New initiative on nutrition, IFNA, launched

At a side event co-hosted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), a new framework tagged “Initiative for Food and Nutrition Security in Africa (IFNA)” was launched. This is expected to accelerate international efforts to alleviate hunger and malnutrition in the African continent.

So far, 12 African countries—Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, South Sudan, and Zimbabwe; organizations such as African Development Bank, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Food and Agriculture Organization, Helen Keller International, International Fund for Agricultural Development, International Food Policy Research Institute, IITA, NEPAD, UNDP, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, World Bank, World Food Programme, and World Health Organization as well as private companies, have all expressed their commitment to partner in the IFNA project.

According to Masahito Enomoto, IFNA manager, IFNA will facilitate people-centered and practical activities through empowerment of women, as well as action-oriented policy enhancement, to achieve inclusive nutritional improvement with an impact. The interests of IITA as a key partner in this project was presented by Busie Maziya-Dixon, IITA nutritional specialist, and Haruki Ishikawa, IITA plant physiologist.

“We (IITA) are ready to collaborate with IFNA and all projects, initiatives, and organizations, so long as they are contributing to Africa’s food security and also helping to alleviate hunger and poverty for the continent,” Haruki said.