What Is the Role of Civil Society in Multisectoral Nutrition Governance Systems? A Multicountry Review

Abstract

Background: Solutions to create enabling nutrition environments must come from within communities and involve multiple sectors. As vital actors in community mobilization, rights-based advocacy, and accountable public institutions, civil society organizations (CSOs) can help ensure nutrition programs and policies represent and reach all community members to achieve impact. Objectives: To review attributes of civic engagement in multisectoral nutrition governance systems and to provide recommendations to increase CSO participation. Methods: We reviewed 7 national case studies of Civil Society Networks involved with the Scaling Up Nutrition movement and characterized 6 functional attributes of CSOs in multisectoral nutrition governance: identify needs of all community members, mobilize and build civic capacity, advocate for political commitments, inform program design and evaluation, ensure accountability mechanisms in public institutions, and report challenges and successes using broad media campaigns. Results: All studies described government agencies involved with multisectoral nutrition governance systems, at national and subnational levels; however, there was limited evidence of subnational platforms for CSO engagement. Although countries increased investments in public institutions for nutrition, it was unclear whether nutrition service quality improved and none reported corresponding investments in civil society. Conclusion: Our characterization identifies strategies to engage CSOs in multisectoral nutrition governance at multiple ecological levels. We hope future adaptation and application of this characterization will increase community ownership and diverse representation in nutrition governance systems. Both of these are key to enabling national and international entities to address malnutrition’s underlying determinants in ways that align with local contexts, values, and systems change processes.

Nutrition policy reforms to address the double burden of malnutrition in Zambia: a prospective policy analysis

“…Incorporating frames that include food environment drivers of nutrition problems in information-based interventions might help build public awareness, increasing demand for healthy food and fostering behaviour change. Public awareness campaigns coupled with strong advocacy by civil society can transform the public into powerful actors who, in some settings, were instrumental in passing effective nutrition policies like sugar taxes ( Lee, 2010 ; Busse et al. , 2020 ).…”

Star Trek Offers Insights That Illuminate Actor Engagement in Global Nutrition Governance Comment on "Towards Preventing and Managing Conflict of Interest in Nutrition Policy? An Analysis of Submissions to a Consultation on a Draft WHO Tool"

“…Abbreviations: WHO, World Health Organization; COI, conflict of interest. Sources: WHO, 1 Ralston et al, 3 Friel et al, 5 and Busse et al 18 and Ferengi) who provide beneficial business infrastructure and economic activities but that also produce consequences for the diets and health of populations. Current evidence suggests that many private-sector actors (ie, Romulans and Cardassians) have underperformed to achieve voluntary commitments, disregarded UN human rights best-practice guidelines for businesses, and engaged in predatory marketing practices that promote unhealthy food and beverage products that have fostered malnutrition and non-communicable diseases.…”

“…Civil society actors (Bajorans and Klingons) identify community needs, build and mobilize civic capacity, advocate for public-and private-sector commitments to address malnutrition, and ensure accountability for other actors' actions. 18 The 12 civil society actors who responded to the COI tool were mostly supportive. 3 Certain civil society actors have suggested that commercial-sector actors have asserted their place at the global and national nutrition policy-making tables under the guise of multilateral food governance, 19 and have cautioned the UN Secretary General to address COI in preparation for the UN Food Systems Summit in 2021.…”

Beyond paper realities : Fostering integrated nutrition governance in Uganda

“…Further, investigating the parallel policy processes and practices by non-state actors and their effects on nutrition integration remains important. Donor and private-sector projects are ever more investing in public organisations to cultivate country ownership and sustenance of their nutrition commitments (Busse et al 2020;IFPRI 2016;Sunguya et al 2014). Detailed account of the specific policy ideas, motivations, processes and practices of international and private-sector actors is necessary to broaden understanding of the actions or inactions of all actors participating in nutrition policy.…”