To mark the start of two new research initiatives in Ghana, a stakeholder event was held, "Unpacking the Complexity of Improved Nutrition", in Accra on July 3, 2018. The initiatives are the IFPRI-Ghana research study on ‘Leveraging Food Systems for Improved Nutrition in Ghana’, and ‘Stories of Change in Nutrition in Ghana’, jointly led by IFPRI, Institute of Development Studies, and University of Ghana, under the Transform Nutrition-West Africa program. The purpose of the meeting was to introduce participants to the research plans and activities and to seek stakeholder input on: the actors, actions, and policy processes that have led to improvements in key nutrition problems in the past; and the opportunities for leveraging a changing food system for continued progress on nutrition.
After background presentations summarizing the changing food security and nutrition situation in Ghana, Dr. Grace Bediako, Acting Director-General of the National Development Planning Commission, delivered a keynote address. Then, plans and preliminary results were presented for both initiatives. Finally, stakeholders were invited to engage in a group discussion session. During the vent it was acknowledged that the nutrition situation is changing, with improvements in undernutrition and worsening of overnutrition outcomes. A number of drivers of these changes were identified. Global prioritization of nutrition has helped raise its prominence nationally and strengthening of health systems have supported improvements in undernutrition. Changes in the food system related to improvements in yields have increased quantities of foods available, while urbanization and reliance on prepared and packaged foods may have negative implications for food quality and safety. To sustain progress in the future, it was suggested that there is a need to understand and address socio-cultural drivers of diets, encourage champions of nutrition from national to local levels, and continue to fill in gaps in understanding and data related to the changing nutrition landscape. Representatives from both research initiatives committed to working to address these points and to continuing to engage with stakeholders throughout the research process.
This report provides a summary of a consultative stakeholder meeting held jointly by the two initiatives.