At the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit held in Paris today, 27 March, the European Commission announced a significant new pledge of €3.4 billion aimed at combating global malnutrition through 2027. This commitment enhances the EU’s ongoing efforts to reduce all forms of malnutrition and promote effective nutrition-related interventions worldwide.
The investment will particularly focus on partner countries experiencing high levels of child malnutrition, with a primary emphasis on Sub-Saharan Africa. Specific targets include children under the age of five and young pregnant and lactating mothers suffering from severe acute malnutrition. The support provided will be tailored to meet the unique needs of each country, with a strong focus on the most vulnerable populations in least developed and fragile settings.
The EU’s engagement extends to global and regional levels, where it successfully promotes initiatives aimed at strengthening nutrition governance and enhancing international collaboration on research and development.
Today’s pledge builds on the EU’s earlier commitment of €2.5 billion for the period of 2021-2023, initially announced at the N4G Summit in Tokyo. The EU surpassed its previous pledge by nearly €1.9 billion, ultimately contributing a total of €4.4 billion for the 2021-2023 period.
In order to maximise its impact, the EU aims to invest through its Global Gateway strategy, focusing on essential infrastructure development, improving access to public services, supporting local agri-food value chains, and fostering sustainable economic growth.
The European Union actively supports initiatives at the global, regional, and country levels that bolster nutrition governance, promote international collaboration on data, and advance nutrition research and technological development. Furthermore, the EU provides humanitarian assistance to tackle severe acute malnutrition, delivering life-saving treatment to hundreds of thousands of vulnerable children in remote and fragile regions.
By integrating nutrition into its programming, the EU strengthens the link between humanitarian efforts and developmental actions, acknowledging that multi-sectoral approaches are crucial for addressing the root causes of malnutrition.
Promising results are emerging: EU investments have led to significant improvements in maternal and child nutrition, with partner countries on track to reduce the number of stunted children under five by at least 7 million by 2025.
The N4G summits have played a pivotal role in propelling efforts toward a malnutrition-free world. Since their inception in 2013—hosted by countries such as the United Kingdom, Brazil, Japan, and now France—these global events have mobilised commitments and coordinated actions among governments, donors, civil society, and the private sector, yielding impactful results in improving global nutrition outcomes.
(Source: CNA)
