Capacity strengthening as a pathway to drive food systems transformation towards sustainable healthy diets: Reflections from the CGIAR Research Initiative on Sustainable Healthy Diets through Food Systems Transformation (SHiFT)

Food systems are failing to provide sustainable, healthy diets that promote health, environmental sustainability, affordability, and cultural acceptability, leaving over three billion people unable to access such diets. Following calls for transformation after the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit and sub...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Kruft, Krista, Herens, Marion, Namugumya, Brenda Shenute, De Groote, Bram
Formato: Artículo preliminar
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Food Policy Research Institute 2024
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/173230
_version_ 1855523568565092352
author Kruft, Krista
Herens, Marion
Namugumya, Brenda Shenute
De Groote, Bram
author_browse De Groote, Bram
Herens, Marion
Kruft, Krista
Namugumya, Brenda Shenute
author_facet Kruft, Krista
Herens, Marion
Namugumya, Brenda Shenute
De Groote, Bram
author_sort Kruft, Krista
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Food systems are failing to provide sustainable, healthy diets that promote health, environmental sustainability, affordability, and cultural acceptability, leaving over three billion people unable to access such diets. Following calls for transformation after the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit and subsequent international dialogues, there is growing recognition of the need for systemic approaches to accelerate food systems transformation (FST). However, many stakeholders remain uncertain about how to implement effective changes, highlighting the need for sustainable development pathways that integrate health, environmental, and inclusion goals. This paper explores what capacities are needed for driving FST, emphasizing the need to strengthen skills and competencies in individuals, organizations, and societies to achieve transformative goals. Based on the capacity-strengthening experiences of the CGIAR Research Initiative on Sustainable Healthy Diets through Food Systems Transformation (SHiFT) in Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Vietnam, the paper examines SHiFT’s capacity-strengthening practice used. Key questions addressed include identifying stakeholders who need transformative capacities, the capacities required for different roles, and strategies to inspire meaningful implementation. The reflections on capacity-strengthening trajectories for food system actors in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Vietnam underscore the need for tailored, inclusive, and adaptive approaches that address the unique dynamics of each food system. Seven guiding principles emerged: contextualizing within political and economic landscapes; employing adult-based, experiential learning; timing of capacity strengthening interventions; navigating power dynamics; embracing emergence and flexibility; fostering diversity; and stimulating personal agency and leadership. These principles highlight the importance of co-creation, continuous reflection, and iterative adaptation, ensuring capacity-building efforts are relevant, effective, and transformative. By exploring practice-based and case-based insights, this paper contributes to understanding how targeted capacity strengthening can support meaningfully to FST.
format Artículo preliminar
id CGSpace173230
institution CGIAR Consortium
language Inglés
publishDate 2024
publishDateRange 2024
publishDateSort 2024
publisher International Food Policy Research Institute
publisherStr International Food Policy Research Institute
record_format dspace
spelling CGSpace1732302025-11-06T06:03:29Z Capacity strengthening as a pathway to drive food systems transformation towards sustainable healthy diets: Reflections from the CGIAR Research Initiative on Sustainable Healthy Diets through Food Systems Transformation (SHiFT) Kruft, Krista Herens, Marion Namugumya, Brenda Shenute De Groote, Bram capacity development food systems healthy diets stakeholders sustainability Food systems are failing to provide sustainable, healthy diets that promote health, environmental sustainability, affordability, and cultural acceptability, leaving over three billion people unable to access such diets. Following calls for transformation after the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit and subsequent international dialogues, there is growing recognition of the need for systemic approaches to accelerate food systems transformation (FST). However, many stakeholders remain uncertain about how to implement effective changes, highlighting the need for sustainable development pathways that integrate health, environmental, and inclusion goals. This paper explores what capacities are needed for driving FST, emphasizing the need to strengthen skills and competencies in individuals, organizations, and societies to achieve transformative goals. Based on the capacity-strengthening experiences of the CGIAR Research Initiative on Sustainable Healthy Diets through Food Systems Transformation (SHiFT) in Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Vietnam, the paper examines SHiFT’s capacity-strengthening practice used. Key questions addressed include identifying stakeholders who need transformative capacities, the capacities required for different roles, and strategies to inspire meaningful implementation. The reflections on capacity-strengthening trajectories for food system actors in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Vietnam underscore the need for tailored, inclusive, and adaptive approaches that address the unique dynamics of each food system. Seven guiding principles emerged: contextualizing within political and economic landscapes; employing adult-based, experiential learning; timing of capacity strengthening interventions; navigating power dynamics; embracing emergence and flexibility; fostering diversity; and stimulating personal agency and leadership. These principles highlight the importance of co-creation, continuous reflection, and iterative adaptation, ensuring capacity-building efforts are relevant, effective, and transformative. By exploring practice-based and case-based insights, this paper contributes to understanding how targeted capacity strengthening can support meaningfully to FST. 2024-12-31 2025-02-19T16:39:47Z 2025-02-19T16:39:47Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/173230 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Kruft, Krista; Herens, Marion; Namugumya, Brenda Shenute; and De Groote, Bram. 2024. Capacity strengthening as a pathway to drive food systems transformation towards sustainable healthy diets: Reflections from the CGIAR Research Initiative on Sustainable Healthy Diets through Food Systems Transformation (SHiFT). SHiFT Working Paper December 2024. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/173230
spellingShingle capacity development
food systems
healthy diets
stakeholders
sustainability
Kruft, Krista
Herens, Marion
Namugumya, Brenda Shenute
De Groote, Bram
Capacity strengthening as a pathway to drive food systems transformation towards sustainable healthy diets: Reflections from the CGIAR Research Initiative on Sustainable Healthy Diets through Food Systems Transformation (SHiFT)
title Capacity strengthening as a pathway to drive food systems transformation towards sustainable healthy diets: Reflections from the CGIAR Research Initiative on Sustainable Healthy Diets through Food Systems Transformation (SHiFT)
title_full Capacity strengthening as a pathway to drive food systems transformation towards sustainable healthy diets: Reflections from the CGIAR Research Initiative on Sustainable Healthy Diets through Food Systems Transformation (SHiFT)
title_fullStr Capacity strengthening as a pathway to drive food systems transformation towards sustainable healthy diets: Reflections from the CGIAR Research Initiative on Sustainable Healthy Diets through Food Systems Transformation (SHiFT)
title_full_unstemmed Capacity strengthening as a pathway to drive food systems transformation towards sustainable healthy diets: Reflections from the CGIAR Research Initiative on Sustainable Healthy Diets through Food Systems Transformation (SHiFT)
title_short Capacity strengthening as a pathway to drive food systems transformation towards sustainable healthy diets: Reflections from the CGIAR Research Initiative on Sustainable Healthy Diets through Food Systems Transformation (SHiFT)
title_sort capacity strengthening as a pathway to drive food systems transformation towards sustainable healthy diets reflections from the cgiar research initiative on sustainable healthy diets through food systems transformation shift
topic capacity development
food systems
healthy diets
stakeholders
sustainability
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/173230
work_keys_str_mv AT kruftkrista capacitystrengtheningasapathwaytodrivefoodsystemstransformationtowardssustainablehealthydietsreflectionsfromthecgiarresearchinitiativeonsustainablehealthydietsthroughfoodsystemstransformationshift
AT herensmarion capacitystrengtheningasapathwaytodrivefoodsystemstransformationtowardssustainablehealthydietsreflectionsfromthecgiarresearchinitiativeonsustainablehealthydietsthroughfoodsystemstransformationshift
AT namugumyabrendashenute capacitystrengtheningasapathwaytodrivefoodsystemstransformationtowardssustainablehealthydietsreflectionsfromthecgiarresearchinitiativeonsustainablehealthydietsthroughfoodsystemstransformationshift
AT degrootebram capacitystrengtheningasapathwaytodrivefoodsystemstransformationtowardssustainablehealthydietsreflectionsfromthecgiarresearchinitiativeonsustainablehealthydietsthroughfoodsystemstransformationshift