NUTRITION

Healthy nutrition. On November 5, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) launched the “Food Coalition”, a multisectoral, international and voluntary alliance to combat the food crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative seeks to target governments, civil society organizations and the private sector to promote the nutritious food of citizens and the transformation of agricultural systems. It is expected that the countries of the region will gradually join the Coalition and promote executive and legislative measures aimed at strengthening the food security situation of citizens.

The coalition aims to support governments to meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1 and 2, referring to the eradication of poverty and the reduction of hunger, respectively. In this sense, the work priorities will be the transformation of agri-food systems, the promotion of a healthier and more nutritious diet and the development of family farming by encouraging the participation of women and young people.

The alliance includes a trust fund and an online information center, which participants will be able to access to learn about the projects and the assistance being provided in pursuit of the established objectives. So far, some of the countries that have expressed support for the Coalition are Italy, Costa Rica, the Netherlands, Israel, Nigeria, and China.

Companies wishing to join the initiative should adhere to the project’s objectives and guiding principles and send an email to [email protected]. In addition, they must be subject to the requirements of the Guidelines on Cooperation between the United Nations and the Business Community and the FAO Strategy, Policies and Guidelines for Collaboration with the Private Sector.

Next steps

FAO launched the Food Coalition on November 5, a multisectoral and voluntary alliance whose objective is to combat the food crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and promote nutritious food. The coalition brings together governments, companies and civil society organizations to meet the SDGs on poverty eradication and hunger reduction. It is expected that in the medium term, the countries and companies of the region will join the Coalition and promote policies and legislative initiatives in order to improve the nutrition of their citizens.