11 March 2013: The World Bank, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bread for the World, the 1000 Days Partnership, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) have released a report on next steps for including nutrition indicators and targets in the post-2015 development agenda.

“Nutrition in the post-2015 development agenda: Report of an expert consultation” argues for greater attention on reducing malnutrition in the post-2015 agenda, and recommends a single nutrition goal with targets based on those endorsed by the World Health Assembly in 2012.

The report summarizes key messages from a meeting convened by the six organizations on 20 February 2013, co-hosted by the World Bank and Gates Foundation. Consultation participants supported a single nutrition goal and incorporation of nutrition indicators into development goals on agriculture, education, health, poverty reduction and water and sanitation. They further recommended: childhood stunting as the priority nutrition indicator; compelling, easy to understand, aspirational goals paired with achievable targets; and improved data collection, particularly on diet quality and micronutrients.

The report emphasizes that poor nutrition hinders development, economic growth, health and human capital, and describes ending under-nutrition as “an unfinished agenda.” It highlights several lessons learned from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), including limited attention to: hunger and underweight targets under the MDG poverty goal; and access to dietary diversity, food quality, health and optimal care, particularly during the “thousand day window” from pregnancy to age two.

The report also recognizes the relationship between rising inequality and nutrition challenges, noting that the same individuals and households may variously suffer from stunting, obesity and deficient nutrition. [IFPRI Press Release]