Director-General says UN Decade of Nutrition offers a critical window for advances

Figure: Dried fruits, nuts, pulses and spices on display at Danilovsky market, Moscow, one of the main markets of the Russian capital

20 September 2016, New York - The 10 years running until 2025 will be a critical time for action to build healthy and sustainable food systems and end malnutrition in all its forms, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva said today at an event at the United Nations General Assembly celebrating the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition.

"The purpose of the Decade of Action on Nutrition is to continue to draw the world`s attention to the importance of combatting malnutrition," he said.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly, Graziano da Silva reminded governments of their commitments made at the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) in 2014 and called on them to transform those commitments into action through national policies and programs.

Better governance on nutrition globally, he stressed, "starts at country level."

Today, one in three people worldwide -- nearly 2.5 billion people- - suffer from at least one form of malnutrition, ranging from hunger to obesity to a lack of critical nutrients.

"FAO has maintained a great synergy with WHO in leading the efforts in the fight against all forms of malnutrition. WHO is the lead in nutrition and FAO is here to complement that work. FAO has developed a work plan focused on the promotion of healthy food and healthy diets through nutritional education and the transformation of food systems," said Graziano da Silva.

See more: http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/434440/icode/