Agriculture for Improved Nutrition and Health - 2016

Canada is providing additional funding for one year (2016) to the Consultative Group for International Agriculture Research’s (CGIAR) Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH) research program to fund additional activities as part of the extension of the research program until 2016. This funding complements Canada’s $20 million in funding for 2013-2014. The Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH) research program seeks to strengthen the contribution of agricultural development to the health and nutrition of the poor and undernourished. Led by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) the program conducts research and develops technologies and approaches in four complementary areas: Value chains for enhanced nutrition and health biofortification of staple crops and integrated programs and harmonized policies on agriculture nutrition and health focus on improving diet quality whereas prevention and control of agriculture-associated diseases works to reduce exposure to food-borne disease and to diseases with important agricultural risk factors. All four areas contribute to the empowerment of women and communities and to supporting an enabling policy environment. The program builds partnerships including with the private sector to develop use and disseminate technologies and tools for improved food security nutrition and health.

The expected results for this project include: (1) improved diet quality; (2) reduced exposure to agriculture-associated disease; (3) empowerment of women and poor communities; and (4) better cross-sector programs policies and investments.