Children need quality food to be able to lead quality lives

But some countries are still reluctant to join amid questions and criticism over its lack of clarity and perceived relationship with companies that have controversial nutrition records, say experts.

I dont think anyone will deny that the movement is based on sound scientific principles and has managed to provide nutrition the profile it desperately needed, but there is still confusion around how it actually works and what it stands for, said Purnima Menon, a nutrition expert with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

Studies published in The Lancet in 2008 showed that inexpensive nutrition interventions - such well-balanced meals fortified by micronutrients and breastfeeding until a child is two years old - not only reduce infant and maternal mortality but also boost economic growth in developing countries. The Framework for SUN, developed in 2010, was based in part on the Lancet series findings; it also recognized the need to address the underlying determinants of poor nutrition, including poor access to nutritious food, drinking water and sanitation.

A big tent SUN is considered a big tent, designed to create the political space within which various nutrition initiatives can be implemented to best effect, said David Nabarro, coordinator of the movement and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Food Security and Nutrition.

The movement provides space for countries to establish their own approaches to nutrition, based on each countrys individual needs and capacity, Nabarro said. The movement sets out to ensure that countries are in the lead and that efforts of multiple stakeholders are aligned in response to peoples needs and requests from countries.

But this could be its undoing. While one can understand the need to provide enough room to accommodate everyones needs and be acceptable, it has to draw the line somewhere and develop a sharp focus, said a nutrition expert in South Africa, who did not want to be named.

SUN is not promoting any specific affiliations, said Nabarro. All stakeholders, including businesses, commit to the movements principles of engagement. If anyone is abusing the message or using our language for interests that are not in line with those of the movement, please report it to us, he said.

Refusing to participate

South Africa has yet to join SUN, with some experts saying that it is overly focused on packaged interventions such as ready-to-use-therapeutic foods. These approaches seem to be donor-driven, and would not suit the countrys needs, said the South African nutrition official who preferred to remain anonymous.

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FOOD: Nutrition getting the attention it deserves?