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PS 5.4 Strengthening Food Systems Decision-Making: Understanding Data to Design Investments in Healthy Diets

04:00 pm - 05:30 pm
Auditorium Hall 1

(Track 5: Digital Solutions and Innovation)

The session explores how indicators, analytical tools, and digital dashboards can strengthen nutrition sensitive decision making for governments, development partners, and investors. By showcasing methods to assess diet cost and affordability, the cost of inaction, and the ROI of nutrition sensitive interventions, it demonstrates how data can enhance the design of agriculture and food systems projects to better deliver nutrition outcomes.

Overall Moderator: Omer Zafar, ADB-AFNR

Welcome Remarks
Jiro Tominaga, ADB

Part 1. Cost and affordability metrics and using them
Moderator: Saule Baurzhan, Natural Resources and Agriculture Economist ADB-AFNR

  • Enabling healthy diets for all, including the role of affordability 
    Lynnette Neufeld, FAO
  • The Fill the Nutrient Gap Approach
    Saskia de Pee, WFP
  • Visualizing and analyzing CoAHD within the food system context 
    Stella Nordhagen, GAIN

Part 2. Inaction costs, ROI / cost effectiveness, and using them 
Moderator: Dinesh Arora, Principal Health Specialist, ADB - HSD

  • The Cost of Inaction Approach 
    Dylan Walters and Surabhi Mittal, Nutrition International
  • Return on investment (ROI) and Cost effectiveness of interventions
    Purnima Menon, IFPRI
  • Translating data into economic arguments for nutrition investment 
    David Anthony Raitzer, ADB-EBRD

Questions & Answers
Moderator: Omer Zafar, ADB

Closing Remarks
Qingfeng Zhang, ADB

Speakers

  • David Raitzer

    Senior Economist, ADB Economic Analysis and Operational Support Division, Economic Research and Development Impact Department

    Asian Development Bank

  • Dinesh Arora

    Principal Health Specialist, Human and Social Development Sector Office (SG-HSD), Sector Department 3

    Asian Development Bank

  • Dylan Walters

    Health Economist / Project Director, Health Economics

    Nutrition International

  • Jiro Tominaga

    Deputy Director General, Independent Evaluation Department

    Asian Development Bank

  • Lynnette Neufeld

    Director of the Food and Nutrition Division (ESN)

    Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

  • Omer Zafar

    Principal Natural Resources and Agriculture Specialist, SG2-AFNR

    Asian Development Bank

  • Purnima Menon

    Senior Director

    International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

  • Qingfeng Zhang

    Senior Director, Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development Sector Office

    Asian Development Bank

  • Saskia de Pee

    Chief Analytics & Science for Food & Nutrition

    World Food Programme (WFP)

  • Saule Baurzhan

    Natural Resources and Agriculture Economist, SD2-AFNR

    Asian Development Bank

  • Stella Nordhagen

    Research Lead, Food Environments & Supply Chains

    Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition