Identifying Platforms for Healthier Diets: Discussion paper A4HN Flagship 1 Food Systems for Healthier Diets

Inclusive and sustainable food systems should guarantee consumers availability of, equitable access to and efficient delivery of safe and healthy food requiring interconnectedness between agro-food systems and other (health, education) systems. This requires active networking between multiple stakeholders, engaged in different parts of the food system. The objective of the study was to explore the role of platforms as mechanisms to support the scaling and anchoring of food system transformations for healthier diets. Network analysis was used to visualise relevant platforms, clustering organisations and identifying key connectors (multiple memberships).
The study covered two countries; Bangladesh and Nigeria. In Bangladesh, six CGIAR-affiliated platforms were identified, and 24 (sub)national platforms. Seventeen platforms addressed malnutrition or diet quality, none addressed ‘healthier diets’. In Nigeria, five CGIAR affiliated platforms were identified, and 21 (sub)national platforms, ten of which addressed malnutrition or diet quality, none addressed ‘healthier diets’.
The CGIAR-affiliated platforms are predominantly research-driven, focusing on improved access to or availability of ‘healthier’ food products, improved food (production) environment, gender issues, or food safety. In-country platforms involve mostly, (I)NGO- and government policy actors and were focusing on food security and nutrition issues. Funding of the platforms was often time bound and donor related, raising a concern relating to long term sustainability of platforms.