As part of the implementation of the Regional Agenda for the reinforcement of nutrition in agricultural sector policies, strategies and programs in West Africa, the Directorate of Agriculture and Rural Development held a regional technical workshop on the development of National Food-System based Dietary Guidelines by ECOWAS Member States.
According to ECOWAS Commission Directorate of Communication, on Friday, the workshop was attended by nutrition governance stakeholders from Member States, the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement, the Public Policy and Food Systems Research Network in West Africa, the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel and the ECOWAS Commission.
During the three days of the workshop, which held in Lagos from March 26 to 28, participants took stock of the nutritional situation in member states and the related challenges, and shared national experiences in developing National Dietary Guidelines, which are series of recommendations in terms of foods, food groups and dietary patterns adapted to local contexts in order to provide the nutrients required for a healthy diet that should guarantee overall health and prevent chronic disease.
In addition, participants' capacities were strengthened in terms of the methodology for developing food recommendations based on food systems, in particular the stages involved, the players to be mobilized, and the best practices for conducting the process effectively, based on capitalizing on the experiences of countries that have developed this important tool for nutrition education and guiding food and nutrition policies development.
The workshop ended with the definition of a roadmap to support all ECOWAS member states in adopting National Food System based Dietary Guidelines.
It would be recalled that he Regional Agenda for strengthening the integration of nutrition into agricultural and food security policies in West Africa aims to access to healthy, nutritious, and diversified diets for the good nutritional status of populations, particularly vulnerable populations in West African countries