Transforming food systems for children
How UNICEF is addressing the double failure of food systems for children in Eastern and Southern Africa
Highlights
Food systems bear critical responsibility for the nutritional quality, safety, affordability and sustainability of children’s diets. However, existing food systems represent a double failure for children by failing to provide young children with the foods they need to prevent undernutrition, and by flooding shops, markets and schools with energy dense, nutrient-poor, unhealthy foods that drive overweight and obesity. This drives child food poverty and all forms of malnutrition.
In Eastern and Southern Africa, a staggering 67 million children live in child food poverty, 25 million of whom live in severe child food poverty, 26 million children under five years are stunted and 4 million are living with overweight and obesity. Transforming food systems is fundamental for ensuring that children have access to diverse, nutritious, safe, affordable and sustainable foods to address this problem.
This report describes how UNICEF is driving change in food systems for children in Eastern and Southern Africa through policy and programme actions to improve children’s foods, food environments and food practices. Inspirational examples show how UNICEF has generated evidence to drive change, leveraged partnerships, including with regional economic communities, and mobilized regional and country action including through First Foods Africa.
