UN calls for investment in local food systems to tackle malnutrition
Christopher Ojok carries his 1-year-old malnourished child in Opit Upper Cell, Omoro Town Council, on September 25, 2024. Photo by Bill Oketch.
What you need to know:
IFAD President Alvaro Lario noted that smallholder farms are the foundation of global nutrition
The United Nations’ International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has emphasized that investing in small-scale agriculture and local food systems is one of the most effective ways to combat malnutrition and food insecurity while bringing lasting benefits to national economies.
IFAD President Alvaro Lario noted that smallholder farms are the foundation of global nutrition.
“Investing in these farms so they thrive is not just about feeding people today – it’s about providing long-term solutions that create resilient and equitable food systems capable of feeding the world for generations to come,” Lario said in a statement ahead of the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit, which will bring global leaders and nutrition experts together in Paris on March 27-28, 2025.
According to the 2023 Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Bank, acute malnutrition is affecting more than 268,000 children in Uganda.
Over the years, Uganda has made progress in the fight against malnutrition. The rate of stunting has reduced from 45 percent in 2001 to 24.4 percent in 2022. The percentage of underweight children has dropped from 16 percent in 2006 to 10 percent in 2022, and the rate of wasting in children has fallen from 5 percent in 2001 to 3 percent in 2022. However, the pace of reduction is not fast enough to meet the country's global commitments.
At the Summit, Lario is expected to stress that combating malnutrition requires more than just increasing agricultural productivity, especially in regions like sub-Saharan Africa, where crop yields remain low.
He also emphasized that tackling malnutrition requires supporting the production of a wider variety of local, nutritious, and climate-resilient foods. Of the planet’s 5,000 food plant species, people primarily consume only nine, with three – rice, wheat, and maize – providing 50 percent of all calories.
“Hundreds of local and underutilized foods exist that are nutritious and resilient to local climate conditions. These include millet, sorghum, various types of beans, fruits, and vegetables,” Lario said.
He added, “In addition to improving production and diversifying crops, these foods must be available in appealing, accessible forms and reach local markets and supermarkets through efficient, inclusive value chains. This ensures people not only have access to, but can also afford, diverse and nutritious diets. Thus, there is a critical need to invest in rural Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) – often informal – that form the backbone of food value chains in developing countries, yet remain severely underfunded.”
IFAD also highlighted the urgent need for investments to help small-scale farmers adapt to growing climate shocks, which threaten food and nutrition security. Small-scale farmers produce one-third of the world’s food and up to 70 percent of the food consumed in many low- and middle-income countries, but they receive less than 1 percent of global climate finance.
“Investments in nutrition and food systems yield extraordinary social and economic returns, driving inclusive growth across countries and generations. That’s why we must scale up existing and emerging financial instruments that enable both public and private sector actors to invest at the necessary levels,” Lario said.
Latest estimates show that every $1 (Shs 3,667) invested in addressing undernutrition can generate a return of $23 (Shs84,356). Additionally, agricultural growth is two to three times more effective at reducing poverty and hunger than growth in other sectors.
Yet current investments fall far short of what is needed to address the scale of the global nutrition crisis. Estimates suggest that average government spending on addressing nutritional deficiencies is just $1.87 (Shs 6,858) per person – the lowest expenditure among all disease categories tracked in global health spending.
Moreover, malnutrition is estimated to cost the global economy $3.5 trillion (Shs12.8t) annually in lost productivity, healthcare costs, and diminished human capital. In Africa, child undernutrition and malnutrition result in economic losses ranging from 1.9 percent to 16 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) each year.
At the Summit, Lario will advocate for blended finance mechanisms that allow the public sector, private investors, and philanthropies to pool their resources and share risks. He will also call for the development of innovative credit tools, nutrition bonds, and the leveraging of remittances and diaspora investments.
IFAD is committed to scaling up its nutrition efforts, with at least 60 percent of its projects integrating activities that promote better nutrition. These include agroecology, family gardens, school feeding programs that source nutritious foods from local farmers, support for growing and marketing underutilized food species, and better food storage to reduce loss. Investing in agrobiodiversity is key to building healthier and more resilient food systems.
