UNSCN NUTRITION 45 United Nations System Standing Committee on Nutrition Nutrition in a Digital World CHAIR’S ROUND-UP2020 PAGE 4 EDITORIAL PAGE 5 ORIGINAL RESEARCH AND REVIEWS PAGE 9 INNOVATION PAGE 69 INSIGHTS PAGE 103 in this issue About UNSCN NUTRITION UNSCN NUTRITION is an annual publication issued by the United Nations System Standing Committee on Nutrition. A transitional title, formerly called SCN News, it can be found under the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) 1564-3743. It provides information on emerging issues of importance to international nutrition, bringing together contributions from actors around the globe. Individual authors are accountable and responsible for the content of their papers, the accuracy of the references provided and conflict-of-interest declarations. The content of UNSCN NUTRITION should not be considered an endorsement of the views contained therein and does not necessarily represent the views or official position of the UNSCN Secretariat or its UN Member Agencies. All website links and online information in this publication were accessible as of June 2020. The UNSCN NUTRITION Editorial Team would like to extend its sincere thanks to the external reviewers who provided such valuable feedback on Issue 45. Editorial Team: Denise Costa Coitinho Delmuè, Sabrina Ionata de Oliveira Granheim and Stineke Oenema. Acknowledgements: We would like to thank Poilin Breathnach for compiling the glossary and simplifying the scientific terminology, which we hope will serve as a quick guide to some of the more technical terms used in this report. We would also like to gratefully acknowledge Vivica Kraak, Margarida Bica, Kremlin Wickramasinghe, Kathryn Backholer, Bin Liu, Nikola Trendov and Alessandro R Marcon for their contributions to and reviews of the glossary. We would also like to thank Poilin Breathnach for editing the document, Faustina Masini for the design and Alessandra Mora for her support in finalizing the publication. All rights reserved. UNSCN encourages the use and dissemination of content in this product. Reproduction and dissemination thereof for educational or other non-commercial uses are authorized provided that appropriate acknowledgement of UNSCN as the source is given and that UNSCN’s endorsement of users’ views, products or services is not implied in any way. All requests for translation and adaptation rights, and for resale and other commercial use rights should be addressed to the UNSCN secretariat at [email protected]. To be added to our mailing list, please email [email protected]. Table of contents Acronyms 2 Chair’s round-up 4 Editorial 5 Original research and reviews 9 • Digital marketing to young people: Consequences for the health and diets of future generations 9 • Using mobile-phone technology to change behaviour: Lessons from mNutrition 25 • Social networking for nutrition: Educational intervention in the digital age 33 • Social-media discussion analysis as a tool for nutrition practitioners 41 • eLearning to empower front-line nutrition workers in India 49 • Digital solutions for nutrition-sensitive SME transformation 57 • Digital marketing of harmful foods to children: A global concern 64 Innovation 69 • CLICK: The WHO Europe framework to monitor the digital marketing of unhealthy foods to children and adolescents 69 • PLUS School Menus: The future of school menu design 75 • Food salvaging to alleviate hunger and food insecurity: The role of mobile technology 83 • Digital technology to promote inclusion and quality nutrition care for children with disabilities 87 • Using cutting-edge technology to end malnutrition 92 • Improving nutrition and health data to and from remote regions 96 Insights 103 • Harnessing AI to achieve healthy and sustainable food systems 103 • How digital technology is transforming the food retail landscape 107 • Microbiome research, nutrition and social media: A messaging muddle 116 • Digital solutions to promote nutritious foods: Value chains for biofortified staples 122 • Digital technologies to improve Zimbabwe’s food and nutrition security information system 125 • Digital technology to boost agricultural output, improve the food environment and reduce malnutrition in Africa 132 • Digital accountability for the right to food 137 Tribute 141 Glossary 143 2 UNSCN NUTRITION 45: NUTRITION IN A DIGITAL WORLD July 2020 Acronyms AI Artificial intelligence ATNI Access to Nutrition Index AWW Anganwadi worker (India) BCPR Bangladesh cerebral palsy register BMZ German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development CGF Consumer Goods Forum CHU Community health units CHV Community health volunteers CLICK Comprehend the digital ecosystem, Landscape of campaigns, Investigate exposure, Capture on-screen and Knowledge sharing COPPA Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule COVID-19 Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (formerly known as nCov-19) DataDENT Data for Decisions to Expand Nutrition Transformation D LT Distributed ledger technology DHS Demographic and Health Surveys DNN Deep neural networks DWCD Department of Women and Child Development (India) FAFH Food away from home FANRPAN Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network FaNS Food and Nutrition Security, Enhanced Resilience (project) FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FDA Food and Drug Administration FMI Food Marketing Institute FNC Food and Nutrition Council (Zimbabwe) FNSIS Food and nutrition security information system GAIN Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition GeSI Global e-Sustainability Initiative GIZ Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GSMA GSM Association HFSS High fat, salt and sugar HGSF Home-grown school feeding IBGE Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics ICC International Chamber of Commerce ICT Information and communications technology IDS Institute of Development Studies IEC Information education and communication IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development www.unscn.org/unscnnutrition45 ACRONYMS 3 IFBA International Food & Beverage Alliance IFPRI International Food Policy Research Institute ILRI International Livestock Research Institute IoT Internet of Things ITU International Telecommunications Union KFC Kentucky Fried Chicken LMICs Low- and middle-income countries MDDS Minimum Dietary Diversity Score MDD-W Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women MIS Management information system MUAC Mid-upper arm circumference NCD Non-communicable disease NLP Natural language processing NYU New York University OBC Other Backward Castes (India) OFD Online food-delivery OPM Oxford Policy Management PCD Partnership for Child Development QR code Quick Response code RFID Radio-frequency identification RNI Recommended nutrient intake SADC Southern African Development Community SC Scheduled Caste (India) ST Scheduled Tribe (India) SD Standard deviation SDG Sustainable Development Goals SME Small and medium-sized enterprise SNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program SUN Scaling Up Nutrition UNDESA United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund UNSCN United Nations System Standing Committee on Nutrition USDA United States Department of Agriculture USDA ERS United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service WASH Water, sanitation and hygiene WCRF World Cancer Research Fund WFA World Federation of Advertisers WFP World Food Programme WHO World Health Organization WWF World Wildlife Fund 4 UNSCN NUTRITION 45: NUTRITION IN A DIGITAL WORLD July 2020 Chair’s round-up AMIR ABDULLA Interim Chair of UNSCN/UN Nutrition Deputy Executive Director WFP Dear UNSCN Nutrition reader, As Interim Chair of the United Nations System Standing As interim Chair of UNSCN, it has been my great privilege to work Committee on Nutrition (UNSCN), I am delighted to present our with our Members to strengthen UN System-wide coherence flagship publication for 2020, UNSCN Nutrition 45: Nutrition in and coordination arrangements on nutrition. I am happy to a Digital World. A wealth of experts, researchers, policymakers inform you that these arrangements have moved on to the and programme implementers have shared their innovations, next level, with the merger of UNSCN and the UN Network for insights and findings on how digital technologies can be used Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN). This combined, robust entity will to promote sustainable healthy diets and improve nutritional be called UN Nutrition. Our flagship publication will continue status. to address key and emerging nutrition issues under a new name, the UN Nutrition Journal. We are planning to bolster When we selected this year’s theme just nine months ago, our editorial board and publishing guidelines. we had not even heard of COVID-19. We are now in the midst of a pandemic. It dominates our thoughts and actions and The evolution of UN Nutrition is a tremendous opportunity is driving fundamental decisions on economic and social for global nutrition. It will enable our UN agencies to work development. even more closely and coherently to assist our Members and the international community in tackling urgent malnutrition To slow the spread of the coronavirus, restrictions on movement challenges in the second half of the Decade of Action on and physical-distancing measures have been put in place around Nutrition, so that we can achieve the Sustainable Development the world. Digital technology has been invaluable in preserving Goals. economic activity and services and ensuring