THE government is facilitating a five-year initiative of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) to accelerate transformation of national food systems to shift to healthier diets.

Prisca Rwezahura, the GAIN country director, said at the launch event in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the ‘nourishing food pathway’ (NFP) programme is designed to hasten progress towards the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Being carried out in tern countries, it is geared to supporting inclusive and coherent food systems transformation in the listed countries, namely Tanzania, Benin, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Mozambique. 

Implementation of the project will help increase access to safe, nutritious food in an environmentally sustainable way especially in marginalised communities, she said, noting that the programme leverages existing policy synergies with the government in the nutrition sphere.

Beyond strengthening food system decision making processes, the programme is intended to explore strategies to reach the poorest with safe and nutritious foods, she stated, pointing at the need to seek private sector investments in healthier diets sourced from more sustainable systems.

“It will provide technical assistance and support to the country’s ‘national food system transformation pathway’ strategic approaches, aiding the implementation of commitments made by Tanzania at the United Nation Food Systems Summit,” the director explained.

The focus is ensuring low-income consumers access markets within their food systems and leverage local food culture to shift consumer preferences towards nutritious and safe foods, she specified.

Gungu Mibavu, the ministerial director of marketing and food security, expressed appreciation for GAIN in coming up with the programme, hailing the power of collaboration in facilitating change.

The initiative is indeed a tool for contributing to attaining Agenda 10/30 that envisages obtaining the growth rate of the agricultural sector by ten percent by 2030, he said.

Stakeholders need to integrate food system considerations into organisational strategies, working toward ensuring food and nutrition security for all, he said, stressing inclusion of the most vulnerable in our communities.

”Together, we can realize a future where sustainable food systems guarantee food and nutrition security for all Tanzanians,” he stated.

Dr Winfrida Mayilla, the GAIN ()T) head of programmes, stated that working closely with government agencies and development partners gives programme managers the capacity to foster inclusive decision-making in food systems.

It will also facilitate policy coherence via priorities emerging from those processes, “connecting Tanzania with other African and Asian countries to exchange policy and best practices,” she elaborated.

Equally important is empowering the youth by inclusive decisions on how communities feed and nourish, along with local government authorities, “to set coherent policies as essential enablers to achieving multiple food system wins by 2030,” she said.

Closely collaborating with the government and other development partners, GAIN (T) will also take an active role in setting up a national food system country advisory group.

“This commitment marks a crucial step towards enhancing coordination and providing advisory support, essential for the implementation of food system transformation pathways,” she said.

“We will work to create incentives for businesses of all sizes to direct more of their investments to evidence-based actions that improve access to healthier diets, including the incorporation of nutrition considerations into environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards,” she added.