Nutritionists, food industry professionals and government representatives from 19 Asia-Pacific countries took part in the Capacity Building Workshop on Mainstreaming Nutrition in the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) Initiative for Healthy Diets, co-organized on 28-30 August 2024 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Institute of Nutrition, Mahidol University (INMU), Thailand.

Experts from INMU, a leading Asian nutrition science and technology research centre, briefed participants  on the use of macro and micronutrient analysis to identify healthy diets, develop nutritious food products tailored to consumer preferences and label nutrition for informed consumer choice.

The online workshop was part of the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific’s collaboration with leading regional science and innovation centres under the FAO global OCOP flagship initiative for the Green Development of Special Agricultural Products (SAPs), which are food crops with unique local characteristics and high nutritional value but are still not consumed to their full potential.

The integration of nutrition into agricultural production is important and can create healthy food options, benefitting both farmers and consumers, Chalat Santivarangkna, Director INMU and Vice-chair of the OCOP Asia-Pacific Regional Organizing Group,  said in his opening remarks. “Let us unlock the full potential of SAPs in promoting healthy food and sustainable agrifood systems,” he urged the participants.

The mainstreaming of nutrition in the development of SAP value chains aims to support the FAO goal of ‘Better nutrition’, where all people have access to healthy diets derived from sustainable, inclusive and resilient agrifood systems. Better nutrition is one of the ‘Four Betters’ pillars of the FAO strategic vision in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

By mainstreaming nutrition in the development of SAP value chains, the OCOP initiative is helping support the FAO vision of nutrition, which is a world where all people are eating healthy diets derived from sustainable agrifood systems, Nancy Aburto, Deputy Director of Food and Nutrition Division, FAO told the workshop. This is especially important in the Asia-Pacific region, which has more than half the people facing hunger in the world today and where a third of the people cannot afford healthy diets.

The workshop training comprised the following sessions:

• Nutrition for different age groups from SAPs with country representatives briefed on how SAP menu development could provide balanced, age-specific diets.

   

• SAP product composition analysis on how nutrition analysis can inform consumer food choice.

   

• SAPs product development on recipe formulation suited to consumer preferences with balanced taste, texture and nutrition.

   

• SAPs product nutrient labelling on the technical aspects of food and nutrition labelling in compliance with national and international standards.

  The innovative and technical information shared with workshop participants will contribute to enhancing the marketability of SAPs and help promote the nutrition dimension of OCOP across different country contexts.

  Participants were also briefed on the development of agrifood value chains to ensure an adequate and affordable supply of nutritious food for all, identifying entry points for integrating  nutrition-focused initiatives.

  As a regional OCOP partner, INMU has produced nutritious SAP-based diet recipes for consumers with different dietary needs or those with preconditions, in Bhutan, Cambodia, Nepal and Papua New Guinea. Similar, health focused SAP recipes  will be developed for all 22 Asia-Pacific countries that have nominated SAPs and are working on sustainable SAP value chains.

Nutritionists, food industry professionals and government representatives from 19 Asia-Pacific countries took part in the Capacity Building Workshop on Mainstreaming Nutrition in the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) Initiative for Healthy Diets, co-organized on 28-30 August 2024 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Institute of Nutrition, Mahidol University (INMU), Thailand.

Experts from INMU, a leading Asian nutrition science and technology research centre, briefed participants  on the use of macro and micronutrient analysis to identify healthy diets, develop nutritious food products tailored to consumer preferences and label nutrition for informed consumer choice.

The online workshop was part of the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific’s collaboration with leading regional science and innovation centres under the FAO global OCOP flagship initiative for the Green Development of Special Agricultural Products (SAPs), which are food crops with unique local characteristics and high nutritional value but are still not consumed to their full potential.

The integration of nutrition into agricultural production is important and can create healthy food options, benefitting both farmers and consumers, Chalat Santivarangkna, Director INMU and Vice-chair of the OCOP Asia-Pacific Regional Organizing Group,  said in his opening remarks. “Let us unlock the full potential of SAPs in promoting healthy food and sustainable agrifood systems,” he urged the participants.

The mainstreaming of nutrition in the development of SAP value chains aims to support the FAO goal of ‘Better nutrition’, where all people have access to healthy diets derived from sustainable, inclusive and resilient agrifood systems. Better nutrition is one of the ‘Four Betters’ pillars of the FAO strategic vision in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

By mainstreaming nutrition in the development of SAP value chains, the OCOP initiative is helping support the FAO vision of nutrition, which is a world where all people are eating healthy diets derived from sustainable agrifood systems, Nancy Aburto, Deputy Director of Food and Nutrition Division, FAO told the workshop. This is especially important in the Asia-Pacific region, which has more than half the people facing hunger in the world today and where a third of the people cannot afford healthy diets.

The workshop training comprised the following sessions:

• Nutrition for different age groups from SAPs with country representatives briefed on how SAP menu development could provide balanced, age-specific diets.

   

• SAP product composition analysis on how nutrition analysis can inform consumer food choice.

   

• SAPs product development on recipe formulation suited to consumer preferences with balanced taste, texture and nutrition.

   

• SAPs product nutrient labelling on the technical aspects of food and nutrition labelling in compliance with national and international standards.

  The innovative and technical information shared with workshop participants will contribute to enhancing the marketability of SAPs and help promote the nutrition dimension of OCOP across different country contexts.

  Participants were also briefed on the development of agrifood value chains to ensure an adequate and affordable supply of nutritious food for all, identifying entry points for integrating  nutrition-focused initiatives.

  As a regional OCOP partner, INMU has produced nutritious SAP-based diet recipes for consumers with different dietary needs or those with preconditions, in Bhutan, Cambodia, Nepal and Papua New Guinea. Similar, health focused SAP recipes  will be developed for all 22 Asia-Pacific countries that have nominated SAPs and are working on sustainable SAP value chains.