IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v17y2020i19p7250-d423611.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Leveraging the Food System in the Eastern Mediterranean Region for Better Health and Nutrition: A Case Study from Oman

Author

Listed:
  • Ayoub Al-Jawaldeh

    (World Health Organization (WHO), Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO), 7608 Cairo, Egypt)

  • Salima Almamary

    (Nutrition Department, Ministry of Health, 393 Muscat, Oman)

  • Lamia Mahmoud

    (Office of the WHO Representative, 393 Muscat, Oman)

  • Lara Nasreddine

    (Nutrition and Food Sciences Department, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut, 11-0236 Beirut, Lebanon)

Abstract

The adoption of a food system approach is vital for the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) in achieving the 2030 Agenda. The objective of this paper is to present a case-study from Oman, where a roadmap of context-specific entry points within the food system was proposed, with the overarching aim of fostering healthier diets in the population. A four-staged process was adopted: (1) selection of potential target food groups; (2) assessment of self-sufficiency and sustainability considerations related to the target foods; (3) characterization of challenges, opportunities and potential interventions related to the target food groups and (4) identification of specific entry points within the three elements of the food system (food supply chain; food environment; and consumer behavior). Data collection was based on a review of pertinent literature as well as a participatory approach involving policy makers and stakeholders. Findings showed that fruit, vegetables, fish and foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt are priority targets for intervention. Specific entry points within the food system were identified and a realistic roadmap of activities was outlined. Findings and recommendations presented in this paper may facilitate policy convergence efforts in Oman and serve as a case-study for other EMR countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Ayoub Al-Jawaldeh & Salima Almamary & Lamia Mahmoud & Lara Nasreddine, 2020. "Leveraging the Food System in the Eastern Mediterranean Region for Better Health and Nutrition: A Case Study from Oman," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-21, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:19:p:7250-:d:423611
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/19/7250/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/19/7250/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. International Food Policy Research Institute, 2016. "Global Food Policy Report 2016," Working Papers id:10538, eSocialSciences.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Tendai Polite Chibarabada & Albert Thembinkosi Modi & Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi, 2017. "Nutrient Content and Nutritional Water Productivity of Selected Grain Legumes in Response to Production Environment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-17, October.
    2. Amanuel Hagos & Mache Tsadik & Abate Bekele Belachew & Afewerki Tesfahunegn, 2021. "Individual and community-level factors influencing optimal breastfeeding: A multilevel analysis from a national survey study of Ethiopia," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(4), pages 1-12, April.
    3. Berber Kramer, 2017. "Cooking Contests for Healthier Recipes: Impacts on Nutrition Knowledge and Behaviors in Bangladesh," Working Papers id:11943, eSocialSciences.
    4. Liesel Carlsson & Edith Callaghan & Adrian Morley & Göran Broman, 2017. "Food System Sustainability across Scales: A Proposed Local-To-Global Approach to Community Planning and Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-14, June.
    5. Kukom Edoh Ognakossan & Christopher M. Mutungi & Tobias O. Otieno & Hippolyte D. Affognon & Daniel N. Sila & Willis O. Owino, 2018. "Quantitative and quality losses caused by rodents in on-farm stored maize: a case study in the low land tropical zone of Kenya," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 10(6), pages 1525-1537, December.
    6. Debela, B.L. & Demmler, K.M. & Klasen, S. & Qaim, M., 2018. "Supermarket purchase and child nutritional outcomes in urban Kenya," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277078, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    7. Carly Nichols, 2017. "Millets, milk and maggi: contested processes of the nutrition transition in rural India," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 34(4), pages 871-885, December.
    8. Demmler, Kathrin M. & Ecker, Olivier & Qaim, Matin, 2018. "Supermarket Shopping and Nutritional Outcomes: A Panel Data Analysis for Urban Kenya," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 292-303.
    9. Laviolette, Luc & Gopalan, Sudararajan & Elder, Leslie & Wouters, Olivier J., 2016. "Incentivizing nutrition: incentive mechanisms to accelerate improved nutrition outcomes," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 68710, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    10. Perego, Viviana M.E., 2019. "Crop prices and the demand for titled land: Evidence from Uganda," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 93-109.
    11. Haroon JAMAL*, 2018. "EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MOTHER'S EMPOWERMENT AND CHILD NUTRITIONAL STATUS: An Evidence from Pakistan," Pakistan Journal of Applied Economics, Applied Economics Research Centre, vol. 28(2), pages 189-211.
    12. Nyathi, M.K. & van Halsema, G.E. & Annandale, J.G. & Struik, P.C., 2018. "Calibration and validation of the AquaCrop model for repeatedly harvested leafy vegetables grown under different irrigation regimes," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 208(C), pages 107-119.
    13. Jalini Kaushalya Galabada, 2022. "Towards the Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger: What Role Do Institutions Play?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-25, April.
    14. Stefania Moramarco & Giulia Amerio & Jean Kasengele Chipoma & Karin Nielsen-Saines & Leonardo Palombi & Ersilia Buonomo, 2018. "Filling the Gaps for Enhancing the Effectiveness of Community-Based Programs Combining Treatment and Prevention of Child Malnutrition: Results from the Rainbow Project 2015–17 in Zambia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-17, August.
    15. Jamal, Haroon, 2018. "Mother‘s Empowerment and Child Malnutrition: Evidence from Pakistan," MPRA Paper 87949, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Palanisamy, Venkatesh & Vellaichamy, Sangeetha & Sendhil, R & Jha, Girish Kumar, 2021. "Does Food Security Influence the Nutritional Status in India? Empirical Evidences from State-Level Cross Sectional Study," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315230, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    17. Cut Novianti Rachmi & Kingsley Emwinyore Agho & Mu Li & Louise Alison Baur, 2017. "Are stunted young Indonesian children more likely to be overweight, thin, or have high blood pressure in adolescence?," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 62(1), pages 153-162, January.
    18. Ambler, Kate & Brauw, Alan de & Godlonton, Susan, 2018. "Measuring postharvest losses at the farm level in Malawi," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 62(1), January.
    19. Genova, Christian A. & Umberger, Wendy J. & Newman, Suzie & Peralta, Alexandra, 2017. "To Market, to Market: Does Smallholder Vegetable Production Lead to Increased Children's Diet Diversity and Improved Diet Quality? Empirical Evidence from Northwest Vietnam," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 258366, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    20. Haruna Sekabira & Shamim Nalunga, 2020. "Farm Production Diversity: Is it Important for Food Security, Dietary Diversity and Nutrition? Panel Data Evidence from Uganda," Working Papers 396, African Economic Research Consortium, Research Department.

    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:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:19:p:7250-:d:423611. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.