Nutrition: CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition
14 April 2021 | Questions and answers
- The VGFSyN are the latest policy guidance tool produced by the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) to address malnutrition in all its forms from a holistic Food Systems perspective.
- They recognize the interlinkages of Food Systems with other systems like health and social protection, and the need to break down silos in how we address this complexity.
- The goal of the VGFSyN is to support the development of coherent, coordinated, multi-sectoral national policies, laws, programmes & investment plans for safe and healthy diets through sustainable food systems.
The VGFSyN highlight the complex & multidimensional interlinkages between sustainable Food Systems and Healthy Diets. They recommend policies and actions in sectors that are key to achieving sustainable Food Systems for Healthy Diets and improved nutrition for all.
They aim to promote policy coherence and reduced policy fragmentation between relevant sectors – including health, agriculture, environment - all of which address malnutrition through their specific systems approach.
The VGFSyN are intended to build upon and complement the work and mandate of other international bodies and their related guidance, including (para 40):
- Political Declaration on the Third High Level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (2018);
- WHO Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases 2013-2020;
- WHO Comprehensive Implementation Plan on Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition and its six global nutrition targets (2012);
- Rome Declaration on Nutrition (FAO/WHO 2014)
- Framework of Action (FAO/WHO 2014)
- Combatting malnutrition in all its forms is a pressing global issue. Transforming our Food Systems is crucial to meet this challenge. At the ICN2 governments committed to establish national policies aimed at eradicating malnutrition in all its forms and transforming food systems to make nutritious foods and heathy diets available to all.
- There is renewed international attention on food & nutrition in light of the impact of COVID-19 on food insecurity and malnutrition in all its forms, and the clear links between food production and other systems like health and environment.
- The VGFSyN inform/contribute to the global debate on improving Food Systems for Healthy Diets and improved nutrition in advance of the UN Food Systems Summit 2021 and the Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit 2021.
The VGFSyN are the result of a 5-year extensive and inclusive multi-stakeholder consultation and negotiation process, with the involvement of representatives from governments, civil society and private sector, UN agencies, financial and research institutions.
The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) has undertaken this policy process following the outcomes of the ICN2. The preparation of the VGFSyN is informed by the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition’s (HLPE) Report on Nutrition and Food Systems (HLPE, 2017). The process included Regional consultation meetings of a “zero draft”, that were held in Europe, Africa, Asia, Near East, Latin America, and North America, to gain insights and regional perspectives.
The VGFSyN are a policy instrument that have been negotiated at a multi-stakeholder level on the connections between Food Systems and Nutrition. Private Sector representatives (under the CFS PSM) and Civil Society representatives (under CFS CSM) participated as negotiators in the process together with representatives from governments.
The CFS VGFSyN are one of the follow up of the outcomes of the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2). They intent to help countries to operationalize the ICN2 FFA.
They are based on the CFS role in supporting the implementation of the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition (UNGA Resolution A/RES/70/259, April 2016) and the ICN2 Commitment by countries to enhancing sustainable food systems and ensure access to food to meet people’s nutrition needs and promote …. healthy diets. (para 30, 32)
WHO was given the opportunity to provide technical expert support to the CFS and as such was involved in the development phase, including as members of the Technical Task Team that supported the work of the CFS Secretariat. WHO also provided evidence-based advice in the negotiation process, and contributed to the UN Nutrition joint evidence-based advice.
WHO Regional Offices also contributed to the Regional Consultations on a “zero draft” document in 2019.
The VGFSyN are intended to provide guidance mainly to governments as well as specialized institutions and other stakeholders on appropriate policies, responsible investments and institutional arrangements needed to address the key causes of malnutrition in all its forms from a food systems perspective (para 31).
The VGFSyN are intended to support governments, including relevant ministries and national, sub-national, and local institutions and authorities, and parliamentarians, to develop processes for the design and implementation of holistic, multisectoral, science and evidence-based and inclusive public policies as well as to be used in policy discussions and implementation processes by relevant stakeholders (para 41).
The VGFSyN provide broad recommendations on how to transform food systems for healthy diets and improved nutrition. CFS calls on all Members and other stakeholders to translate this guidance into context specific responses, along with other evidence-based guidelines and standards.
WHO welcomes that these VGFSyN are the first of its kind to present holistic and comprehensive guidance for governments to positively influence the evolution of food systems for better nutrition.
WHO supports the ambition of the VGFSyN to address the policy fragmentation across the food system, including its call for greater policy coherence also between agriculture, nutrition and health in line with Agenda 2030 and the SDGs approach.
WHO appreciates their important consideration of environmental, social, and economic sustainability of food systems.
WHO praises the Committee on World Food Security for its ongoing dialogue with all actors as it is required to ensure the food sector produces, transforms, and markets foods that ensure affordable healthy diets for all through sustainable food systems.
The inclusive dialogue and voluntary actions do not replace the need for regulatory action (such as on nutrition labelling, economic tools including taxation, subsidies and other incentives, regulating marketing of foods, especially to children, mandating food fortification where needed, setting limits on the content of sodium, unhealthy fats and sugars in food, and standards for food served and sold in public settings) as part of a comprehensive approach for a successful food systems transformation.
WHO emphasizes the important role of science and evidence for normative work and policymaking, in line with WHO’s provided support throughout the process.
It is of utmost importance that these voluntary guidelines align with long-standing commitments made at the ICN2. Science and evidence are the backbone of the agreed intergovernmental outcomes of the ICN2, including of its sets of recommended actions outlined in the Framework for Action.
The Voluntary Guidelines provide broad recommendations that will need to be further elaborated into concrete policies and investments at national level.
WHO encourages the use of these Guidelines in conjunction with specific science and evidence-based, normative guidance from WHO and other specialized agencies constituting UN Nutrition.
WHO is also well placed to provide technical support and assist CFS Members and stakeholders in the uptake of these guidelines adapted to their contexts.
WHO efforts in mobilizing country level uptake of the guidelines will prioritize selected areas and be in conjunction with relevant WHO evidence-based guidelines and recommendations and those from other normative agencies. WHO will provide the evidence and standards to complement the general recommendations of the Voluntary Guidelines, with special focus on these elements.
WHO also supports the inter-agency collaboration and coordination at both global and country levels.
The prioritized policy areas will focus especially on key policy action related to:
- Marketing restriction to children (0-18 years of age)
- Fiscal policies (subsidies and taxation)
- Product reformulation
- Nutrition labelling
- Public food procurement and service
- Food fortification
- Food Safety