Nepal to host convention to improve food systems and nutrition across South Asia

The Kathmandu Dialogue on food systems has been hosted by a multi-stakeholder regional co-operation platform for food systems, the South Asian Policy Leadership for Improved Nutrition and Growth (SAPLING). The dialogue would be conducted on April 24  and 25 and this would be the second in the series after the Dhaka Dialogue, reported The Himalayan Times. In the event, more than 100 delegates will participate from SAPLING member countries - Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, Bhutan and Nepal. They will discuss regional collaboration and building consensus for improving food systems and nutrition across South Asia. The vision of SAPLING is to establish consensus among the five South Asian nations through mainstreaming evidence-based policy, action, and leadership.

Kathmandu Dialogue: food systems and Nutrition across South Asia

According to the local news report, the event has been co-hosted National Planning Commission, with BRAC Bangladesh, the current SAPLING Secretariat and the largest non-governmental development organisation in the world, IPE Global Limited, an Indian development sector think and do tank, and Institute for Integrated Development Studies, Nepal, headquartered in Kathmandu. The Dhaka Food Systems Dialogue held in December 2022  has focused on unbundling three thematic areas, namely climate-smart food systems, reducing post-harvest losses, and food safety standards, as possible levers for regional co-operation, read the press statment released by SAPLING. 

These talks have stressed the requirement for the technological collaboration and transfers, strengthening knowledge systems, and fostering cross-border private sector investments as levers of regional co-operation. However, this two-day event would refine the three levers for building resilient food systems in South Asia, reported The Himalayan Times. The event will be attended by experts from research and academic institutions, civil society, the private sector, bilateral and multilateral organisations, and philanthropies. Further, in the event,  a high-level inter-governmental policy round table would be hosted in which the government representatives from the National Planning Commission, Ministries of Agriculture in Bhutan and Sri Lanka, the Indian High Commission in Nepal, and Bangladesh will be present.