scholarly journals The effects of food systems interventions on food security and nutrition outcomes in low- and middle-income countries

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Moore ◽  
◽  
Charlotte Lane ◽  
Ingunn Storhaug ◽  
Amber Franich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Food Security And Nutrition ◽  
Low And Middle Income

scholarly journals The Importance of a Food Systems Approach to Low and Middle Income Countries and Emerging Economies: A Review of Theories and Its Relevance for Disease Control and Malnutrition

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo Alarcon ◽  
Paula Dominguez-Salas ◽  
Eric M. Fèvre ◽  
Jonathan Rushton
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
Emerging Economies ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Systems Science ◽  
Multidisciplinary Teams ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Our review explores the changing food production, distribution and consumption environment in low and middle-income countries and emerging economies as a basis for framing how to study food systems in order to address public health issues of food safety and nutrition. It presents the state of knowledge on existing food systems science and its use in terms of sustainable actions for food safety and public health. The review identifies a knowledge gap in food system mapping and governance, with value chain mapping of key commodities often missing. Despite a number of initiatives, the application of food systems methods is highly variable in scope and quality. Most analyses concentrate on specific commodities, rarely taking into account the need for a whole diet approach when looking at nutrition or the assessment of a range of infectious agents and their interactions when looking at food safety. Of the studies included in the review there is a growing observation of “informal” food systems, a term used inconsistently and one that requires revision. “Informal” food systems link to the formal sector to provide food security, yet with trade-offs between economic efficiencies and food safety. Efforts to improve food safety are hampered by inadequate food safety capacities and a lack of policy coherence leading to: inadequate investment; fragmented food quality control systems; weak or non-existent traceability mechanisms; weak foodborne disease surveillance; obsolete food regulation; and weak regulatory enforcement. In-depth food systems assessments can complement risk analysis to identify risky behaviors and understand institutional settings in order to improve codes of practice and enforcement. Methods for looking at food safety from a food systems perspective are emerging, yet existing nutrition and food systems science are not advancing sufficiently in response to nutritional public health problems. There is an urgency for improved understanding of the structure and drivers of the food systems, for better planning of changes that leads to nutrients access and healthy levels of eating. It is proposed that countries and international institutions provide an atlas of food system maps for the key commodities based on an agreed common methodology and developed by multidisciplinary teams.

scholarly journals Metrics to analyze and improve diets through food Systems in low and Middle Income Countries

Food Security ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1085-1105
Author(s):  
Mequanint B. Melesse ◽  
Marrit van den Berg ◽  
Christophe Béné ◽  
Alan de Brauw ◽  
Inge D. Brouwer
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Public Data ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Abstract Taking a food systems approach is a promising strategy for improving diets. Implementing such an approach would require the use of a comprehensive set of metrics to characterize food systems, set meaningful goals, track food system performance, and evaluate the impacts of food system interventions. Food system metrics are also useful to structure debates and communicate to policy makers and the general public. This paper provides an updated analytical framework of food systems and uses this to identify systematically relevant metrics and indicators based on data availability in low and middle income countries. We conclude that public data are relatively well available for food system drivers and outcomes, but not for all of the food system activities. With only minor additional investments, existing surveys could be extended to cover a large part of the required additional data. For some indicators, however, targeted data collection efforts are needed. As the list of indicators partly overlaps with the indicators for the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs), part of the collected data could serve not only to describe and monitor food systems, but also to track progress towards attaining the SDGs.

scholarly journals What are the impacts of urban agriculture programs on food security in low and middle-income countries: a systematic review

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcel Korth ◽  
Ruth Stewart ◽  
Laurenz Langer ◽  
Nolizwe Madinga ◽  
Natalie Rebelo Da Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Agriculture Programs ◽  
Low And Middle Income

scholarly journals An Emergent Framework of the Market Food Environment in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Djeinam Toure ◽  
Anna Herforth ◽  
Gretel H Pelto ◽  
Lynnette M Neufeld ◽  
Mduduzi N N Mbuya
Keyword(s):  
Food Environment ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Product Characteristics ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Research Priority ◽  
Measurement Framework ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Abstract Background Food systems are increasingly recognized as critical for advancing nutrition, and the food environment is viewed as the nexus between those systems and dietary consumption. Developing a measurement framework of the market food environment is a research priority, particularly for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), which face rapid shifts in markets, dietary patterns, and nutrition outcomes. Objective In this study, we sought to assess current conceptions and measures of the market food environment that could be adapted for use in LMICs. Methods We conducted a narrative review of the literature to identify measures of the market food environment in recent use. First, we identified and reviewed frameworks of the food environment for LMICs with a specific focus on the market food environment. Second, we compiled 141 unique measures of the market food environment from 20 papers into a list that was pile-sorted by five nutrition experts into domains. We then categorized the measures based on percentage agreement across all sorts. Finally, we compared measured and conceptual domains of the market food environment to identify measurement gaps and needed adaptations. Results Conceptual frameworks provide differing definitions of the market food environment but conform in their definitions of food availability, price, marketing, and product characteristics. Greater clarity is needed in defining relevant vendor and product characteristics. Eight measured domains of the market food environment emerged from the literature review, with significant overlap among conceptual domains. Measurement gaps exist for food quality, safety, packaging, desirability and convenience. Personal characteristics also emerged as measured domains, although these are not of the food environment, per se. Conclusions These results are a step towards elucidating how, why and where we measure the market food environment in LMICs. Future research should focus on prioritizing the most meaningful methods and metrics, and developing new measures where gaps exist.

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