No country in the world is immune to malnutrition in some form or other. In addressing this challenge,
everybody has a role to play: the UN, governments (and specific ministries within them), communities and
individuals, the private sector and civil society.

There is a need to create a conducive environment supported by effective food system policies that will lead to society-wide behaviour change. Unless policy makers make bold decisions to combat malnutrition in all its forms, everyone will pay a heavy price in the form of an increased disease burden, higher mortality rates, greater economic losses and faster and more extensive degradation of the environment. It is time for governments, in view of the urgency, to take responsible action.

The Nutrition Decade is our unprecedented opportunity to support context-specific actions and investments.
Under the Nutrition Decade, governments are encouraged to make SMART commitments and to implement
the Decade work programme.

This brief describes what parliamentarians need to know about the current nutrition situation in the world
and how our food systems are shaping food environments that steer people towards unhealthy diets which are
one of the causal factors of malnutrition. Parliamentarians are well placed to facilitate action to transform the
world’s current food systems. This brief gives concrete examples of measures through which policymakers
can influence food systems so as to promote healthy diets and prevent malnutrition in all its forms, including
undernourishment, stunting, wasting, micronutrient deficiencies, overweight and obesity, as well as dietrelated
non-communicable diseases (NCDs).