This publication aims to contribute to the improved understanding, dissemination and use of PFP as a development tool in particular in the case of school meals programmes. In Volume 1, researchers, policymakers and development partners can find evidence on how PFP can be used as a development tool and deliver multiple benefits for multiple beneficiaries. It argues that PFP can provide a market for local and smallholder farmers, promote the conservation and sustainable use of agrobiodiversity, and improve the nutrition and health of children and communities. Volume 2 of this publication, available at https://doi.org/10.4060/cb7969en, presents further analysis of the instruments, enablers and barriers for PFP implementation. It also provides case studies with local, regional and national experiences from Africa, Asia, Europe and North and South America.

This publication aims to contribute to the improved understanding, dissemination and use of PFP as a development tool in particular in the case of school meals programmes. In Volume 1, researchers, policymakers and development partners can find evidence on how PFP can be used as a development tool and deliver multiple benefits for multiple beneficiaries. It argues that PFP can provide a market for local and smallholder farmers, promote the conservation and sustainable use of agrobiodiversity, and improve the nutrition and health of children and communities. Volume 2 of this publication, available at https://doi.org/10.4060/cb7969en, presents further analysis of the instruments, enablers and barriers for PFP implementation. It also provides case studies with local, regional and national experiences from Africa, Asia, Europe and North and South America.

A notable approach to addressing maternal undernutrition during pregnancy in India in recent years has been the integration of hot-cooked meals (HCM) for pregnant and lactating women together with the provision of other health/nutrition services. Called the One Full Meal (OFM) program, these efforts aim to improve maternal nutrition and health across India by bundling center-based HCM with other nutrition services and behavior change communication implemented through the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme. The program is offered at anganwadi centers (AWCs) and has been implemented in eight states in India, including Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. Although the OFM program has been implemented since 2013, there is limited consolidated insight on its effectiveness or on broader lessons for implementation. The objectives of this evidence review of the OFM program are, therefore, to (1) compare the different state OFM program models on their objectives, implementation elements, cost norms and monitoring mechanisms; (2) develop program impact pathways on the potential ways in which the program could influence intended outcomes; and (3) examine the availability of evidence underpinning the program’s intended pathways to impact.

A contributing factor to malnutrition in the Asia and the Pacific region is a lack of crop diversity, which leads to a lack of diversity in diets as well. A major reason for this is that many countries in the region only focus on cultivating a small number of staple foods. Diversifying local crops is a cost-effective and sustainable way to strengthen local agriculture and food systems and combat malnutrition. The first step in supporting local agriculture and food systems by promoting crop and dietary diversification as a means of reducing malnutrition is creating an enabling environment to do so. This TCP project aimed to facilitate the development of this environment through the forming of links, the closing of gaps, and the development of policy recommendations in four countries in the Asia and the Pacific Region: Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar and Nepal. Its design included national policy reviews, evidence-based studies, and field studies to assess the existing issues related to crop diversity, dietary diversity and malnutrition, and their interdependence, as well as the preparation of national reports and policy documents to be synthesized and disseminated in the region. Drawing on FAO’s previous experience in the region, this project was based on a multisectoral, holistic food system approach that takes into account every step of the food value chain. It involved international development and research institutes, local and national ministries, Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) and all actors along the food value chain. A major focus of the project was the identification of Neglected and Underutilized Species (NUS) that could be cultivated in the targeted countries and integrated into national policies on food and agriculture. In addition to supporting bio- and production diversity, NUS also address malnutrition, owing to the fact that they can provide essential vitamins, micronutrients and protein. Many are also climate resilient, sustainable, locally available, adaptable to marginal conditions and have commercial potential. These NUS are classified as Future Smart Foods (FSFs), and the project promoted their cultivation, as well as their integration and mainstreaming into national policies and plans.

The 2020 report on the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the Asia and Pacific region, provides an update on progress towards the 2030 targets (SDGs and WHA) at the regional and country level. Selected indicators look at undernourishment, food insecurity, childhood stunting, wasting and overweight, adult overweight, child minimum acceptable diet, exclusive and continued breastfeeding, and anaemia in women and children. While the region continues to work towards ending all forms of malnutrition and achieving Zero Hunger, progress on food security and nutrition has slowed, and the Asia and Pacific region is not on track to achieving 2030 targets. About 350.6 million people in the Asia and Pacific region are estimated to have been undernourished in 2019, about 51 percent of the global total. An estimated 74.5 million children under five years of age were stunted and a total of 31.5 million were wasted in the Asia and Pacific region. The majority of these children in the region live in Southern Asia with 55.9 million stunted and 25.2 million wasted children.