Governance and resilience as entry points for transforming food systems in the countdown to 2030.

Due to complex interactions, changes in any one area of food systems are likely to impact-and possibly depend on-changes in other areas. Here we present the first annual monitoring update of the indicator framework proposed by the Food Systems Countdown Initiative, with new qualitative analysis elucidating interactions across indicators. Since 2000, we find that 20 of 42 indicators with time series have been trending in a desirable direction, indicating modest positive change.

Development of the Diet Quality Questionnaire for Measurement of Dietary Diversity and Other Diet Quality Indicators.

Background: To monitor trends toward healthy and sustainable diets, there is a need for feasible survey tools, with cross-cultural validity, low-cost, and low-expertise requirements.

Objectives: The objective of this research was to develop a method to gather data suitable for monitoring diet quality in the general population (women and men of all ages) that is feasible within multitopic surveys, low burden for both enumerators and respondents, valid at population level, and that captures the information necessary for understanding diet quality at global and local levels.

Methods: A literature review was conducted to identify constructs of diet quality with existing consensus, indicators with existing global demand, and methods that may be feasible and valid.

Diet Quality Among Mothers and Children in India: Roles of Social and Behavior Change Communication and Nutrition-Sensitive Social Protection Programs.

Background: Limited evidence exists on determinants of maternal and child diet quality.

Objectives: This study examined the role of social and behavior change communication (SBCC) and nutrition-sensitive social protection (NSSP) programs on maternal and child diet quality.

Methods: Data were from cross-sectional phone survey on 6627 Indian mothers that took place in late 2021.

Measuring food access using least-cost diets: Results for global monitoring and targeting of interventions to improve food security, nutrition and health.

Benchmark diets using the most affordable locally available items to meet health and nutrition needs have long been used to guide food choice and nutrition assistance. This paper describes the result of recent innovations scaling up the use of such least-cost diets by UN agencies, the World Bank, and national governments for a different purpose, which is monitoring food environments and targeting systemic interventions to improve a population's access to sufficient food for an active and healthy life. Measuring food access using least-cost diets allows a clearer understanding of where poor diets are caused by unavailability or high prices for even the lowest-cost healthy foods, insufficient income or other resources to acquire those foods, or the use of other foods instead due to reasons such as time use and meal preparation costs, or cultural factors such as taste and aspirations.