Improved Agriculture-Nutrition Linkages through Production and Promotion of Nutrient-Dense Foods

Presented by: Helena Pachon from AgroSalud and Fred Grant from Land O’Lakes

Following the food price crisis of 2007-2008, there was a strong and globally renewed interest in agricultural development. As this interest has developed into concrete initiatives, it has become increasingly evident that efforts aimed at achieving sustained food and nutrition security will require effectively linking the agricultural and nutrition components of food security programs. This subject has recently risen to very near the top of the development agenda. One avenue that has attracted considerable attention is the development, production and promotion of nutrient-dense foods. Home gardening of vegetables and fruits, in particular, has been much discussed. The session looked at other promising approaches, including the production and use of animal-source foods and the biofortification of staple food crops. The role of these approaches in ensuring food security and improved nutrition were discussed as ways forward in the identification and implementation of effective agriculture-nutrition linkages in the broader sense.