What Matters for Sustainable Diets? Results of a Global Expert Elicitation Across Environmental, Social, Health and Economic Domains
2024-12-05 11:00 - 12:00 UTC | Webinar
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Webinar Description:
Sustainable dietary patterns should be environmentally sound, socially equitable, economically viable, and nutritionally adequate for current and future generations. How do we measure sustainable dietary practices? We highlight the challenges in defining and measuring food system sustainability and emphasize the need for integrative assessment that considers all four pillars. Through a modified Delphi technique, our research gathered insights from global experts across diverse fields to identify critical outcomes for evaluating sustainable diets. In this webinar, we will discuss the methodology used, present key findings, and outline the implications for future discussions on the evaluation of the sustainability of diets.

Speakers:

Dr. Nicole Tichenor Blackstone, Assistant Professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University

Dr. Nicole Tichenor Blackstone is an Assistant Professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. Dr. Blackstone is a sustainability scientist who studies the environmental and social impacts of food system innovations, interventions, and policies. Currently, she leads the Leading a Sustainability Transition in Nutrition Globally (LASTING) Project, which aims to produce evidence-based recommendations, models, and data for integrated sustainability assessment of diets. Dr. Blackstone is also a founding affiliated faculty member of the Tufts University Center for Cellular Agriculture. She leads or co-leads several projects focused on the environmental and social implications of cultivated meat.

Dr. Sean B. Cash, Bergstrom Foundation Professor of Global Nutrition and the Chair of the Division of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.

Dr. Sean B. Cash is the Bergstrom Foundation Professor of Global Nutrition and the Chair of the Division of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the School. He is an economist who teaches and conducts research on food, nutrition behavior, agriculture and the environment. His research focuses on how food, nutrition, and environmental interventions and policies affect both consumers and producers. He has also conducted research in sustainable food systems, including projects on climate change and coffee and tea production, cellular agriculture, and invasive species management.

Dr. Katherine Fuller, Assistant Professor in the Applied Economics department at Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences

Dr. Katherine Fuller is an Assistant Professor in the Applied Economics department at Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences. Her research analyzes consumers’ acceptance and willingness to pay for food labels and novel food products. Her research interests focus on the efficacy of food labels and their impact on farmers’ livelihoods, consumer interest in cellular agriculture, and food labeling for ethical and environmental purposes. She also analyzes sociodemographic factors that influence consumers’ decisions to purchase sustainable products.

Moderator:

Dr. Shibani Ghosh, Director of the Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University

Dr. Ghosh is a Research Associate Professor at the Friedman School, Tufts and the Director of the USAID Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab and USAID Jordan Nutrition Innovation Lab. With a focus on examining malnutrition in all its forms, she designs and implements rigorous research to generate evidence and identify actions for program and policy recommendation. She has published extensively, is co-chair of the Global Nutrition Report, former Innovation Lab Council Chair and an expert on committees convened by the United Nations Food Agriculture Organization, the US National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine and the US National Institutes of Health.

Annual Partners Meeting 2024
2024-09-20 08:00 - 18:00 UTC | Washington, DC, Washington, DC, United States
2023-2024 Recap: In-Country Briefs

Nepal

Mozambique

Bangladesh

Malawi

The goal of the Annual Partners meeting is to bring together FSN-IL consortium partners and collaborators to:

Share progress and take stock of ongoing activities
Further our strategic thinking and approaches around scaling solutions around food systems for nutrition
Highlight and share progress on new activities relating to research for development (R4D), human and institutional capacity development (HICD), and policy/business engagement
Identify new networks, partners, and potential users of FSN-IL outputs and activities

The meeting will feature an interactive one-day session that centers on global, regional, and country-specific updates and discussions. These discussions will leverage FSN-IL’s three interlinked strategic domains: i) research for development (R4D), ii) human and institutional capacity development (HICD), and iii) stakeholder engagement.
These three interlinked domains work cohesively to effectively reduce food loss and waste, ensure food safety, and increase access to nutrient dense foods. Our discussions will revolve around our focus countries of Bangladesh, Malawi, Mozambique, and Nepal, as well as the impact FSN-IL has made in the past year in leading the global agenda on food systems for nutrition.

Annual FTF Innovation Lab Council Meeting
2024-09-18 08:00 - 17:00 UTC | Washington, DC, Washington, DC, United States
Click Here to View Program Agenda

Translating Research to Action: Innovation Lab Influence in Policy and Program Design for Effective Scaling

At this year’s annual meeting, we will discuss how the theory of change espoused by the FTF Innovation Labs translates into expected outcomes, as well as localization approaches, successes and opportunities for improvement, and what types of support structures are needed for effective scaling. We will also discuss the role of Innovation Labs in influencing policy and program design and supporting better decision-making, both within the context of the U.S. government as well as host country governments and other critical stakeholders within the agri-food systems space. Additionally, we will explore how the Labs are fostering global partnerships, collaborations, and opportunities to further their global reach and engagement.

Objectives
The objective of the annual meeting is to bring together the USAID Bureau for Resilience, Environment and Food Security, BIFAD, FTF Innovation Labs, and their partners to share and discuss opportunities for engagement and collaboration across the Labs’ state-of-the-art findings in agriculture-led economic growth, food systems transformation, and nutritional well-being, thereby providing a local context to the global actions of the FTF Innovation Labs.

2024 Malawi Productivity and Agricultural Commercialization Conference (MAPCC)
2024-09-11 - 2024-09-12 | Lilongwe, Malawi, Lilongwe, Malawi
In September 2024, FSN-IL collaborated with the the Ministry of Agriculture in Malawi, the Malawi National Planning Commission (NPC), the MwAPATA Institute, and others to co-host the 2024 Malawi Productivity and Agricultural Commercialization Conference (MAPCC). The theme for this year’s conference was “Transforming Agrifood Systems to Generate Wealth for All.”
Over the course of the event, seven thematic sessions focused on pathways to sustainable agrifood systems transformation, climate action for efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems, policy and regulatory environments, financing, trade, and women and youth and their critical roles in agrifood systems transformation. Although unable to attend in-person, Shibani Ghosh, Director of FSN-IL, presented opening remarks via a pre-recorded video that commented on the Lab’s work in Malawi, as well as aspirations for the conference.

MAPCC Highlight Video (Welcome remarks by Shibani Ghosh, Director of FSN-IL, at 3:12)

Scalability Assessment Workshop: Malawi
2024-08-26 - 2024-08-27 | Lilongwe, Malawi, Lilongwe, Malawi
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Malawi, like many low-and-middle income countries, faces significant challenges in ensuring access to safe, nutrient-rich perishable foods across its diverse food systems. As the country aims to overcome challenges related to food security, nutrition, and sustainability, it becomes crucial to explore scalable innovations across the food systems that can address these challenges effectively and sustainably.
The “Scaling Nutrient-Rich Perishables: Workshop on Assessing Scalability of Innovations Across Malawi’s Food Systems” aims to bring together cross-sectoral stakeholders to evaluate innovation readiness for scaling and to develop socio-technical bundles of innovations, solutions, and actions to accelerate Malawi’s agri-food system transformation.
The goal of the workshop is to offer participants a novel approach and tool to quantitatively manage a portfolio of innovations, assess the scalability of innovations within the context of Malawi, and identify and analyze innovative solutions that have potential for scalable impact in improving national and regional food system. Additionally, the workshop aims to foster collaboration and partnership among key value chain actors from the government agencies, private sectors, non-government organizations, local communities, research and academia, and develop strategies to bundle innovations for cost-effective, sustained, scaling of innovation and its impact on sustainable, healthy diets and nutrition.

Workshop Objectives
Participants from government, non-government, private sector, development organizations, academia and research, and civil society groups will collectively learn the concepts and approach of scaling and bundling of innovations, utilizing an interactive online tool, developed by the Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab at Tufts University. Participants will learn to:

Assess Scalability: Evaluate the potential scalability of nutrient-rich perishables across various sectors of Malawi’s food systems, ensuring comprehensive impact assessment.
Measure, Prioritize, and Communicate Innovations: Identify and rank innovative solutions based on their scalability potential, facilitating effective communication and prioritization strategies.
Utilize Innovation Prioritization Tools: Employ validated tools to assess the readiness of innovations, ensuring a systematic approach to decision-making and resource allocation.
Create Innovation Bundles and Scaling Roadmap: Develop cohesive bundles of innovations and a detailed roadmap for scaling, providing clear direction for implementation across Malawi.
Identify Scaling Bottlenecks and Opportunities: Address barriers and pinpoint opportunities to optimize scaling efforts, ensuring efficient navigation of challenges and leveraging emerging opportunities.
Foster Collaborative Strategies: Promote collaboration among stakeholders from diverse sectors, fostering alliances and synergies to enhance the scaling of innovations within Malawi’s food systems.

Across the food system, FSN-IL will focus on innovations (technologies, behaviors, practices) that will ensure the three interlinked priority areas:

Priority 1: Availability of Nutrient-rich foods
Priority 2: Enhance Food Safety and Quality
Priority 3: Prevent Food Loss and Waste

Key Thematic Areas of Malawi’s Food Systems include:

Theme 1: Agriculture Production, Harvest, and Post-harvest
Theme 2: Post-Farm Gate Processing, Packaging, and Storage
Theme 3: Infrastructure, Transport, and Markets
Theme 4: Food Environment, Consumer Choices, and Retail Promotion

Workshop Outputs
The workshop is useful for organizations or individuals with an interest in:

Improving the scaling performance of individual interventions or scaling projects

Small and Medium Scale enterprises
Innovators, Food technologists and Scientists
Start-ups
Local and Provincial government officials
SUN Business Networks
Agribusiness Associations
Women cooperatives
Development Organizations/INGOs

Managing a portfolio of interventions aimed at scaling innovations

Project Managers – SMEs, commercial enterprises, start-ups
SUN Business Networks
Agribusiness Associations
Women Cooperatives
Development Organizations/INGOs

Developing or evaluating proposals aimed at scaling innovations.

Young Innovators and Researchers
Early Career professionals
Private sector stakeholders
Academia and Research Centers
Development Organizations/INGOs

Scalability Assessment Workshop: Nepal
2024-08-15 - 2024-08-16 | Kathmandu, Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal
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Nepal, like many low-and-middle income countries, faces significant challenges in ensuring access to safe, nutrient-rich perishable foods across its diverse food systems. As the country aims to overcome challenges related to food security, nutrition, and sustainability, it becomes crucial to explore scalable innovations across the food systems that can address these challenges effectively and sustainably.
The “Scaling Nutrient-Rich Perishables: Workshop on Assessing Scalability of Innovations Across Nepali Food Systems” aims to bring together cross-sectoral stakeholders to evaluate innovation readiness for scaling and to develop socio-technical bundles of innovations, solutions, and actions to accelerate Nepal’s agri-food system transformation.
The goal of the workshop is to offer participants a novel approach and tool to quantitatively manage a portfolio of innovations, assess the scalability of innovations within the context of Nepal, and identify and analyze innovative solutions that have potential for scalable impact in improving national and regional food system. Additionally, the workshop aims to foster collaboration and partnership among key value chain actors from the government agencies, private sectors, non-government organizations, local communities, research and academia, and develop strategies to bundle innovations for cost-effective, sustained, scaling of innovation and its impact on sustainable, healthy diets and nutrition.

Workshop Objectives
Participants from government, non-government, private sector, development organizations, academia and research, and civil society groups will collectively learn the concepts and approach of scaling and bundling of innovations, utilizing an interactive online tool, developed by the Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab at Tufts University. Participants will learn to:

Assess Scalability: Evaluate the potential scalability of nutrient-rich perishables across various sectors of Nepal’s food systems, ensuring comprehensive impact assessment.
Measure, Prioritize, and Communicate Innovations: Identify and rank innovative solutions based on their scalability potential, facilitating effective communication and prioritization strategies.

Utilize Innovation Prioritization Tools: Employ validated tools to assess the readiness of innovations, ensuring a systematic approach to decision-making and resource allocation.

Create Innovation Bundles and Scaling Roadmap: Develop cohesive bundles of innovations and a detailed roadmap for scaling, providing clear direction for implementation across Nepal.

Identify Scaling Bottlenecks and Opportunities: Address barriers and pinpoint opportunities to optimize scaling efforts, ensuring efficient navigation of challenges and leveraging emerging opportunities.

Foster Collaborative Strategies: Promote collaboration among stakeholders from diverse sectors, fostering alliances and synergies to enhance the scaling of innovations within Nepali food systems.

Across the food system, FSN-IL will focus on innovations (technologies, behaviors, practices) that will ensure the three interlinked priority areas:

Priority 1: Availability of Nutrient-rich foods
Priority 2: Enhance Food Safety and Quality
Priority 3: Prevent Food Loss and Waste

Key Thematic Areas of the Nepali Food Systems includes:

Theme 1: Agriculture Production, Harvest, and Post-harvest
Theme 2: Post-Farm Gate Processing, Packaging, and Storage
Theme 3: Infrastructure, Transport, and Markets
Theme 4: Food Environment, Consumer Choices, and Retail Promotion

Workshop Outputs
The workshop is useful for organizations or individuals with an interest in:

Improving the scaling performance of individual interventions or scaling projects

Small and Medium Scale enterprises
Innovators, Food technologists and Scientists
Start-ups
Local and Provincial government officials
SUN Business Networks
Agribusiness Associations
Women cooperatives
Development Organizations/INGOs

Managing a portfolio of interventions aimed at scaling innovations

Project Managers – SMEs, commercial enterprises, start-ups
SUN Business Networks
Agribusiness Associations
Women Cooperatives
Development Organizations/INGOs

Developing or evaluating proposals aimed at scaling innovations.

Young Innovators and Researchers
Early Career professionals
Private sector stakeholders
Academia and Research Centers
Development Organizations/INGOs

Event Photos
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AGCI Workshop: Reducing Food Loss and Waste - Dual Impact Actions to Address Climate Change and Improve Nutrition
2024-06-03 - 2024-06-05 | Aspen, Aspen, CO, United States
In June 2024, FSN-IL collaborated with the Aspen Global Climate Institute (AGCI), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture/National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA/NIFA) to co-host the “Reducing Food Loss and Waste: Dual Impact Actions to Address Climate Change and Improve Nutrition” workshop. This interdisciplinary session aimed to identify novel approaches and innovations (i.e., technologies, processes, and policies) to mitigate post-harvest losses and reduce food waste. The workshop also provided guidance on developing policy and program recommendations to reduce food loss and waste (FLW) across the global food supply chain.
The three-day event brought together scientists, government officials, and private sector stakeholders to collectively ideate strategies and approaches to reducing FLW. This included an evaluation of current research, as well as identification of gaps and current needs in order to drive progress. In total, 34 experts from over 10 countries across a diverse range of sectors attended, including representatives from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and more.

Workshop Objectives
Development of policy and programmatic recommendations (including possible financing options) to support sustainable food systems transformation with an emphasis on nutrient-dense foods in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC).
Development of policy recommendations towards reducing FLW in the US, including after foods have been delivered to consumers (e.g., identifying strategies to drive consumer behavior change).
Identification of innovations (technologies, novel foods, behaviors, preferences, policies, and processes), with potential for scaling to support reduction of FLW.
Generation of awareness of the negative effects of loss and waste of nutrient-dense foods on both economic development and nutritional status, and the flaws in our current supply chain.
Engagement of donor organizations, governments, and the private sector to allocate funding and resources for research projects and development programs to reduce FLW of nutrient-dense foods.
Elevation of need to address FLW to address multiple global issues (i.e., climate change, malnutrition, economic development).
Generation of framework for better quantifying FLW (aggregate and disaggregate), as well as recommendations for how to address key data collection gaps, including food losses (pre-harvest and post-harvest) in low- vs middle- vs high-income country contexts.

To learn more about the event, view session recordings, access the full agenda, and more, click the button below!

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National Consultation: Accelerating Food Systems Transformation in Malawi
2024-05-23 08:00 - 17:00 UTC | Lilongwe, Malawi, Lilongwe, Malawi
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In 2019, the United Nations (UN) Secretary General called for a global summit on the future of food systems. This UN 2021 Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) (hereafter called the “summit”) took place in Rome in September 2021. The summit was underpinned by an inclusive engagement process to deliver progress on all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It also recognized the significance and complexity of food systems around the world and offers an opportunity to identify pathways towards sustainable national food systems contributing to the achievement of the SDGs.
In preparation for this global summit, a diverse range of stakeholders from all Member States – from Government to Members of Parliament (MP), from youth activists to traditional leaders, from smallholder farmers to scientists, the academia and private sector – were called to identify the most impactful ways to make food systems stronger and more equitable. A synthesis report of the Food Systems dialogue was developed from the consultations and presented at the Global Summit.
Following the summit, Malawi planned to operationalize the priority aspirations and actions as expressed in the national food systems pathway report following the dialogue process. As an appointed convenor of the food systems dialogue in the country, the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with Food Systems stakeholders in the country developed a road map that culminated into action tracks and pathways to operationalize the road map, focused on food security, nutritional and health, environmental sustainability, social economy, and territorial balance. The National Food Systems Pathways report has five Action Tracks covering a diverse range of key focus areas for the food systems transformation in Malawi through various pathways or strategies.
A food systems strategy and investment plan has also been put together as part of kick-starting the operational aspects of the food systems programming in the country. However, progress on the operationalization of the pathways and the investment plan strategic areas is not clearly known, despite the involvement of numerous stakeholders. This lack of consolidated information and updates from the various stakeholders impedes the accurate monitoring of progress towards addressing the challenges inherent in Malawi’s food system.
To address this gap, the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the National Planning Commission, and with support from the Feed the Future Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab (FSN-IL) at Tufts University and MwAPATA Institute, organized five Food Systems Action-Track dialogue sessions to take stock of the progress made so far in implementing the Food Systems program in Malawi, understand the key challenges, propose recommendations, and map the way forward. The dialogue sessions were held from April 23-25, 2024 at Sigelege Hotel in Lilongwe.
The report developed from the dialoguea were used to develop the program agenda for the National Consultation. The consultation aimed to own the reflections from the dialogues and define the next steps for accelerating food systems across all action tracks. Participants were tasked with identifying and prioritizing the actions needed and mapping out the way to achieve them.

Workshop Goals
The main objective of the planned National Consultation on the Acceleration of Food Systems Transformation is to build on the momentum generated from Malawi’s national pathways for food systems transformation in building healthier, sustainable, and equitable food systems for a better Malawi. The consultation will discuss and address the following issues:

Coordination and Collaboration: Facilitate a platform for stakeholders involved in various aspects of the food system to discuss coordination mechanisms in the operationalization of efforts towards transforming Malawi’s food systems.
Knowledge Sharing: Create a space for an exchange of innovative knowledge, evidence, best practices, and lessons learned from ongoing food systems initiatives across Malawi to achieve its medium and long-term development plans.
Policy Alignment and Governance: Encourage dialogue to ensure alignment and coherence among multi-sectoral policies, ministries, and initiatives related to food systems at the regional, national, and sub-national levels.
Inclusive Engagement: Promote inclusive engagement by involving government officials, policymakers, development partners, the private sector, researchers, academics, industry representatives, small and medium enterprises, civil society, and organizations at the grassroots.

Program Agenda
Click here to view the program agenda

Introduction to Circular Food Systems Workshop: Malawi and Mozambique
2024-05-20 08:00 - 2024-05-22 17:00 UTC | Lilongwe, Malawi, Lilongwe, Malawi
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Waste is a human-made byproduct that is not in sync with nature; all natural systems are innately circular. Our linear economic module based on the take-make-discard approach, has been increasingly polluting the planet and infringing on our planetary boundaries. Switching to a circular economy provides a path towards economic and social wellbeing, while protecting and regenerating nature.
To meet the food needs of a rising global population, (estimated to reach 10 billion in three decades), it is imperative that we take swift action to shift our food systems to circular and regenerative ones. This is critical, especially when we consider that agriculture is a primary contributor to the climate crisis, biodiversity predicament and unabated pollution. Circular regenerative approaches, aim to design out waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use to the furthest extent, and regenerate natural ecosystems. A circular food economy can support most of the Sustainable Development Goals 2030.
The three-day workshop organized by Feed the Future Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab in collaboration with ICRISAT and conducted by Thriving Solutions, will be held from 20-22 May 2024 at the Ufulu Gardens Hotel in Lilongwe, Malawi. The 3-day workshop (15 hours in total) will include 40% theoretical and 60% interactive sessions with real-life case studies and examples. Materials and instructions will be provided in English.

Workshop Goals
Participants will distinguish between linear and circular business models and appreciate the importance of adopting a circular food system approach, and its role in alleviating pressure on Earth’s systems.
Participants will:

Recognize the differences between linear economy and circular economy.
Describe the food system and recognize its inherent complexity.
Explain the sustainability challenges associated with producing our food and what it means to live within our planetary boundaries.
Analyze the three principles of circular economy and how they relate to the food system.
Compare the different levels of the Food Loss and Waste Hierarchy, interpreting their advantages and challenges.
Summarize the advantages and trade-offs of food packaging and the role of packaging innovation in designing out waste.
Discuss the role food product design and sourcing of ingredients has in advancing circular food systems.
Appraise the links between circular food systems and the Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

Program Agenda
Click here to view the program agenda.

Introduction to Circular Food Economy Workshop: South Asia
2024-05-01 08:00 - 2024-05-03 15:30 UTC | Kathmandu, Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal
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Waste is a human-made byproduct that is not in sync with nature; all natural systems are innately circular. Our linear economic module based on the take-make-discard approach, has been increasingly polluting the planet and infringing on our planetary boundaries. Switching to a circular economy provides a path towards economic and social wellbeing, while protecting and regenerating nature.
To meet the food needs of a rising global population, (estimated to reach 10 billion in three decades), it is imperative that we take swift action to shift our food systems to circular and regenerative ones. This is critical, especially when we consider that agriculture is a primary contributor to the climate crisis, biodiversity predicament and unabated pollution. Circular regenerative approaches, aim to design out waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use to the furthest extent, and regenerate natural ecosystems. A circular food economy can support most of the Sustainable Development Goals 2030.
The three-day workshop organized by USAID Feed the Future Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab and conducted by Thriving Solutions, will be held from May 1-3, 2024, at the Soaltee Westend Resort in Nagarkot, Nepal. The 3-day workshop (15 hours in total) will include 40% theoretical and 60% interactive sessions with real-life case studies and examples. Materials and instructions will be provided in English.

Workshop Goals
Participants will distinguish between linear and circular business models and appreciate the importance of adopting a circular food system approach, and its role in alleviating pressure on Earth’s systems.
Participants will:

Recognize the differences between linear economy and circular economy.
Describe the food system and recognize its inherent complexity.
Explain the sustainability challenges associated with producing our food and what it means to live within our planetary boundaries.
Analyze the three principles of circular economy and how they relate to the food system.
Compare the different levels of the Food Loss and Waste Hierarchy, interpreting their advantages and challenges.
Summarize the advantages and trade-offs of food packaging and the role of packaging innovation in designing out waste.
Discuss the role food product design and sourcing of ingredients has in advancing circular food systems.
Appraise the links between circular food systems and the Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

Program Agenda
Click here to view the program agenda.

Progress Towards Sustainable Healthy Food Systems in South Asia - A Regional Perspective Meeting
2024-04-24 08:00 - 13:00 UTC | Kathmandu, Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal
The U.S. National Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with USAID and Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab, convened a dialogue of experts on sustainable and resilient food systems in South Asia. This dialogue aimed to inform regional policies that increase food security, promote economic growth, and overcome future natural and market shocks. The event gathered international and local experts, scientists, policy, and decision-makers as well as NGO representatives working on food security, production, and loss and waste issues in South Asia.

Program Agenda
Click here to view the program agenda

Innovation Council Regional Partners' Meeting 2024 Nepal
2024-04-22 08:00 - 2024-04-23 17:00 UTC | Kathmandu, Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal
Translating Research to Action: Opportunities for Evidence Based Scaling of Agri-Food Systems Innovations

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The Regional partner meeting focused on identifying opportunities and strategies for evidence-based scaling of agri-food system innovations (individually and/or in bundles). Scaling of innovations requires a shift to a systems perspective. Successful scaling thus needs the support of sound policies and a pro-active private sector.
The meeting began with a session to set the stage followed by a series of panel sessions, in the form of science and policy dialogues, aimed at prioritizing knowledge needs and deepening understanding of actions to enable scaling. The topics ranged from inclusive and sustainable agriculture led economic growth to strengthened resilience and food systems transformation actions including reducing food loss and waste and ensuring food safety and making nutritious foods accessible and affordable with the goal of supporting a well-nourished population, especially women and children. This meeting also served as an opportunity to identify avenues for aligning agri-food system actions to climate actions as recommended in the BIFAD commissioned report on operationalizing USAID’s climate strategy
We anticipate that the discussions and learning at this Regional Partners’ Meeting will set the stage for a deeper dive, during and potentially in the run-up to the Annual Meeting, on how ILs collectively can organize their work to have greater scaling impact.

Final Program Book

Reflections

Objectives
The meeting will have two objectives:

To strive to enhance understanding of the factors that drive or impede scaling and how these might vary across types of countries/innovation systems.
To begin to identify best practice approaches for ILs to enhance scaling.

Pursuing Food Systems Transformation Despite Financial Constraints
2023-12-13 09:00 - 10:15 UTC | Webinar
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Webinar Description:
Leaders in all low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are facing an immediate dilemma. The need to transform their food systems is growing ever more urgent to deliver on hunger and nutrition, climate change adaptation, and sustainability. Moreover, universal access to diets that are affordable, healthy, and sustainable is a prerequisite to deliver on green growth, poverty reduction, and equity. Yet at the same time, LMICs are experiencing ever-tightening financial resources, as the growing debt crisis and inflation bite ever deeper.
Transforming food systems across the world will be costly. Though not all decisions require heavy investment. In this webinar, we discussed a surprisingly diverse range of actions that are relatively low-cost, or even cost-neutral as put forth by the Global Panel in their policy brief on ‘Pursuing food system transformation despite financial constraints’.

Speakers:

Sir John Beddington, Global Panel Chair, Former UK Chief Scientific Advisor

Sir John Beddington is the Senior Adviser to the Oxford Martin School and Professor of Natural Resource Management at Oxford University. He was from 2008 until 2013 the Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA) reporting directly to the Prime Minister. As GCSA, he led on providing scientific advice to Government during the 2009 swine flu outbreak, the 2010 volcanic ash incident and the emergency at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in 2011. As GCSA, he was also responsible for increasing the scientific capacity across Whitehall by encouraging all major departments of state to recruit a Chief Scientific Adviser.
Throughout 2008 and 2009 Sir John raised the concept of the “Perfect Storm” of food, energy and water security in the context of climate change, gaining considerable media attention and raising this as a priority in the UK and internationally. During 2011 he chaired an International Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change. Prior to his appointment as GCSA, he was Professor of Applied Population Biology and headed the main departments of environmental science and technology at Imperial College.
A specialist in the application of economics and biology to particular problems in the management of fisheries and other renewable resources, Sir John has previously been advisor to a number of UK Government departments including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Defence and the Cabinet Office.
He has also advised several Governments and international bodies including the Australian, New Zealand and US Governments, the European Commission, the United Nations Environment Programme and Food and Agriculture Organisation. He was, for six years, a member of the Natural Environment Research Council. In June 1997 he was awarded the Heidelberg Award for Environmental Excellence; in 2001 he became a Fellow of the Royal Society. In 2004 he was awarded the Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George by Her Majesty the Queen and in June 2010 was awarded a knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. He attended the London School of Economics, gaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics, and later a Master of Science degree within the Philosophy Department then headed by Sir Karl Popper. In 1973 he obtained a PhD in Population Biology from the University of Edinburgh.

Tom Arnold, Irish Government’s Special Envoy for Food Systems

Tom Arnold is Chair of a Task Force on Rural Africa established by the European Commission in May 2018. He is also former Director General of the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA). From August 2014 to February 2016 he was Interim Coordinator, Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement; he was also Chairman of the Irish Constitutional Convention (2012-14) and Chief Executive of Concern Worldwide (2001-13).
He has served on a number of governmental and non-governmental bodies at national, European and international level including the UN Millennium Project’s Hunger Task Force, the Irish Hunger Task Force, the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), the Irish Government’s Commission on Taxation, the Consortium Board of the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research, the International Advisory Board of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the NGO European Food Security Group, the Montpellier Panel and the Mary Robinson Foundation for Climate Justice. He is Chairman of the Irish Times Trust and a member of the Board of the Irish Times, Ireland’s leading newspaper.

Amos Laar, Professor of Public Health Nutrition – University of Ghana

Professor Amos Laar has received academic training in Nutrition, Public Health, and Bioethics.  Currently, his research straddles two distinct, yet related areas of public health – bioethics (including public health ethics; food ethics, nutrition rights); and public health nutrition (including food environments, and their nexus with diet-related NCDs). Overall, his work examines how social forces, commercial forces, and structural violence influence the realization of health. In 2019, he was recognized in the Lancet for his effort at combating diet-related NCDs in Ghana. Recently, he led a coalition of civil society organizations and academics to mount a successful advocacy intervention in support of Ghana’s Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax. He is the Principal Investigator of a grant that is supporting the government of Ghana to develop a nutrient profiling system and to apply it to four food-based policies. He served as the President of the African Nutrition Society from 2016 to 2022, and is currently a Fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Adeyinka Onabolu, Senior Advisor on Food Security & Nutrition – GAIN
Dr Adeyinka Onabolu is a Public Health Nutritionist, and Technology transfer & Training specialist. She holds a PhD in International Health, a master’s degree in food technology with specialization in food product development, and a B.Sc. in Human Nutrition. She is also a Registered Nurse and Midwife. She has more than 30 years’ experience working on international Development programs on Food Security and Nutrition; HIV & AIDS; and Water and Sanitation. She has also worked as a researcher with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and the International Livestock Research Institute on food and nutrition issues.

She is currently employed by GAIN as a Senior Advisor on Food Security & Nutrition and has been providing policy advisory support to Federal Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development in Nigeria since June 2016. Her role harnesses Government, private sector, and development partners’ efforts to reduce malnutrition and food insecurity in the country and promotes the recognition that the nutrition challenge is multi-faceted, and that actions to address them are paramount to efforts to reduce poverty and drive sustainable economic development in Nigeria.

Patrick Webb, Director of Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab, Tufts University; Technical Advisor for Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition

Dr. Patrick Webb is the Alexander McFarlane Professor of Nutrition at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. Until 2005, Dr. Webb was the Chief of Nutrition at the United Nations World Food Programme in Rome. Today, he is the Director of the Feed the Future Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab. He has served on numerous task forces and global advisory panels, including currently serving on the High-Level Panel of Experts of the Committee on World Food Security, he is technical adviser to the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition, and serves as one of the Commissioners for the ongoing Eat-Lancet 2.0 study.

Shibani Ghosh, Associate Director of Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab, Tufts University

Dr. Shibani Ghosh is a Research Associate Professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. She is the Associate Director for the Feed the Future Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab and also the Principal Investigator of the Jordan Nutrition Innovation Lab. She has experience working in the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, and her research interests are in understanding the role of agriculture in improving nutrition while ensuring health, assessing the diet and non-diet determinants of nutritional status of infants and young children, and testing interventions aimed at improving maternal and infant nutrition and growth.

Introduction to Urban Food Systems
2023-09-20 07:30 - 20:45 UTC | Webinar
Access to webinar slides and the webinar recording can be found below!

Webinar Description:
The Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab (FSN-IL) is a consortium led by Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, funded under USAID through the Feed the Future Initiative. In target geographies of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, the Lab’s goal is to identify and promote uptake of novel technologies, practices or information flows that help in i) reducing food loss and waste, ii) improve food safety, and iii) enhance access to nutrient-dense (often perishable) foods.
This is the third and final webinar of the series conducted in collaboration with Thriving Solutions. In this webinar, we will discuss urban food system basics while exploring the different types of food systems. We will also discuss the key elements of an urban food system (production, distribution, consumption and waste management) and how they differentiate per food system. Finally, we will hear from an expert speaker highlighting a case study or on the ground example on the topic.

Speakers:

Patrick Webb, Director, Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab, Tufts University

Dr. Patrick Webb is the Alexander McFarlane Professor of Nutrition at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. Until 2005, Dr. Webb was the Chief of Nutrition at the United Nations World Food Programme in Rome. Today, he is the Director of the Feed the Future Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab. He has served on numerous task forces and global advisory panels, including currently serving on the High-Level Panel of Experts of the Committee on World Food Security, he is technical adviser to the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition, and serves as one of the Commissioners for the ongoing Eat-Lancet 2.0 study.

Seta Tutundjian, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Thriving Solutions

Seta Tutundjian is a global advocate for sustainability and transitioning to circular and regenerative economies in water-scarce regions. For the past 25+ years, she led the formulation and execution of transformative ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) programs that engaged and mobilized stakeholders to introduce novel approaches that increased resilience and built a demand management culture in the water, agricultural and energy sectors. Seta co-leads the global Food is Never Waste coalition; and is on the General Board of United Cities. A holder of a MSc. in Climate Change and Development, Seta is the Founder and CEO of Thriving Solutions, a sustainability consulting firm, dedicated to decarbonizing our economy, safeguarding biodiversity, regenerating nature, advancing food-nutrition-water security, and supporting the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030. In recognition of her work, Seta has received several awards including the prestigious Superior Honor Award by the Government of the United States of America.

John Triantafyllis, Vice Chairman, World Union of Wholesale Markets

John Triantafyllis is the Vice Chairman at World Union of Wholesale Markets, and the General Manager of Central Markets and Fisheries Organization, the company that administrates two central markets and 11 fish-markets in Greece. John has 32 years’ experience in markets. During his MBA, John wrote his theses on “how fresh food prices are formatted from farm to fork and the role of the Central Markets“, he is currently a PhD candidate, researching “how food markets are incorporated in the urban tissue

Watch the Recording Here!

View Slides Here

Annual Partners Meeting 2023
2023-07-27 08:15 - 2023-07-28 12:00 UTC | Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, 150 Harrison Ave, Boston, 02111, United States
The goals of the meeting were to bring together FSN-IL consortium partners and collaborators to:

Share progress and take stock of ongoing activities
Further our strategic thinking and approaches around scaling actions around food systems for nutrition
Explore potential new activities relating to research for development (R4D), human and institutional capacity development (HICD), and policy/business engagement.
Identify new networks, partners and potential users of FSN-IL outputs and activities should be engaged.

This meeting had an interactive agenda with the two days divided into sessions which focus on different stages of the food system starting from production to consumption. As a reminder, the thematic areas that the FSN-IL focuses on are (1) reduction of food loss and waste, (2) ensuring food safety, and (3) increasing access to nutrient dense foods. Our discussions will revolve around our focus countries including Bangladesh, Malawi, Mozambique, and Nepal as well as regions of the focus countries.

Download Program Agenda

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FSN-IL Annual Partners Meeting 2023 Highlight Video

Food Loss Across Transforming Food Systems
2023-07-20 13:00 - 14:00 UTC | Webinar
Access to slides and the webinar recording are posted below!

Webinar Description:
Jocelyn Boiteau and Prabhu Pingali’s proposed book examines how food systems reforms can support efforts to achieve SDG target 12.3 by reducing food loss and waste in support of sustainable, safe, and nutritious diets in countries at different points of structural transformation. Previous books on the topic have focused on loss at the retail and consumer stages and primarily use cases from the U.S. and Europe. In their synthesis, they use a food systems lens to examine food loss and waste across the entire range of actors and activities, from production to consumption. This enables them to explore feedback loops between food loss and food security as shifts in food systems occur at different stages of structural transformation. Although they cover food loss and waste globally, they focus particularly on low- and middle-income countries. In doing so, they consider entry points for food loss and waste investment and intervention priorities to deliver healthy diets under different food system contexts. They examine both the quantitative and qualitative dimensions of food loss and waste, using the latest evidence of measurement and prevention across disciplines and across structural transformation stages.
This proposed book will appeal both to professionals interested in food loss and waste prevention as well as academic researchers studying the issue. In this webinar, we will summarize the three major book sections to elicit feedback on the direction and approach: definition and measurement frameworks, food loss and waste pathways linked to food security, and food loss and waste management and prevention approaches.

Moderator:

Robin Shrestha, Research and Capacity Building Manager, Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab, Tufts University

Dr. Robin Shrestha is a Medical Doctor and specializes in research for development in international health and nutrition, focusing especially on food systems for nutrition, food security and humanitarian assistance in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Dr. Shrestha is the Research and Capacity Building Manager for the USAID Feed the Future Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab.
Speakers:

Jocelyn Boiteau, Postdoctoral Associate, Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition

Jocelyn Boiteau is a Postdoctoral Associate at the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition. She earned her PhD in international nutrition in 2021 from Cornell University. Her doctoral work focused on measuring food loss and waste along tomato value chains in South India. Jocelyn is also trained as a registered dietitian.

Prabhu Pingali, Professor, Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University

Prabhu Pingali is a Professor in the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University, with a joint appointment the Department of Global Development. He is the Founding Director of the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition (TCI). He is currently the Chair of the Board of ICRISAT, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and a Fellow of the American Agricultural Economics Association (AAEA). Dr. Pingali has written 14 books and over 200 refereed journal articles and book chapters.

Watch Recording here

View Slides Here

Consultation on Food System Innovations and Challenges in Malawi
2023-06-28 10:00 - 12:15 (Europe/Helsinki) | Lilongwe, Malawi, Lilongwe, Malawi
As a way to support the food systems transformation process in Malawi, the Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab hosted a stakeholder consultation on June 28, 2023. The objective of the FSN-IL Consultation was to provide a forum for identifying and discussing:

current challenges to food system transformation, particularly post-farmgate
opportunities to increase access to nutrient rich foods via innovations along the supply chain from farm to fork
innovations that have potential to be quickly scaled that would support improved diets and nutrition.

The consultation also provided an opportunity for the FSN-IL team to present a preliminary review of innovations that may be relevant to Malawi’s transformation agenda. The novel technologies, processes and/or practices identified through the consultation were assessed and discussed in terms of their potential for impact, business models, appropriateness to the local context, along with understanding the potential delivery mechanisms and likely investment opportunities among other considerations.
Expected Output
The outputs from the consultation will feed into FSN-IL’s research for development (R4D), human and institutional capacity need (HICD), and engagement strategies to develop activities to comprehensively address the needs of Government of Malawi, current and future researchers, policymakers, and private sector actors through long- and short-term trainings, workshops, curriculum development, research capability strengthening, etc.

Introduction to Circular Food Economy Workshop
2023-06-18 08:00 - 2023-06-20 17:00 UTC | Cairo, Egypt
The three-day workshop organized by the Feed the Future Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab and conducted by Thriving Solutions, was held from June 18-20 at the Steigenberger Hotel El Tahrir in Cairo, Egypt. The 3-day workshop (15 hours in total) included 40% theoretical and 60% interactive sessions with real-life case studies and examples. Over the span of three days, participants learned to distinguish between linear and circular business models and learned the importance of adopting a circular food system approach.

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Introduction to the Workshop
Waste is a human-made byproduct that is not in sync with nature; all natural systems are innately circular. Our linear economic module based on the take-make-discard approach, has been increasingly polluting the planet and infringing on our planetary boundaries. Switching to a circular economy provides a path towards economic and social wellbeing, while protecting and regenerating nature.
To meet the food needs of a rising global population, (estimated to reach 10 billion in three decades), it is imperative that we take swift action to shift our food systems to circular and regenerative ones. This is critical, especially when we consider that agriculture is a primary contributor to the climate crisis, biodiversity predicament and unabated pollution. Circular regenerative approaches, aim to design out waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use to the furthest extent, and regenerate natural ecosystems. A circular food economy can support most of the Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

Workshop Goals
Participants will distinguish between linear and circular business models and appreciate the importance of adopting a circular food system approach, and its role in alleviating pressure on Earth’s systems.
Participants will:

Recognize the differences between linear economy and circular economy.
Describe the food system and recognize its inherent complexity.
Explain the sustainability challenges associated with producing our food and what it means to live within our planetary boundaries.
Analyze the three principles of circular economy and how they relate to the food system.
Compare the different levels of the Food Loss and Waste Hierarchy, interpreting their advantages and challenges.
Summarize the advantages and trade-offs of food packaging and the role of packaging innovation in designing out waste.
Discuss the role food product design and sourcing of ingredients has in advancing circular food systems.
Appraise the links between circular food systems and the Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

Event Photos
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9th National Conference on Food Science and Technology
2023-06-12 08:00 - 2023-06-13 17:00 (Asia/Kathmandu) | Kathmandu, Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal
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The 9th National Conference on Food Science and Technology (9th FCON) is a forum for interdisciplinary exchange among professionals and stakeholders in the fields of food science, technology, food safety, governance, working towards enhancing innovations across the agri-food systems in Nepal and beyond.
The theme of this year’s conference is Food Science and Innovations for Safe, Healthy Diets and Sustainable Food Systems and its aim was to explore evidence and have discussions on a range of issues related to food science, innovations (technologies, policies, processes, and practices), food safety, loss and waste, healthy diets, and nutrition, with a focus on sustainable transformation of Nepal’s food system. The 9th FCON brought together food scientists, nutrition and food systems researchers and academics, policy stakeholders, private sector stakeholders, development partners, and donor agencies to present thought provoking keynote talks, scientific oral and plenary sessions, poster sessions, and short workshops.
The event was organized by Nepal Food Scientists and Technologists Association (NEFOSTA), Government of Nepal’s Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DFTQC), and the Feed the Future Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab (FSN-IL) managed by Tufts University, and co-organized by Baliyo Nepal Nutrition Initiative (BNNI), Central Campus of Technology (CCT), and SUN Business Network (SBN).

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About the Conference
The 9th FCON builds on previous food conferences. It is a forum to bring together food scientists, researchers, academics, private sector entities, consumer networks, and policy champions for interdisciplinary exchange on evidence-based practices and innovations and to contribute, promote, and collaborate on shaping Nepal’s food and nutrition policies, food systems, and governance. The conference provides a valuable platform and opportunity for stakeholders to collaborate and work towards improving food security, food safety, and sustainable food system transformation for better nutrition and healthy diets in Nepal.

Goals and Objectives
The 9th FCON 2023 will provide a forum for:

Presenting evidence-based science and innovations (technologies, policies, practices) across the food system from supply to demand that reduce food waste and loss, while maintaining food safety and increasing access and affordability of nutritious foods in Nepal and discussing their relevance for current and future programs and policies around Food Safety Guidelines, Right to Food and Food Sovereignty Act, and Food Systems Transformation in Nepal.
Promoting engagement among national, regional, and provincial-level policy leaders, researchers, practitioners, and private sector actors (food industry, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and street vendors) to shape national ambitions on improving food safety and reducing food loss and waste of nutrient-rich foods through policy recommendations, innovations, education, and economic incentivization.
Promoting inter- and cross-ministerial exchange and collaboration that collectively promote universal access to high quality, safe, and affordable diets, and shape the design of multi-win policies that fully integrate Nepal’s agriculture, health, food security, and food system transformation goals and strategies.
Sharing novel research findings, success stories, case studies on gaps and opportunities at the pre- and post-farm gate level, within post-harvest handling, processing to storage, packaging, to market actors (SMEs, large producers), infrastructure, and market actions and retail promotion to drive consumer choices and behavior change.
Providing opportunities for professional growth of local academics, students, young professionals, and institutions, and developing entrepreneurial skills of youth and women-led SMEs to build a resilient local food system.

Thematic Areas

Food Safety and Governance: Science/evidence, technology, management system, innovative metrics and tools, and policy
Nutrition and Nutrient-Dense Foods: Nutrition policy and intervention, technology/biotechnology, traditional and functional foods, nutraceuticals and dietary supplements, and metrics and tools
Drivers of Food Systems Innovations: Market development and private sector, informal market sector, gender, youth
Drivers of Food Systems, Science, and Technology: Novel and emerging processing technology, policy processes, infrastructure, environment, and climate change
Food Loss and Waste/Byproduct Utilization: Science/evidence, technology, innovative metrics and tools, and policy

Call for Abstracts
Please note that the deadline to submit abstracts has passed.
Guidelines for abstract submission

All abstracts should be strictly within the thematic areas of the conference.
The abstract (text only) should contain no more than 250 words (excluding title, keywords, name of authors, and their affiliation).
No more than five key words should be provided along with an abstract.
The abstract should include the aim of research, research question, methodology, findings, conclusion, and significance of the study.
The Author’s list should include the full name of authors with affiliation.
A full postal address including Email should be given for presenting and corresponding authors.
It is required that you indicate whether you are submitting for an oral or poster presentation.
These guidelines apply to abstracts for both oral and poster presentations.
Abstract should be written in English (12 font size, Times New Roman font with 1.5 line space).

How to Submit
Authors should submit abstracts through the electronic submission portal by 18th May, 2023. Queries can be directed to the following address: foodconference23@nefosta.org.np
Selection Process
Abstracts will be reviewed by an expert panel and selected for either oral or poster presentations based on the scientific quality and relevance of the research to the themes above. Abstracts on research that is in progress or do not include data/findings will be considered for poster presentations only.

Event Photos
Please visit our flickr account here to view event photos!

Introduction to Food Loss and Waste
2023-06-06 07:30 - 20:45 UTC | Webinar
Access to slides and the webinar recording are posted below!

Webinar Description:
The Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab (FSN-IL) is a consortium led by Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, funded under USAID through the Feed the Future Initiative. In target geographies of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, the Lab’s goal is to identify and promote uptake of novel technologies, practices or information flows that help in i) reducing food loss and waste, ii) improve food safety, and iii) enhance access to nutrient-dense (often perishable) foods.
This is the second of three webinars conducted in collaboration with Thriving Solutions. In this webinar, we will discuss food loss and waste basics while touching upon different drivers and causes that lead to food loss and waste along the value chain. We will also introduce global targets and related international measurement methodologies that address this issue. We will look at different valorisation methods that relate to the FLW hierarchy and give examples of these valorisation options. Finally, we will hear from an expert speaker that has developed an AI system to address and reduce food loss and waste.

Speakers:

Patrick Webb, Director, Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab, Tufts University

Patrick Webb is the Alexander McFarlane Professor of Nutrition at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. Until 2005, Dr. Webb was the Chief of Nutrition at the United Nations World Food Programme in Rome. Today, he is the Director of the Feed the Future Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab. He has served on numerous task forces and global advisory panels, including currently serving on the High-Level Panel of Experts of the Committee on World Food Security, he is technical adviser to the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition, and serves as one of the Commissioners for the ongoing Eat-Lancet 2.0 study.

Seta Tutundjian, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Thriving Solutions

Seta Tutundjian is a global advocate for sustainability and transitioning to circular and regenerative economies in water-scarce regions. For the past 25+ years, she led the formulation and execution of transformative ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) programs that engaged and mobilized stakeholders to introduce novel approaches that increased resilience and built a demand management culture in the water, agricultural and energy sectors. Seta co-leads the global Food is Never Waste coalition; and is on the General Board of United Cities. A holder of a MSc. in Climate Change and Development, Seta is the Founder and CEO of Thriving Solutions, a sustainability consulting firm, dedicated to decarbonizing our economy, safeguarding biodiversity, regenerating nature, advancing food-nutrition-water security, and supporting the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030. In recognition of her work, Seta has received several awards including the prestigious Superior Honor Award by the Government of the United States of America.

Steve Finn, Vice President of Sustainability and Public Affairs, Leanpath

Steven Finn is Vice President of Sustainability and Public Affairs for Leanpath, the global leader in integrated hardware and software solutions for food waste prevention, where he helps clients take control of their food waste while engaging employees in creating a culture of food waste prevention. He is a member of Leanpath’s strategic leadership team with extensive experience in food waste reduction and prevention strategies, speaking frequently at industry events and providing education and guidance to client partners and internal teams. He also manages Leanpath’s 12.3 Initiative. Steven teaches graduate courses on innovation for sustainability and the food-water-energy nexus at the University of Pennsylvania and Boston University in the U.S. He is the author of several articles on food waste and has served as a Director for three non-profit organizations in the food sector. He is the author of the blog Food For Thoughtful Action.

Watch Recording Here

View Slides Here

Introduction to Circular Economy
2023-05-17 07:00 - 08:15 UTC | Webinar
Access to slides and the webinar recording are posted below!

Webinar Description:
The Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab (FSN-IL) is a consortium led by Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, funded under USAID through the Feed the Future Initiative. In target geographies of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, the Lab’s goal is to identify and promote uptake of novel technologies, practices or information flows that help in i) reducing food loss and waste, ii) improve food safety, and iii) enhance access to nutrient-dense (often perishable) foods.
This webinar will cover the basics of Circular Economy, the difference between a circular and linear economy, and the importance of shifting towards a circular model built on the three pillars eliminating waste, regenerating nature, and circulating products and material. The 2nd part of the webinar will focus on circular food systems and the critical dimensions to tackle. The webinar will also present a case study on circularity within the food system.

Speakers:

Patrick Webb, Director, Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab, Tufts University

Dr. Patrick Webb is the Alexander McFarlane Professor of Nutrition at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. Until 2005, Dr. Webb was the Chief of Nutrition at the United Nations World Food Programme in Rome. Today, he is the Director of the Feed the Future Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab. He has served on numerous task forces and global advisory panels, including currently serving on the High-Level Panel of Experts of the Committee on World Food Security, he is technical adviser to the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition, and serves as one of the Commissioners for the ongoing Eat-Lancet 2.0 study.

Seta Tutundjian, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Thriving Solutions

Seta Tutundjian is a global advocate for sustainability and transitioning to circular and regenerative economies in water-scarce regions. For the past 25+ years, she led the formulation and execution of transformative ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) programs that engaged and mobilized stakeholders to introduce novel approaches that increased resilience and built a demand management culture in the water, agricultural and energy sectors. Seta co-leads the global Food is Never Waste coalition; and is on the General Board of United Cities. A holder of a MSc. in Climate Change and Development, Seta is the Founder and CEO of Thriving Solutions, a sustainability consulting firm, dedicated to decarbonizing our economy, safeguarding biodiversity, regenerating nature, advancing food-nutrition-water security, and supporting the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030. In recognition of her work, Seta has received several awards including the prestigious Superior Honor Award by the Government of the United States of America.

Omar Habboush, Co-founder and Finance and Business Strategy Officer, Hivemind

Omar Habboush has 10 years financial services experience in London & Dubai. Starting in FX Sales & Rates Trading then in Private Equity, he now assists start-ups from concept to commercialization. He was head of ESG at Astarte Capital Partners. Omar speaks 4 languages and has a Masters in Finance from London Business School and CFA Charterholder. At Hivemind, Omar focuses on Finance, Strategy & Operations.

Watch Recording Here!

View Slides Here

Introduction to the FSN-IL in Bangladesh
2023-01-29 19:00 - 20:00 UTC | Webinar
Webinar Description:
Bangladesh has identified priority areas to improve inputs use efficiency and productivity, adoption of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), and agri-food system modernization. To boost on-farm activity, Bangladesh focuses on access to extension services and aggregation models such as farmer groups, cooperatives, to bring economies of scale to operations. Bangladesh focuses on forward and backward linkages across the food systems value chain to improve access to local produce to wider markets through private investments in inputs, processing, storage, packaging, transportation and marketing of agri-food products and digital services, with special attention in hard-to-reach areas. In Bangladesh, substantial food and nutrient quality are lost along the agri-food system value chain arising from harvest and postharvest losses due to inadequate infrastructure and technologies. Developing and adopting best food safety practices (by private sector), enforcement of regulations and policies, and improving capacity of monitoring and oversight systems for food safety are key priorities to enhance off-farm value addition and commercialization of food commodities in Bangladesh.
The Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab (FSN-IL) is a five-year activity supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Bureau for Resilience and Food Security (RFS) as part of Feed the Future. FSN-IL is designed to generate new evidence & disseminate promising innovations that support uptake and upscaling promising nutrition-sensitive food system solutions targeted on improving access and availability of nutrient-dense foods, ensuring food safety, and preventing food loss and waste. This introductory webinar provides an opportunity for the FSN-IL to introduce the USAID-supported FSN-IL project in Bangladesh and discuss the research for development and human and institutional needs for Bangladesh’s food systems transformation agenda.

Speakers:

Patrick Webb, Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab, Tufts University
Robin Shrestha, Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab, Tufts University

Watch the Recording Here!

Download Webinar Slides

National Stakeholder Consultation on Food Systems Innovations and Challenges in Nepal
2023-01-24 - 2023-01-25 | Kathmandu, Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal
Consultation Description:
This two-day in country Stakeholder Consultation brought together stakeholders from the government, development partners, researchers, academics, private sectors, nutrition and food security platforms, and civil society groups to prioritize knowledge gaps and deepen understanding of the facilitators and constraints facing businesses, policymakers, and entrepreneurs across Nepal’s food system. The consultation aimed to provide a forum for identifying and discussing:

Opportunities to increase access to nutrient rich foods via innovations along the supply chain from farm to fork
Innovations that have potential to be quickly scaled that would support improved diets and nutrition.

The event also included a preliminary review of outputs from the scoping exercise conducted by the FSN-IL that may be relevant to Nepal’s transformation agenda. The novel technologies, processes and/or practices identified must be assessed and discussed in terms of their potential for impact, business models, appropriateness to the local context in Nepal along with understanding the potential delivery mechanisms, likely investment opportunities among other considerations.

Title of Presentation
Speaker
PDF

MNSP and Food System
Dr. Kiran Rupakhetee, National Planning CommissionView slides here

What Can Food Systems Transformation Deliver?

Dr. Patrick Webb, Tufts UniversityView slides here

Identifying Innovations to Reduce Food Loss and Waste, Enhance Food Safety, and Promote Access to Nutrient-Dense Foods
Dr. Shibani Ghosh, Tufts University

Robin Shrestha, Tufts UniversityView slides here

Understanding the Food Issues in Nepal - National Pathways on Food Systems TransformationMahesh Kharel, National Planning CommissionView slides here

Identifying Innovations to Reduce Food Loss and Waste, Enhance Food Safety and Promote Access to Nutrient Dense Foods Across the Food System
2022-11-30 13:00 - 14:00 UTC | Webinar
Webinar Description:
The Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab (FSN-IL) is a consortium led by Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, funded under USAID through the Feed the Future Initiative. In target geographies of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, the Lab’s goal is to identify and promote uptake of novel technologies, practices or information flows that help in i) reducing food loss and waste, ii) improve food safety, and iii) enhance access to nutrient-dense (often perishable) foods.
FSN-IL’s consortium of U.S. academic partners, global development institutions, and food value chain and business collaborators work across three core integrated activities—research for development (R4D), human and institutional capacity development (HICD), and stakeholder engagement. The goal is to support the uptake of food system innovations for improved diet quality and nutrition in South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Central America. FSN-IL’s key research areas include food safety and storage innovations, diet quality of women and girls, drivers of consumption choice by low-income consumers, understanding risks associated with climate change and the need for resilience.
In this webinar, we will share findings of a series of scoping exercises conducted by FSN-IL and its consortium of partners in Year 1. We will discuss the process and highlight key points that are emerging. Moving forward, we will discuss how FSN-IL plans to use these prioritization finds to further build on its activities. Attendees will be invited to submit questions during the webinar, which will be answered live during our Q&A segment.

Moderator:

Patrick Webb, Director, Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab, Tufts University

Speaker:

Shibani Ghosh, Associate Director, Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab, Tufts University

Watch the Recording Here!

View Presentation Slides Here

Evidence Needs To Support Nutrition-Sensitive Innovations In Food Value Chains: Perspectives From South Asia And Southern Africa
2022-10-14 10:00 - 12:00 (Europe/Rome)
Webinar Description:
The Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab (FSN-IL) at Tufts University supports the uptake of food system innovations for improved diet quality and nutrition in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This FSN-IL led side-event will bring together panelists to discuss evidence needs to support innovation in food value chains for healthy diets and a healthy planet focusing on South Asia and Southern Africa. Healthy diets produced sustainably require LMICs to produce more nutrient-rich foods, process and preserve them all the way to the consumer, and cut loss and waste. This requires an urgent focus on innovation, technologies, and applied science to scale up actions and investments across agri-food systems.

Moderators:

Patrick Webb, Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab, Tufts University, Boston, USA
Shibani Ghosh, Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab, Tufts University, Boston, USA

Speakers:
South Asia (Bangladesh & Nepal):

Kiran Rupakhetee, National Planning Commission, Government of Nepal
Monzur Morshed Ahmed, Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA), Ministry of Food, Bangladesh
Ashek Mahfuz, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, Bangladesh
Aminuzzaman Talukder, Helen Keller International, Bangladesh
Atul Upadhyay, Baliyo Nepal Nutrition Initiative, Nepal
Ram Shrestha, CAFODAT College, Nepal

Southern Africa (Malawi & Mozambique):

Sophie Lusungu Chitedze, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Malawi
Gaspar Cuambe, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Mozambique
David L. Tschirley, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, Michigan State University
Edna Possolo, World Food Program, Mozambique

Watch the Recording Here!

True Cost Accounting Of Food
2022-04-25 10:00 - 13:00 UTC
Webinar Description:
There is a clarion call for a dramatic transformation of the world’s food systems. Conservative estimates show healthy diets are unaffordable for more than 3 billion people, especially the poor in every region in the world. COVID-19 has also highlighted the fragility of global and local food systems, especially in light of the evolving climate crisis. In this webinar, panelists will discuss leveraging the True Cost Accounting (TCA) framework to address market failures, as well as the policy and programmatic implications of TCA across the food system.
This 3-hour event featured two panels of experts and is presented as a follow-up to the recommendations from the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS).

Speakers:

Eileen Kennedy, Tufts University
Maximo Torero, FAO
Dariush Mozaffarian, Dean, Tufts University Friedman School Nutrition Science and Policy
Will Masters, Tufts University
Roy Steiner, Rockefeller Foundation
Sheryl L. Hendriks, University of Pretoria
Jamie Morrison, FAO
Kathleen Merrigan, ASU
Shibani Ghosh, Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab, Tufts University
Daniel Mason-D’Croz, Cornell University

Promoting Nutrition-Sensitive Innovation Across The Food System: Introduction To The Work Of The New Food Systems For Nutrition Innovation Lab
2022-04-21 08:30 - 21:45 UTC
Webinar Description:
USAID and Feed the Future’s newest Innovation Lab, the Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab (FSN-IL), is a consortium of partners led by Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. In target geographies of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, the Lab’s goal is to identify, study, and promote the uptake of novel technologies, practices or information flows that help in i) reducing food loss and waste, ii) improve food safety, and iii) enhance access to nutrient-dense (often perishable) foods.
FSN-IL’s consortium of U.S. academic partners, global development institutions, and food value chain and business collaborators will work across three core integrated activities—research for development (R4D), human and institutional capacity development (HICD), and stakeholder engagement. The goal is to support the uptake of food system innovations for improved diet quality and nutrition in South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Central America. FSN-IL’s key research areas include food safety and storage innovations, diet quality of women and girls, drivers of consumption choice by low-income consumers, understanding risks associated with climate change, and the need for resilience. FSN-IL aims to start its work in Nepal, Bangladesh, Malawi, and Mozambique, with the goal of expanding work in the next five years to other USAID priority countries.
In this webinar, we introduced the objectives of FSNIL in the context of global food system priorities. We discussed FSN-IL’s research and capacity building agenda and highlighted how FSN-IL plans to support the broader objectives of USAID and Feed the Future.

Moderator:

Meghan Anson, Senior Nutrition Advisor, Bureau for Resilience and Food Security, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

Speakers:

Shawn K. Baker, Chief Nutritionist, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
Patrick Webb, Director, Feed the Future Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab
Shibani Ghosh, Associate Director, Feed the Future Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab

Watch the Recording Here!
