IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/wdevel/v64y2014icp420-433.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Why Worry About the Politics of Childhood Undernutrition?

Author

Listed:
  • Nisbett, Nicholas
  • Gillespie, Stuart
  • Haddad, Lawrence
  • Harris, Jody

Abstract

Undernutrition affects over 2 billion people; but most of the global policy focus has been on technical solutions rather than an understanding of nutrition politics. This paper reviews existing literature on nutrition politics and policy. We identify a number of recurring themes surrounding knowledge; politics, and capacities. While the literature on nutrition politics and policy is growing; we demonstrate how there are a number of gaps in our understanding that might be addressed from wider development scholarship on politics and related issues such as power and the state, participation, and accountability.

Suggested Citation

  • Nisbett, Nicholas & Gillespie, Stuart & Haddad, Lawrence & Harris, Jody, 2014. "Why Worry About the Politics of Childhood Undernutrition?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 420-433.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:64:y:2014:i:c:p:420-433
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2014.06.018
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X14001776
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.worlddev.2014.06.018?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mejía Acosta, Andrés & Haddad, Lawrence, 2014. "The politics of success in the fight against malnutrition in Peru," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 26-35.
    2. Field, John Osgood, 1987. "Multisectoral nutrition planning: a post-mortem," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 12(1), pages 15-28, February.
    3. Martina Björkman & Jakob Svensson, 2009. "Power to the People: Evidence from a Randomized Field Experiment on Community-Based Monitoring in Uganda," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 124(2), pages 735-769.
    4. Hoddinott, John & Maluccio, John & Behrman, Jere R. & Martorell, Reynaldo & Melgar, Paul & Quisumbing, Agnes R. & Ramirez-Zea, Manuel & Stein, Aryeh D. & Yount, Kathryn M., 2011. "The consequences of early childhood growth failure over the life course:," IFPRI discussion papers 1073, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    5. Ghazala Mansuri & Vijayendra Rao, 2013. "Localizing Development : Does Participation Work?," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 11859.
    6. Jean-Pierre Tranchant & Patricia Justino & Cath�rine M�ller, 2014. "Political Violence, Drought and Child Malnutrition: Empirical Evidence from Andhra Pradesh, India," HiCN Working Papers 173, Households in Conflict Network.
    7. Stuart Gillespie & Milla McLachlan & Roger Shrimpton, 2003. "Combating Malnutrition : Time to Act," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 15120.
    8. Pelletier, David L. & Deneke, Kassahun & Kidane, Yemane & Haile, Beyenne & Negussie, Fikre, 1995. "The food-first bias and nutrition policy: lessons from Ethiopia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 20(4), pages 279-298, August.
    9. Michael R. Reich, 1995. "The politics of agenda setting in international health: Child health versus adult health in developing countries," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 7(3), pages 489-502, May.
    10. Richard Heaver, 2005. "Strengthening Country Commitment to Human Development: Lessons from Nutrition," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 7310.
    11. Harris, Jody & Drimie, Scott, 2012. "Toward an integrated approach for addressing malnutrition in Zambia: a literature review and institutional analysis:," IFPRI discussion papers 1200, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    12. Jeremy Shiffman & Stephanie Smith, 2007. "Generation of Political Priority for Global Health Initiatives: A Framework and Case Study of Maternal Mortality," Working Papers 129, Center for Global Development.
    13. Gaventa, John & Barrett, Gregory, 2012. "Mapping the Outcomes of Citizen Engagement," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(12), pages 2399-2410.
    14. Anuradha Joshi, 2013. "Do They Work? Assessing the Impact of Transparency and Accountability Initiatives in Service Delivery," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 31, pages 29-48, July.
    15. Benson, Todd, 2008. "Improving nutrition as a development priority: Addressing undernutrition in national policy processes in Sub-Saharan Africa," Research reports 156, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    16. Lawrence Haddad & Harold Alderman & Simon Appleton & Lina Song & Yisehac Yohannes, 2003. "Reducing Child Malnutrition: How Far Does Income Growth Take Us?," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 17(1), pages 107-131, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Gillespie, Stuart & van den Bold, Mara & Hodge, Judith, 2019. "Nutrition and the governance of agri-food systems in South Asia: A systematic review," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 13-27.
    2. Ashley Fox & Jennie R. Law & Keith Baker, 2022. "The case for metagovernance: The promises and pitfalls of multisectoral nutrition service delivery structures in low‐ and middle‐income countries," Public Administration & Development, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 42(2), pages 128-141, May.
    3. Resnick, Danielle & Babu, Suresh & Haggblade, Steven & Hendriks, Sheryl L. & Mather, David, 2015. "Conceptualizing Drivers Of Policy Change In Agriculture, Nutrition, And Food Security: The Kaleidoscope Model," Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research Papers 258732, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security (FSP).
    4. Bridget O'Laughlin & C. Sathyamala, 2016. "Forum 2016," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 47(4), pages 818-839, July.
    5. Nicholas Nisbett & Jody Harris & Derek Headey & Mara den Bold & Stuart Gillespie & Noora-Lisa Aberman & Olutayo Adeyemi & Richmond Aryeetey & Rasmi Avula & Elodie Becquey & Scott Drimie & Elyse Iruhir, 2023. "Stories of change in nutrition: lessons from a new generation of studies from Africa, Asia and Europe," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 15(1), pages 133-149, February.
    6. Fanzo, Jessica & Haddad, Lawrence & Schneider, Kate R. & Béné, Christophe & Covic, Namukolo M. & Guarin, Alejandro & Herforth, Anna W. & Herrero, Mario & Sumaila, U. Rashid & Aburto, Nancy J. & Amuyun, 2021. "Viewpoint: Rigorous monitoring is necessary to guide food system transformation in the countdown to the 2030 global goals," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    7. Sandra Boatemaa Kushitor & Scott Drimie & Rashieda Davids & Casey Delport & Corinna Hawkes & Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi & Mjabuliseni Ngidi & Rob Slotow & Laura M. Pereira, 2022. "The complex challenge of governing food systems: The case of South African food policy," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 14(4), pages 883-896, August.
    8. Caroline Hambloch & Kai Mausch & Costanza Conti & Andy Hall, 2023. "Simple solutions for complex problems? What is missing in agriculture for nutrition interventions," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 15(2), pages 363-379, April.
    9. Leach, Melissa & Nisbett, Nicholas & Cabral, Lídia & Harris, Jody & Hossain, Naomi & Thompson, John, 2020. "Food politics and development," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    10. International Food Policy Research Institute, 2015. "Global Nutrition Report: Actions and Accountability to Accelerate the World’s Progress on Nutrition," Working Papers id:7417, eSocialSciences.
    11. Mogues, Tewodaj & Billings, Lucy, 2019. "The making of public investments: The role of champions, co-ordination, and characteristics of nutrition programmes in Mozambique," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 29-38.
    12. te Lintelo, Dolf J.H. & Lakshman, Rajith W.D., 2015. "Equate and Conflate: Political Commitment to Hunger and Undernutrition Reduction in Five High-Burden Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 280-292.
    13. Jesús Peiró-Palomino & Andrés J. Picazo-Tadeo & Vicente Rios, 2020. "Social Progress Around the World: Measurement, Evolution and Convergence," Working Papers 2006, Department of Applied Economics II, Universidad de Valencia.
    14. International Food Policy Research Institute, 2014. "Global Nutrition Report 2014: Actions and accountability to accelerate the world’s progress on nutrition," IFPRI books, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), number 978-0-89629-564-3.
    15. Mogues, Tewodaj & Billings, Lucy, 2015. "The making of public investments: Champions, coordination, and characteristics of nutrition interventions:," IFPRI discussion papers 1479, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    16. Gupte, Jaideep & Longhurst, Richard, 2019. "How do the state’s organisational capacities at the micro- and macro-levels influence agriculture-nutrition linkages in fragile contexts?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 74-83.
    17. Danielle Resnick & Shilpa Deshpande, 2023. "Illiberal democracy and nutrition advocacy," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 41(6), November.
    18. Brenda Shenute Namugumya & Jeroen J.L. Candel & Elise F. Talsma & Catrien J.A.M. Termeer, 2020. "Towards concerted government efforts? Assessing nutrition policy integration in Uganda," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 12(2), pages 355-368, April.
    19. Nisbett, Nicholas, 2019. "Understanding the nourishment of bodies at the centre of food and health systems – systemic, bodily and new materialist perspectives on nutritional inequity," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 228(C), pages 9-16.
    20. Fracassi, Patrizia & Siekmans, Kendra & Baker, Phillip, 2020. "Galvanizing political commitment in the UN Decade of Action for Nutrition: Assessing commitment in member-countries of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Nisbett, Nicholas & Wach, Elise & Haddad, Lawrence & El Arifeen, Shams, 2015. "What drives and constrains effective leadership in tackling child undernutrition? Findings from Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India and Kenya," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 33-45.
    2. Fox, Jonathan A., 2015. "Social Accountability: What Does the Evidence Really Say?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 346-361.
    3. te Lintelo, Dolf J.H. & Lakshman, Rajith W.D., 2015. "Equate and Conflate: Political Commitment to Hunger and Undernutrition Reduction in Five High-Burden Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 280-292.
    4. Ardanaz, Martín & Otálvaro-Ramírez, Susana & Scartascini, Carlos, 2022. "Does Citizen Participation in Budget Allocation Pay? A Survey Experiment on Political Trust and Participatory Governance," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 12256, Inter-American Development Bank.
    5. International Food Policy Research Institute, 2014. "Global Nutrition Report 2014: Actions and accountability to accelerate the world’s progress on nutrition," IFPRI books, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), number 978-0-89629-564-3.
    6. Olutayo Adeyemi & Mara Bold & Nicholas Nisbett & Namukolo Covic, 2023. "Changes in Nigeria’s enabling environment for nutrition from 2008 to 2019 and challenges for reducing malnutrition," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 15(2), pages 343-361, April.
    7. Gillespie, Stuart & van den Bold, Mara, 2015. "Stories of change in nutrition: A tool pool:," IFPRI discussion papers 1494, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    8. Ardanaz, Martin & Otálvaro-Ramírez, Susana & Scartascini, Carlos, 2023. "Does information about citizen participation initiatives increase political trust?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    9. World Bank Group, 2014. "Strategic Framework for Mainstreaming Citizen Engagement in World Bank Group Operations," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 21113.
    10. International Food Policy Research Institute, 2015. "Global Nutrition Report: Actions and Accountability to Accelerate the World’s Progress on Nutrition," Working Papers id:7417, eSocialSciences.
    11. Stuart Gillespie & Mara van den Bold, 2016. "Stories of Change in Nutrition: A Tool Pool," Working Papers id:8225, eSocialSciences.
    12. Elyse Iruhiriye & Deanna K. Olney & Edward A. Frongillo & Emmanuel Niyongira & Simeon Nanama & Eugene Rwibasira & Paul Mbonyi & Christine E. Blake, 2022. "Translation of policy for reducing undernutrition from national to sub-national levels in Rwanda," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 14(4), pages 977-993, August.
    13. Gaduh,Arya Budhiastra & Pradhan,Menno Prasad & Priebe,Jan & Susanti,Dewi, 2021. "Scores, Camera, Action : Social Accountability and Teacher Incentives in Remote Areas," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9748, The World Bank.
    14. Headey, Derek D. & Hoddinott, John F., 2014. "Understanding the rapid reduction of undernutrition in Nepal, 2001-2011:," IFPRI discussion papers 1384, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    15. Mogues, Tewodaj & Billings, Lucy, 2019. "The making of public investments: The role of champions, co-ordination, and characteristics of nutrition programmes in Mozambique," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 29-38.
    16. Stuart Gillespie & Milla McLachlan & Roger Shrimpton, 2003. "Combating Malnutrition : Time to Act," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 15120.
    17. Humphreys, Macartan & Sánchez de la Sierra, Raúl & Van der Windt, Peter, 2019. "Exporting democratic practices: Evidence from a village governance intervention in Eastern Congo," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 279-301.
    18. Matthias Rieger & Sofia Karina Trommlerová, 2016. "Age-Specific Correlates of Child Growth," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 53(1), pages 241-267, February.
    19. Lucy Scott, 2015. "Raising voice or giving assets? Reducing extreme poverty in an uncertain environment: A case study from Bangladesh," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series 21315, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    20. Barde, Julia Alexa, 2017. "What Determines Access to Piped Water in Rural Areas? Evidence from Small-Scale Supply Systems in Rural Brazil," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 88-110.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:64:y:2014:i:c:p:420-433. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/worlddev .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.