UNICEF urges food system transformation to address children’s unique nutrition needs

01 Aug 2024 --- Humanity is experiencing a global regression in food and nutrition security, according to this year’s annual State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, co-authored by UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund). Nutrition Insight sits down with UNICEF senior nutrition advisor Mauro Brero to discuss the worrying findings and what the organization is doing to address the staggering issue.

The report, also compiled by the UN’s FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization), the IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development), the WFP (World Food Programme) and the WHO, estimates that 733 million people faced hunger in 2023 — one in eleven globally and one in five in Africa.

“In Africa and in Western Asia, where malnutrition rates are highest, malnutrition is the result of systems that are failing. The food, health and social protection systems are failing families and their young children,” states Brero.

The UNICEF expert discusses the steps that the international community needs to take before the figures continue to plateau and deteriorate.“Traditional and current food security initiatives do not account for children’s unique nutrient needs.”

“These tend to focus on improving household access to staple foods and incomes from agriculture while leaving children’s need for nutrient-dense foods unaddressed. To change this, innovative large-scale approaches are needed to improve children’s first foods (early life nutrition), food environments and food practices.”

Brero asserts that UNICEF is uniquely positioned to drive this food system transformation “in partnership with national governments, private sector leaders and development partners” and contribute to “realizing the right to adequate nutrition for every child, especially where malnutrition rates are higher, in Africa and in Western Asia.” 

Traditional and current food security initiatives do not account for children’s unique nutrient needs.Africa and Western Asia
The senior nutrition advisor details UNICEF’s current approach to addressing the nutritional needs of children in regions with the highest hunger rates. He states that UNICEF is working with governments in Africa and Western Asia to transform food, health and social protection systems. 

“UNICEF works to improve the supply of nutritious foods and legislation to protect against unhealthy, nutrition poor foods, including front-of-pack labeling and marketing restrictions,” outlines Brero.

He tells us that UNICEF is seeking a systemic, sustainable transformation of food systems for children, “bringing together public and private sector actors to increase the availability, affordability and consumption of locally-produced nutritious first foods and food supplements for young children.”

“UNICEF aims to change production priorities, policy frameworks and consumption practices so that every child receives the nutritious diets children need to grow and develop to their full potential,” he explains.

“We aim to improve health systems by increasing the coverage and quality of nutrition services for young children, including child feeding counseling at the community level. We target social protection systems by aiming to protect poor households from income poverty through transfers of cash, food and vouchers.”

UNICEF’s three key priorities
In order to drive a food system transformation in the locations where it is needed most, UNICEF is gradually prioritizing three key areas of work to improve children’s diets and reduce malnutrition.

“UNICEF is incentivizing local production of nutritious, safe, affordable and sustainable first foods and food supplements through partnerships between public and private leaders and stakeholders who are committed to addressing child food poverty and meeting the nutrient needs of young children,” explains Brero.

“We are also shaping policy environments to protect, promote and support children’s access to nutritious, safe, affordable and sustainable first foods and food supplements through market-based and social protection approaches and improved food standards, guidelines, and policies, including fiscal policies.”

He adds that the organization is also “stimulating consumption of nutritious first foods and food supplements through large-scale social marketing and social and behavior change programs, with direct public procurement and delivery in fragile contexts and humanitarian action.”

Deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals can result in devastating consequences for children’s survival, growth and development.Impact of malnutrition
The consequences could be disastrous if the necessary steps are not taken to transform the current nutrition security and malnutrition trends. “The nutrition situation of the world’s children is characterized by a triple burden of malnutrition,” says Brero.

“The first burden is the continuing scourge of undernutrition, in the form of stunting and wasting, which threatens the survival, growth and development of millions of children and hampers the development of economies and nations.”

“Children affected by stunting may never attain their full linear growth and their brains may never develop to their full cognitive capacity, which has an impact on their school readiness, learning performance and life opportunities.”

He points out that children suffering from wasting have weak immune systems and face an increased risk of infection and death. If they survive, they are more susceptible to stunted growth and long-term developmental delays.

“The second burden is micronutrient deficiencies, a hidden form of malnutrition in which children lack the vitamins and minerals that are essential for optimal immune response, skeletal growth and brain development. Deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals can result in devastating consequences for children’s survival, growth and development.”

He highlights that vitamin A, iron, folic acid, zinc and iodine deficiency — independently or in combination — are associated with a significantly increased risk of mortality, morbidity, blindness, hearing impairment, anemia, poor linear growth and cognitive development, suboptimal learning and school performance and lower productivity and wages in adulthood.

“The third burden is the growing prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity, once regarded as a condition of the rich and now increasingly affecting children from poorer households in low-, middle- and high-income countries.” Brero continues.

Children affected by overweight are at increased risk of obesity and behavioral and emotional problems in childhood, including stigmatization, low self-esteem and mental health problems, including depression. 

“They also suffer an increased risk of obesity and diet-related noncommunicable diseases later in life, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.”

By Milana Nikolova