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Why Worry About the Politics of Childhood Undernutrition?

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  • 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.

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  • 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
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    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. 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.
    4. 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).
    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. 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).
    7. 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.
    8. Bridget O'Laughlin & C. Sathyamala, 2016. "Forum 2016," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 47(4), pages 818-839, July.
    9. Danielle Resnick & Shilpa Deshpande, 2023. "Illiberal democracy and nutrition advocacy," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 41(6), November.
    10. 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.
    11. 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).
    12. 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.
    13. 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.
    14. 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.
    15. 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.
    16. Leach, Melissa & Nisbett, Nicholas & Cabral, Lídia & Harris, Jody & Hossain, Naomi & Thompson, John, 2020. "Food politics and development," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    17. 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).
    18. 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.
    19. 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.
    20. 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.

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