Working Groups

Working Group

There is enough evidence linking improved food and nutrition status with sustained information, awareness and guidance. We will work to develop a strong narrative on food and nutrition that is directly linked to wellbeing, life, productivity and economic gain. Our social behavior change strategy will target changing behaviours in communities. A critical window of opportunity to ensure optimal child growth is between pregnancy to the second year of life. Growth faltering is most evident during this phase when foods of low nutrient density begin to replace breast milk and rates of diarrhoea illness caused by food contamination are at their highest. After about two years of age, it is very difficult to reverse stunting that occurred at earlier ages. There is enough evidence to link feeding practices, frequency, nutrient density to growth and development. The main concern during this intense phase is how to optimize feeding practices and behaviours through interventions. Latest studies have shown that even as availability of nutritious food, provision of complementary feeding have the maximum impact, presence of education and counselling is critical for the efficacy and effectiveness of food interventions. We will work through our NGO partners to create social will and change behaviours in the community.

Functions

Thematic Working Groups

Food Security and Climate Change	WG to work on policy and program recommendations for advocacy in interventions related to food security and climate change
	Sub-groups can be created to focus on specific topics, as required (e.g. sub-group on SAM, Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices, etc.)
Food Security and Climate Change	WG to work on policy and program recommendations for advocacy in interventions related to food security and climate change
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)	WG to work on policy and program recommendations for advocacy in interventions related to WASH.

Intersectoral working groups

Skilling Human Resource	WG to work on recommendations for human resource development in nutrition and food security for existing workforce (e.g. ASHA workers, nurses, etc.) and additional workforce (e.g. public health nutritionists).
Socially Responsible Business and Nutrition	WG to work on recommendations for engaging private sector in nutrition through PPPs, CSR, market-based solutions, etc. for improving the state of food and nutrition security.
Accountability and Governance	WG to work on topics related to accountability and governance of programs and policies for food and nutrition security.
Gender Rights & Equity	WG to work on addressing issues around rights, gender and equity in food and nutrition.
	Will need to address issues across key sectors including food, nutrition, health & WASH.
Social Behavior Change Communication	WG to work on important cross cutting topics: SBCC in nutrition to promote food and nutrition security.
Tri-sector Collaboration	WG is responsible- for advocacy at broader platforms (e.g. National Nutrition Mission) where multi-sectoral coordinated efforts are required. WG formed by representatives from other thematic and cross cutting WG.
	Sub-groups can be set up for specific topics of urgent interest (e.g. sub-group for advocating for nutrition as a development indicator, etc.)
Technology	WG to work on advocacy for improving the technology for Food and Nutrition Security, conduct research on improving the technology in the states, disseminate research findings among key stakeholders at local, regional, and national level and develop an intervention plan in consultation with multi- stakeholders from various govt. line department, Civil society organisation.
	WG uses the strategy plan for program development- scale-up intervention.
Farmer Producer Organization in Food and Nutrition Security	WG to provide strategic direction and technical leadership to the relevant Ministries of Government of India to promote linkages between research, evidence, policy development, and practice.
	Encourage stakeholders to collate and review existing data, evidence, tools, and materials related to successful FPCs.
	Reach consensus on key advocacy messages; identify gaps in the allocation of respective resources; analyze and present the situation of the FPCs and draw the attention of decision-makers to priority areas by making recommendations to stimulate a speedy and appropriate response.
	Promote exchange of information between the WGs.