Third Global Panel annual meeting in Accra
The four day programme took place on 16th – 19th November 2015. In addition to the annual Global Panel meeting, it included an opening ceremony, the launch of the Global Panel policy brief on School Feeding, a press conference, a High-Level Discussion Roundtable and a Regional Workshop.
The events in Accra enabled engagement with the national government and a wide range of stakeholders to gain an in-depth understanding of how agriculture and food systems can work together to improve nutrition across the region. The Panel also discussed a series of important future challenges relevant to future diets, notably climate change, urbanisation and population growth.
Participants include:
- Sandy Thomas, Global Panel Director.
- Sir John Beddington Global Panel Member and former UK Government Chief Scientific Advisor.
- K. Srinath Reddy, Global Panel Member and President of the Public Health Foundation in India.
- Emmy Simmons, Global Panel Member and Board Member of the Partnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa/AGree.
- John A. Kufuor, Global Panel’s co-chair and former President of Ghana.
- Tom Arnold, Global Panel Member, Interim Coordinator of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement, director General of the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) and former CEO of Concern Worldwide.
- Akin Adesina, Global Panel Member and President of the African Development Bank
- Josue Dione representing Global Panel Member Rhoda Peace Tumusiime, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture at the African Union Commission (AUC).
- Elisio Contini representing Global Panel Member Maurício Antônio Lopes, present of the Brazilian Enterprise for Agricultural Research (Embrapa).
- Bukar Tijani, FAO Assistant Director General and Regional Representative, representing Global Panel Member José Graziano da Silva, FAO Director General.
- Victor Ajieroh, Senior Advisor on Food Security and Nutrition, Office of the Honorable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Nigeria.
- Lynn Brown, Consultant World Bank, representing Global Panel Member Rachel Kyte, Vice President and Special Envoy, Climate Change Group, World Bank Group.
- Kwasi Ampofo, Country head, Ghana, representing Global Panel Member Agnes Kalibata, President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).
- Jeff Waage, Director at London International Development Centre and Global Panel Technical Adviser.
3rd Global Panel Annual Meeting: Programme of Events
DAY ONE – Global Panel Annual Meeting and Opening Ceremony (16 Nov)
This internal meeting discussed strategic objectives, progress to date and the delivery of the Panel commitments for the upcoming year. Topics discussed included achievements in 2015, the Foresight project, a strategic discussion on food systems, opportunities for the Nutrition for Growth events in Rio 2016, and a draft statement on climate change. [Read more]
During the Opening Ceremony, co-chairs former President John Kufour, and Sir John Beddington spoke to the importance of improving peoples’ diets through more diverse agriculture and implementing integrating coherent policies across the food system, and the progress in reducing malnutrition in Ghana and the region. [Read more]
DAY TWO – Press Conference and Launch of the Global Panel policy brief on School Feeding (17 Nov)
The press conference focussed on three main topics: the conclusions from the Panel’s meeting, the challenges of meeting agricultural and nutritional needs in the face of climate change.
The policy brief Healthy meals in schools explains why a greater policy emphasis is needed on the multi‐win agenda that couples meals in schools with benefits to agriculture, education and nutrition. Evidence-based successes from diverse contexts are highlighted in the brief to illustrate what is technically feasible and economically viable.
A distinguished panel presented the findings of the brief and provide examples of success stories. The Global Panel was pleased to launch this brief in Ghana, a country where there is a growing recognition for the benefits of schools providing healthy nutritionally balanced meals. [Read more]
DAY THREE – High-Level Discussion meeting (18 Nov)
The Roundtable, chaired by Panel member Dr Akinwumi Adesina, brought together Ghana’s political leadership and representatives of major national and regional organisations focussed on improving nutrition outcomes in Ghana and its regional setting. The meeting aimed to foster a deeper understanding of the issues surrounding the nexus of food, agricultural systems and nutrition which would draw on lessons from other countries. In doing so it has develop a shared high-level vision of future malnutrition challenges in Ghana within its regional context and explored the potential for consensus on action by governments and other stakeholders to guide sustainable nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive policy development.
The meeting, led the Global Panel’s co-chairs former President John A. Kufuor and Sir John Beddington, Former UK Government Chief Scientific Advisor has also set the agenda for a working-level discussion to determine next steps and concrete actions. [Read more]
DAY FOUR – Regional Workshop (19 Nov)
Read the full report of the day
The purpose of the Workshop was to develop the conclusions of the Hi-Level Roundtable to identify the barriers that hinder future progress in advancing effective innovative evidence-based policy and practice for nutrition in the context of food and agriculture systems in Ghana and the surrounding region. [Read more]