New Delhi, India – The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) held a high level conference entitled “Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition and Health,” last February 10-12, 2011 at Taj Palace, New Delhi, India. The conference was attended by more than a thousand participants. AFA was represented by its Secretary General, Esther Penunia.
This conference brought together information and ideas on how to strengthen linkages among agriculture, nutrition and health, showcased “best practices” in policies and programs, and facilitated networks among stakeholders. The program featured over 150 leading figures from agriculture, nutrition, health, and other related sectors in 5 plenary sessions and 15 parallel sessions.
AFA was a panelist in a parallel session entitled ” Rethinking How We Each Do Business: Regional and Actor Perspectives—East Asia.”
The event has highlighted the importance and relevance of agriculture in promoting nutrition and health. Agriculture impacts poor people’s nutrition and health, and people’s nutrition and health in turn affects their productivity. As a supplier of food, a source of income, and an engine of growth, agriculture has the potential to significantly and sustainably improve poor people’s nutrition and health.
At the end of the conference, IFPRI’s Director General , Dr. Shenggan Fan, released a draft statement called “The Way Forward” , which proposed some initial ideas about how “we can get started and is based on four building blocks” – fill the knowledge gaps, do no harm, seek out and scale up innovative solutions, create an environment in which cooperation can thrive. He said that the statement “is a living document subject to further debate and change” and has invited researchers and practitioners to make comments and contributions.
IFPRI is one of 15 centers supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), an alliance of 64 governments, private foundations, and international and regional organizations. Its mission is “to achieve sustainable food security and reduce poverty in developing countries through scientific research and research-related activities in the fields of agriculture, livestock, forestry, fisheries, policy, and natural resources management.”
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Program
Video coverage of the panel session
Photos and conference materials
Conference statement
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