1. Linking Agriculture and Health: Progress of a CGIAR* Initiative
Corinna Hawkes
Food Consumption and Nutrition Division
International Food Policy Research Institute
* Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (

2. Agriculture & health are linked with significant implications for the poverty, livelihoods, food security, nutrition & health of the world’s poor
Agriculture Health
By producing food and generating income and other benefits, agriculture is fundamental for good health
By demanding labor, affecting the environment, and producing goods, agriculture contributes to poor health
Agricultural populations in poor health are less able to work perpetuating a downward spiral into poverty
Wider prevalence of malnutrition and disease influences the market demand (and needs) for agricultural outputs
Health Agriculture
Linking Agriculture and Health: Progress of a CGIAR Initiative
SCN Working Group on Household Food Security, Geneva, March

3. Why now? History of IFPRI/CGIAR work on agriculture and nutrition
Increasing body of CGIAR work on agriculture and health more broadly, but not well coordinated
Innovative solutions needed to prevent & control world’s major health problems affecting the poor (undernutrition, HIV/AIDs, malaria, food borne disease)
Action needed to understand and address emerging health problems related to agriculture and health (e.g. avian flu, obesity & diet-related chronic diseases)
New challenges affecting agriculture & the nature of its linkages with health (globalization, urbanization)
Linking Agriculture and Health: Progress of a CGIAR Initiative
SCN Working Group on Household Food Security, Geneva, March

4. CGIAR Initiative on Agriculture and Health aims to…
Improve coordination of existing health-related research in the CGIAR & maximize impact on policy, in partnership with the health sector
Improve the health of the poor, reduce malnutrition and food insecurity, and promote pro-poor agricultural development, by increasing synergies and collaboration between agriculture & health in research, policy and practice
FOCUS EQUALLY ON RESEARCH AND POLICY DEVELOPMENT
Linking Agriculture and Health: Progress of a CGIAR Initiative
SCN Working Group on Household Food Security, Geneva, March

5. Actions so far
Center Directors Working Group established on Agriculture and Health , to steer initiative (2004)
Development of conceptual framework linking agriculture and health, to set broad frame of reference (2004/2005)
Workshop on agriculture and health (June 2005)
Event held for all CG Centers at Annual General Meeting, to communicate development of initiative (Dec 2005)
IFPRI 2020 Focus Briefs on agriculture & health linkages, to compile & communicate what is already known (May 2006)
Web resource guide describing health-related work in CG Centers, to allow anyone to learn about & utilize this research (2006)
Linking Agriculture and Health: Progress of a CGIAR Initiative
SCN Working Group on Household Food Security, Geneva, March

6. Roundtable workshop - Agriculture & Health Linkages: Towards Improved Coordination IFPRI, Washington DC, June 23-24
45 participants from 11 CG Centers (out of 15), health sector (WHO, academic experts, NGOs), donors
Reviewed existing work, discussed how to improve CG coordination and strengthen partnerships with the health sector, and challenges and opportunities to move forward
Linking Agriculture and Health: Progress of a CGIAR Initiative
SCN Working Group on Household Food Security, Geneva, March

7. Noted real challenges…
Linkage between agriculture & health are dynamic and complex
Significant institutional challenges
Insectoral research and policies difficult to monitor and evaluate
Policymakers, practioners and donors need to be convinced of relevance and added benefits of working across sectors
Linking Agriculture and Health: Progress of a CGIAR Initiative
SCN Working Group on Household Food Security, Geneva, March

8. … but real opportunities for CG to improve synergies, in partnership with health sector
Conduct scientific and policy research on linkages
Develop partnerships with health sector to draw on mutual strengths
Build dialogue to build common ground between researchers policymakers sand practitioners
Communicate through publications
Develop and adapt methodological tools to link agriculture & health in research, policy and practice
Linking Agriculture and Health: Progress of a CGIAR Initiative
SCN Working Group on Household Food Security, Geneva, March

9. Focus on moving forward, addressing existing & emerging challenges, learning from the past, but building new approaches
EXAMPLE: AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION
Learn from past, that agriculture can contribute to nutrition by:
increasing availability of staples, access to micronutrient rich food, income, & women’s empowerment
Need also to address challenges of globalization & urbanization:
Impact on dual burden of malnutrition;
Elevation of the role of agri-food markets relative to agricultural production
Overall, to succeed must address agri-food and health governance structures that create institutional barriers to increasing the synergies
Linking Agriculture and Health: Progress of a CGIAR Initiative
SCN Working Group on Household Food Security, Geneva, March

10. Next steps RESEARCH: COLLABORATION: COMMUNICATION:
Continue ongoing research (HIV/AIDs; nutrition/obesity)
Identify critical scientific & policy research needed in concept note
COLLABORATION:
Identify “big picture” global public health/nutrition experts to help guide the initiative
Assist World Bank in agriculture-nutrition work
COMMUNICATION:
Special issue of Food and Nutrition Bulletin (June 2007),
Launch of 2020 Focus Briefs and Resource Guide
Linking Agriculture and Health: Progress of a CGIAR Initiative
SCN Working Group on Household Food Security, Geneva, March

11. For more information
Brief on initiative: available here &
Website on workshop:
Contact
Marie Ruel
Corinna Hawkes
Linking Agriculture and Health: Progress of a CGIAR Initiative
SCN Working Group on Household Food Security, Geneva, March