Welthungerhilfe and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) have decided to host a regional consultation meeting in Kathmandu on promoting nutrition-sensitive agriculture for improving nutrition security and health, especially of small scale farmers in South Asia.

The two-day event will begin on July 11, according to Welthungerhilfe, one of the largest non-governmental aid organisations in Germany.

The event will bring key stakeholders on a single platform to collectively address issues of nutrition and health in South Asia with a specific emphasis on smallholder farmers.

The South Asian region faces the highest population density worldwide, covering approximately 24 percent of the global population within just 3 percent of the world's landmass.

With around 67 percent of the population residing in rural areas and depending on agriculture, fisheries, and forest products for their livelihoods, the region continues to confront challenges of undernutrition.

While some progress has been made in recent years, the prevalence of undernourishment remains significant, impacting an estimated 267 million individuals.

According to the Global Hunger Index, South Asia has the world’s highest hunger level, child stunting, and child wasting rates compared to any other region of the world.

Recognizing the critical importance of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a particular focus on SDG II aimed at ending hunger, the SAARC Agriculture Vision 2020 underscores the need for food and nutrition security in the region.

In response to this imperative, the upcoming regional consultation meeting will adopt a targeted approach, establishing a connection between agriculture, nutrition, and health, according to the organisers.

By promoting nutrition-sensitive agriculture, the stakeholders aim to improve the nutrition and health outcomes of smallholder farmers, as well as consumers.

The Nutrition Smart Community, demonstrated by Welthungerhilfe aims to address malnutrition, with a particular focus on children under 5 years of age and women of reproductive age, by employing a comprehensive approach that involves multiple sectors and stakeholders.

This approach encompasses integrated farming systems, which connect agriculture and natural resource management to ensure nutrition security.

The initiative focuses on institution building, nutritional education, nutrition-sensitive village micro-planning and access to the government’s food and nutrition programs.

Implemented across 260 villages in vulnerable regions of Bangladesh, India, and Nepal, the Nutrition Smart Community project operates under a larger initiative called the ‘Regional Programme for Promoting a Multisectoral Approach for Nutrition Smart Villages in Bangladesh, Nepal, and India’.

About 30-35 participants, including high-profile dignitaries from SAARC member countries, government officials from Bangladesh, India, and Nepal along with officials from Welthungerhilfe and its collaborative partners will take part in the workshop.

During the workshop, seven SAARC countries will present their country's situation focusing on the specific thematic areas along with learning and experiences from Welthungerhilfe Nutrition Smart Communities in Bangladesh, India and Nepal.

There will also be informative keynote presentations focusing on the transformation of food systems and nutrition, as well as an overview of the status of child nutrition in South Asia during the ongoing global crisis, according to the organisers.