Strengthening the links between nutrition and health outcomes and agricultural research

Abstract

One of the well-recognised challenges in inter-disciplinary research is the difference between disciplines in how important goals are understood and, in turn, acted upon. In seeking to strengthen the links between agricultural research and nutrition and health outcomes, a key factor may be creating a shared understanding of what outcomes are intended to be improved, and how (Hinricks 2008; Levitt et al. 2009). Historically, nutritionists have often focused on consumption or indicators of nutritional status, and agriculturalists frequently assume that increased food production and income will lead to improved nutrition (World Bank 2014). It has thus proven challenging to align discourse and expectations among stakeholders for nutrition impact of agricultural investments and interventions. The Independent Science and Partnership Council (ISPC) of the CGIAR (a global partnership of international agricultural research centers) organised a Science Forum in 2013 to Bexplore recent evidence across a range of disciplines and to identify priority research needs and new scientific approaches, including facilitating new and stronger partnerships, through which the agricultural community can add most value to the delivery of nutrition and health outcomes.^ The Forum was attended by participants with a wide range of interests, including scientists, practitioners, policymakers and staff from funding agencies. Discussion at the Forum led to agreement that agricultural research could have more impact on nutrition and health outcomes by prioritizing research questions about nutritious food access (e.g. cost reduction), diet quality, and food safety, and generally that impact should be measured by appropriate and more proximal indicators than stunting (ISPC 2014). The aim of this series of papers is to highlight some of the changes in the contexts in which agricultural research results will be implemented, and to illustrate how agricultural research can contribute to an essential determinant of nutrition: the provision of safe, nutritious, affordable foods. Although food security was identified as Bsufficient, safe, nutritious food to meet dietary needs and food preferences for a healthy and active life,^ nearly 20 years ago at the World Food Summit in 1996, this focus is still functionally a shift from the traditional priorities for agricultural research, which have primarily been the provision of staple grains and income. In the decades following the second World War (the 1950– 70s), the worldwas not producing sufficient calories to feed its growing population, and malnutrition rates – estimated from caloric availability at the time –were a cause for concern. The priority of increasing food production became a strong focus of agricultural research, marked by the Green Revolution, and the genesis of the CGIAR in 1971. Agricultural research was indeed successful in the latter quarter of the 20th century in rapidly and significantly increasing production of staple grains (mainly rice, wheat, and maize) and the supply of total food calories. As a consequence, with the quantity of food being * Anna Herforth anna@annaherforth.net