Online Discussion | Grass-root led innovations in agriculture for improved nutrition

Until 5th June 2015, the Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum) has an online discussion about Innovations in agriculture to improve nutrition. This online discussion was organised in collaboration with the Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia (LANSA) programme and aims to learn more about grass-root led innovative approaches that have positively impacted food security and nutrition.

The forum is being facilitated by Alan Dangour, Reader at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) with support from Professor M S Swaminathan, Founder-Chairman MS Swaminathan Research Foundation & LANSA Consortium Advisory Group Member. Professor M S Swaminathan and Dr. Alan Dangour are interested in examples from all parts of the world about exploring local and grassroots-led innovations that have positively impacted food security and nutrition.

Goal of the consultation

Gather input, based on expert knowledge, to identify potential ideas of innovations in agriculture that could promote better nutrition of the population in the South Asian region. This includes new interventions in agriculture that require formative research to aid their design, and/or research to understand their feasibility before being tested in large intervention studies. The likely impact of environmental change on agricultural production should also be considered and, ideally, the consultation will provide a list of promising interventions in agriculture with a potential for upscaling and that could benefit from further support.

Questions for the consultation

1. Are you aware of an untested innovation in South Asian agriculture that has the potential to have a major impact on nutrition and health in the region?
2. Are you aware of a tested or untested innovation in Africa or other world region that could be introduced or adapted to the South Asian region and has the potential to improve nutrition outcomes in the South Asian context?
3. Among these innovations, are there any interventions in agriculture that might also help to reduce the likely impact of multiple environmental changes on agricultural production in South Asia?

Join the discussion now at FSN Forum

About the Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition

The Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum) is an online venue for multi-stakeholder dialogue where policy decisions on food security and nutrition are collectively inspired, developed and linked with practice. The FSN Forum is facilitated by the Agricultural Development Economics Division (ESA) in FAO. Visit the website: www.fao.org/fsnforum

About LANSA

LANSA is a multi-partner research effort led by the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation in Chennai, India. The focus of LANSA is to understand the role of agricultural policies and practices in improving nutrition in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. A key part of LANSA is the involvement of local partners to conduct research through a competitive grant funding scheme, the second round of which will take place in July 2015. Visit the website: http://lansasouthasia.org