Nutrition and Development: The Dynamics of Commitment

Generating political commitment for ending malnutrition in all its forms: A system dynamics approach for strengthening nutrition actor networks

“…The term “political commitment” often appears in public health research and policy discourse, mostly in relation to calls to action or as an explanatory factor in the failure to achieve meaningful policy reforms and progress. A small number of studies and reports from authoritative organizations identify commitment as an essential ingredient for nutrition improvement across a diversity of country contexts and forms of malnutrition . Without such commitment, the policies, programs, and resources needed to improve nutrition and generate environmental cobenefits are unlikely to be adopted, effectively implemented, nor sustained.…”

“…A small number of studies and reports from authoritative organizations identify commitment as an essential ingredient for nutrition improvement across a diversity of country contexts and forms of malnutrition. [12][13][14] Without such commitment, the policies, programs, and resources needed to improve nutrition and generate environmental cobenefits are unlikely to be adopted, effectively implemented, nor sustained. A growing body of empirical research describes why and how commitment for nutrition emerges in some countries and jurisdictions, whereas in others, nutrition remains neglected or ignored.…”

Bolivia's Multisectoral Zero Malnutrition Program: Insights on Commitment, Collaboration, and Capacities

“…For many decades, nutrition supporters have tended to work at the margins, in an ad hoc and fragmented fashion, waiting as "patient revolutionaries" [1] for the chance to influence national and international agendas. They had an opportunity in the 1970s, bolstered by the world food crisis and the enchantment with centralized planning at the time that led international partners to establish multisectoral nutrition planning units in 26 developing countries [2].…”

Children as Human Capital?

“…If I could draw from a large pool of unemployed people ready to work at cheap rates, I wouldn't be much concerned about the marginal productivity of any particular individuals I hired [11]. In fact, 'In labour-surplus economies, planners often conceptualise increased productivity not as an asset but as an additional problem which exacerbates unemployment problems'' [12].…”