national context.
• The different design and implementation options, including models for linking home-grown school feeding to local agriculture.
• Monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on an HGSF programme.
  
  

How to conduct a nutrition situation analysis (2018)
Duration 3h |  Available also in Français - Português

In this course, you will learn about:

• The reasons why a nutrition situation analysis is needed before designing a nutrition-sensitive project or programme.
• How to identify nutritional problems and trends in a given area.
• How to determine the causes of malnutrition.
• How to analyse policies, programmes and stakeholders to understand the context.
  
  

Improving nutrition through agriculture and food systems (2016)
Duration 3h |  Available also in Français - Português - Русский

In this course, you will learn about:

• Impact of malnutrition on individuals, society and economy
• Agriculture, the food system, and nutrition
• Addressing the multisectoral nature of malnutrition
• Key recommendations for nutrition-sensitive programmes, investments and policies
• Examples of nutrition-sensitive interventions
• Initiatives and commitments for addressing malnutrition
  
  

Nutrition, food security and livelihoods: Basic concepts (2015)
Duration 0.5h |  Available also in Español - Français - Português

In this course, you will learn about:

• Food and Nutrition related concepts and definitions.
• Nutrient requirements and balanced diet.
• Different forms of malnutrition.
• Causes of malnutrition.
• Food Security and Livelihoods.
  
  

Agreeing on causes of malnutrition for joint action (2015)
Duration 1.5h |  Available also in Español - Français - Português

In this course, you will learn about:

• Design of a joint malnutrition strategy.
• Preparation of the workshop and facilitation techniques.
• Malnutrition problem and solution tree methodology.
• Design of the malnutrition problem tree sessions.
• Design of the malnutrition solution tree session.
• Action-plan session and the follow-up of the workshop.
  
  

Food Composition Data (2013)
Duration 10h |  Available also in Français

In this course, you will learn about:

• Basic principles of food composition data.
• Food description (selection and nomenclature).
• Food components (definition, selection calculation, conversion and analysis).
• International Network of Food Data Systems (INFOODS) tagnames and their application.
• Quality consideration and compilation principles. 
  
  

Nutritional status assessment and analysis (2007)
Duration 2h |  Available also in Español - Français

In this course, you will learn about:

• Concept of malnutrition.
• Factors influencing nutritional status.
• Relationships between nutrition, health and mortality.
• Strengths and weaknesses of the main sources of nutritional status information.
• Indicators of nutritional status and the causes of malnutrition.
• Criteria for selecting nutrition indicators in specific contexts.