How to ensure nutrition-sensitive programme design
This session was hosted by the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Bank.
Juan Gonzalo Jaramillo Mejia, Social Protection Policy Officer, WFP, moderated the session.
Ugo Gentilini, Lead Economist, Social Protection and Jobs, World Bank, opened the discussion with a framing presentation.
The following panelists shared country experiences and took part in the ensuing discussion:
- Dr Maliki Achmad, Acting Deputy Minister for Population and Labor, Ministry of National Development Planning, Indonesia
- Dr Ahmed Alzubaidi, Director General of the E-Government Committee, Iraqi Council of Ministers, Iraq
- Sintayehu Demissie, Head of the Food Security Coordination Office, Ministry of Agriculture, Ethiopia
- Dr Dinar Dana Kharisma, Senior Policy Planner and Coordinator for Social Assistance at the Directorate of Poverty Alleviation and Community Empowerment, Ministry of National Development Planning, Indonesia
- Miriam Ines Rangone, National Coordinator of the Community Approach Program, Ministry of Social Development, Argentina
Social protection systems can influence nutrition levels but require deliberate design to have a direct impact. Various strategies have been attempted to enhance its effectiveness, such as integrating social services with cash transfers or in-kind benefits. The session explored different tools available to policymakers to shape the nutritional impact of social protection systems and discussed innovative solutions, especially for use during crises.
The following conclusions emerged from the discussion:
A focus on food and nutrition security has never been more timely and needed.
Food and nutrition security outcomes are not a given of poverty reduction interventions. To achieve them, deliberate and systematic actions are needed, from the integration of health-related, social behaviour change and communication measures and the flexibility of modalities depending on the context and the target population to integrated digital solutions that ensure greater efficacy and efficiency.
Universal systems need to ensure both the reliability of the system as a whole and the prioritisation of population groups most in need (see the example of the social registry in Indonesia).