Concern is committed to ensuring that the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world receive the right food and nutrition to lead healthy lives and reach their true potential, giving them a way out of poverty.
Hunger and malnutrition are important drivers of extreme poverty. Good nutrition enables individuals to survive and reach their optimal physical and brain potential. As a result they are equipped to seize the right opportunities to secure a healthy future. On the other hand, malnutrition holds people and nations back by perpetuating vulnerability, poor health, and lowered productivity. This also weakens their resilience to shocks and crises.
Evidence shows that improving nutrition can help boost annual earnings of individuals and nations by 10%, if not more. Nutrition is also proven to be one of the best development buys, offering 16 in return for every pound invested. Improving nutrition and food security among the world’s poorest and most vulnerable countries and people is not just a question of human rights; it is crucial to accelerate progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Our work is focused on ensuring evidence from the ground is used to inform the right investments, policies, and programmes targeting populations that face the greatest burden of hunger and malnutrition. We amplify the impact of our advocacy by working closely with civil society allies through coalitions such as the International Coalition for Advocacy on Nutrition (ICAN), Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Civil Society Network, and the Alliance 2015 partnership.
More investment in food and nutrition security
Despite its role in building a strong foundation for individuals and nations to survive and thrive, nutrition remains massively underfunded as a global issue. We are calling on donors, and governments of countries with high rates of malnutrition, to allocate more resources to tackle hunger and malnutrition through Official Development Assistance (ODA) and domestic budgetary allocations respectively.
Better programmes for the greatest impact
Prioritisation to reach the furthest behind first
We have just published with the International Coalition for Advocacy on Nutrition (ICAN) our policy recommendations to the UK government ahead of an important global summit next year - the Tokyo 2020 Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit, a process started by the UK in 2012. While the UK is on track to deliver its existing nutrition commitments, these will end in 2020. It is imperative that the UK continues its global leadership role, and we are asking the UK government to increase its nutrition investments; focus on nutrition for the most vulnerable; integrate nutrition across DFID, and boost political ownership and investment in countries facing a high malnutrition burden.
ICAN UK.pdf|PDF(2 MB)
